BULGARIAN FOR EX-PATS

Sofia Language Center has been operating since 2002 and over the years has gained the reputation of a reliable educational organization both among the local and ex-pat communities in Sofia.

We specialize in high-quality, made-to-measure, one-to-one/group language training. Our courses are designed so as to meet the needs of our students and to accommodate them to the best of their convenience.

We have had the privilege to provide Bulgarian language training for a large number of business people working for reputable organizations in Bulgaria, and for members of the Diplomatic Corps (employees of The French, Finnish and Japanese Embassies in Sofia), as well as for their families.

We have worked with Microsoft Bulgaria, BMW Group, Renault-Nissan Bulgaria, Procreditbank, CIBANK, Actavis, etc.

In our work we adamantly stick to the following basic principles:

1. We approach each student individually

Our courses are carefully designed to meet each student’s individual needs. At the same time, our programs may be adjusted during the teaching-learning process to better meet these needs.

2. We focus on building up and developing our students’ speaking skills

We do realize that above all our students need active working knowledge of Bulgarian to be able to get by in the local linguistic environment on a day-to-day basis. We hence work mainly towards developing their speaking skills.

Learning how to read and write in Bulgarian is elegantly entwined in the teaching-learning process, and so is grammar. The latter is taught with utmost care but, at the same time, in an easy going practice-oriented manner.

This approach provides the students with basic understanding of the Bulgarian language that enables them to structure their own sentences when in real life situations, rather than try to laboriously retrieve ready-made memorized phrases.

In other words, instead of teaching dry grammar rules we teach the logic of the language.

The language material is carefully selected to cover high-frequency everyday situations. Last but not least, we provide our students with basic knowledge of the local culture to help them better understand their immediate surroundings and handle cross-cultural situations.

3. Learning a foreign language should be fun

In the light of the above, we do not use textbooks, which enables us to avoid vague grammar rules, inadequate texts and boring drilling exercises, and gives us the opportunity to carry out our lessons in a highly interactive, motivating fashion, that is fun for both students and teachers and leaves a lot of room for creativity in class.

The dynamics of each lesson keeps changing and the pace of work is constantly adjusted to match each individual student. Progress is steady and results come fast.

4. We try to accommodate our students to the best of their convenience

As we work with busy people, who are looking to get quick results, we try to offer maximum flexibility not only in terms of teaching methods, but also when it comes to organizing our timetables.

We work around our students’ business and private schedules and one way to do this is to offer both day-time and night classes, as well as Saturday classes.

Classes

Our premises are conveniently situated in 83-85 James Bourchier Blvd., Lozenets, Sofia (in the immediate proximity of the Kempinski Hotel).

Individual classes are usually carried out twice a week for 1 ½ h (a session of 1h ½ equals 2 lessons of 45 min. each).

Recommended number of lessons per week: 2-4 (1 or 2 sessions of 2 lessons each).

Recommended number of lessons per month: 12- 16.

Recommended minimal number of lessons: 60-100 (30-50 sessions).

Recommended minimal duration of course: 5-6 months.

Price per one-to-one lesson: 25 BGN per 45 min.