From the Folds of History. A Forgotten Poetess (Slava Shtipliieva)
Milena Kirova
Sofia University
https://doi.org/10.53656/bel2026-1-1-MA
Abstract. Over the past three decades, Bulgarian literary studies have made significant efforts to fill the knowledge gap regarding writers and works that have been overlooked by literary historiography, mainly due to ideological reasons. Nevertheless, there are still gaps, especially for the period between the two world wars. Among them is Slava Shtiplieva, a poetess well known and relevant in Bulgarian cultural life during the 1930s and 1940s. The article constructs a biographical and creative portrait of this writer. It traces her creative journey; the focus of the study is on the ten poetry books she published between 1932 and 1944. Alongside this, four other areas and literary genres in which Shtiplieva worked throughout her life are outlined. The study closes with a summary that articulates the contributions and specific features of Slava Shtipliieva’s creative work in Bulgarian literature of the 21st century.
Keywords: Bulgarian literature; poetry; women writers; Slava Shtiplieva; the “Native Art” movement
The Literary Periphery: a Productive Field of Our Contemporary Literary-Historical Research
Noemi Stoichkova
Sofia University
https://doi.org/10.53656/bel2026-1-2-NS
Abstract. This study conceptualizes, analyzes and argues the first collective literary historical project that turned its optics to the literary periphery only three years after the beginning of the Transition in our country. The metatext for the first time brings out a systematized about 20 reasons and possibilities for movement in the literary historical field both horizontally (center – periphery) and vertically (eternity – transience).
Keywords: rubrics; Literary Gazette; marginalia; aporetic relations
Contributions of the Scholar Dionysius Divni to the Development of the Bulgarian Lexical System
Kamen Dimitrov
St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Turnovo
https://doi.org/10.53656/bel2026-1-3-KA
Abstract. The main objective of the study is to determine, on the basis of specific linguistic material, some of the contributions of Dionysius Divni, recognized as the most skilled translator from Greek into Old Bulgarian among the representatives of the Tarnovo Literary School of the 14th century, to the enrichment of the lexical system of the Bulgarian language. It analyzes words not attested in the Old Bulgarian canon, as well as lexemes with newly developed meanings in Dionysius‘ translation of St. John Chrysostom‘s homilies Against the Anomoeans, included as the first component in the book Margarit, which is significant for the Slavic manuscript tradition. Due to the discovery of numerous new meanings and words not used in the classical Old Bulgarian manuscripts from 10th–11th centuries in the texts mentioned, which proves the primary role of Dionysius Divni to the development of the Bulgarian lexical system, the study considers only words beginning with the letter D, some of which are still preserved today in various layers of the Bulgarian literary language. Против аномеите от св. Йоан Златоуст, включени като първа съставна част в знаковата за славянската ръкописна традиция книга Маргарит. Поради откритите множество нови значения и неизползвани в класическите старобългарски паметници думи в посочените текстове, което доказва първостепенната роля на Дионисий Дивни за развоя на българската лексикална система, в изследването се разглеждат само думите с начална буква Д, някои от които се пазят и до днес в различни пластове на българския книжовен език.
Keywords: Dionysius Divni; Middle Bulgarian translation; Tarnovo Literary School; lexical system; semantic changes
On the Subject of the Invariant Meaning of the Renarrative Verb Forms in the Context of Teaching Bulgarian Language in Secondary Schools
Vasil Stamenov
University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”
https://doi.org/10.53656/bel2026-1-VA
Abstract. The main purpose of the study is to check whether the invariant meaning of the renarrative verb forms is represented in the same way in the contemporary Bulgarian language textbooks, used in secondary schools. The paper thoroughly analyses the lesson materials focused on the subject of renarration in the 7th grade Bulgarian language textbooks. The observations, which have been made, indicate that some author panels assume that the non-evidential uses of the renarrative are its primary meaning. In some cases the renarrative grammar forms are included in the lessons discussing grammatical mood, without any account for the fact that the ranarrative expresses the speaker’s attitude towards the utterance, not towards the action. The study comments on the main causes for the differences in the examined textbooks and more specifically on the diversity of standpoints regarding the semantics and the categorial status of the renarrative verb forms, as well as the observed overlooks in the curriculum, etc. Some suggestions have also been made, whose aim is to assist the development of equal criteria, which can be used as a foundation for teaching renarraive verbs forms in secondary schools.
Keywords: renarration; renarrative verb forms; invariant; secondary school
Studying the Bulgarian Language abroad – Status, Problems, Prospects
Galya Hristozova,
Маriya Aleksieva,
Veselina Zhecheva,
Atanas Luisov
Burgas Free University
https://doi.org/10.53656/bel2026-1-5-GML
Abstract. The aim of the article is to study the current state of teaching Bulgarian language abroad through a survey. The specific features, differences, difficulties, needs are identified. The answers to the majority of questions are analysed by indicating the purpose of each question and the results. Conclusions are drawn and opportunities are explored. Ideas generated by the answers of the respondents are sought and highlighted. The needs and expectations of the respondents are outlined. The aim is to justify and reason the need for the creation and use of digital resources in Bulgarian language for the pre-literacy period (5-7-year-olds) and primary grades (7-10 year-olds). This is also the main goal of the project „Digital Transformation in Bulgarian Language Training UCHA BEL 4.0“, funded by the Erasmus + programme.
Keywords: study; survey; digital transformation; Bulgarian as a first and second language
Automatic Speech Recognition to Assist in Awareness of Segmental Pronunciation Deviations in Learning Bulgarian as a Foreign Language
Mirena Patseva
Sofia University
https://doi.org/10.53656/bel2026-1-6-MP
Abstract. The article examines the use of a technological tool based on automatic speech recognition in teaching Bulgarian as a foreign language. A teaching practice with Chinese students who are learning Bulgarian and, despite their efforts, have serious pronunciation difficulties. The practice aims to present the awareness of pronunciation deviations when reading a text in E2 using speech transcription technology. Students compare the recording of their own reading with the original text, note the deviations and try to summarize them and explain the reasons for their occurrence. The benefits of the technology are emphasized, such as real-time feedback, reducing students‘ dependence on the teacher’s corrections, the possibility of repeated exercises without embarrassment in front of the group, and a personalized approach to individual difficulties. Corrective work in several areas is offered, as well as tasks for awareness and automatisaton of correct pronunciation.
Keywords: E2 pronunciation; automatic speech recognition; awareness of pronunciation deviations; teaching Bulgarian as a foreign language
Language and Communication in Social Work: Aspects of Professional Training in Higher Education
Radka Vasileva,
Silvia Tsvetanska
Sofia University
https://doi.org/10.53656/bel2026-1-7-RC
Abstract. This article presents a novel perspective on an under-researched area - the function and significance of the Bulgarian language in the professional communication of social workers, particularly in the context of building effective helping relationships and addressing complex social issues. The analysis foregrounds the role of higher education in cultivating linguistic and communicative competence among university students, viewed as essential to the development of professional identity, personal sensitivity, and empathy. Drawing on data from an empirical research involving social work students, the article explores pedagogical opportunities for enhancing communicative skills through the application of drama-based educational techniques. The study identifies and categorises specific language codes that characterize the professional discourse of social workers, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of the linguistic dimensions of social work practice. The findings support the integration of communication-oriented practices within the curricula of social work programs in higher education institutions. Such approaches are shown to facilitate the development of reflective, responsive, and ethically grounded practitioners capable of navigating the linguistic demands of their profession.
Keywords: language; communication; social work; higher education; educational drama
Psychometric Profile and Standardization Perspectives of an Expressive Language Assessment Model for Bulgarian Children Aged 4 to 6
Katerina Shtereva,
Diana Ignatova,
Kristina Spasova
Sofia University
https://doi.org/10.53656/bel2026-1-8-KDA
Abstract. The article presents the development and initial psychometric validation of a model designed to assess expressive language in Bulgarian children aged 4 to 6. The study is situated within contemporary psycholinguistic and speech-language pathology frameworks, emphasizing expressive language as an integral component of cognitive and social functioning in early childhood. The model includes tasks that address the three core levels of language production – lexical, morphological, and syntactic—and is designed with attention to the structural characteristics of the Bulgarian language. The results demonstrate satisfactory internal consistency, age sensitivity, and diagnostic potential for identifying children at risk of language impairment. A strong correlation is observed between age and language performance, while gender does not show statistically significant influence. The assessment tool reflects the developmental dynamics of expressive language and has the capacity to identify qualitative changes in productive speech. The study concludes by underscoring the need for a broader empirical foundation and national standardization of the model to support its implementation in speech-language and educational practice for early diagnosis and intervention in children with communicative difficulties.
Keywords: expressive language; language development; preschool age; language assessment; standardization
Between Nostalgia, Fear and Creation (Situation Comedy and Translation)
Neda-Maria Panayotova
Sofia University
https://doi.org/10.53656/bel2026-1-9-MA
Abstract. The article focuses on the problem of the possible and desired translation of situation comedies, insofar as film translation as a multimodal one is among the most challenging types of translation. The translation task is limited by the interaction of a wide range of communication elements (images, music, dialogue, and other components). An attempt at an integrative framework for studying this type of text is the study of Delabastita (1989), which offers a structure for revealing the relationships between the original and translated film, emphasizing that the film is a complex sign that should be considered only in the whole of the individual components, which also enter into complex relationships. The article also highlights some of the most characteristic features of situation comedy that must be preserved in the translation process, for the final product to be considered equivalent to the original. The themes used in this comedy communicate significant contemporary issues, which is why the translator must be familiar with what is happening not only in the specific country where the action takes place, but also with major events on a global scale.
Keywords: situation comedy; film translation; multimodal translation; equivalence; adequacy
A New Monograph on Bulgarian Personal Names
Veronika Kelbecheva
Medical University – Plovdiv
https://doi.org/10.53656/bel2026-1-10-VKA
Language between Revival and (Re)Birth
(Vladislav Milanov. The Language of the Revival and the (Re)birth of the Language. Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House, 2025, 295 p.)
Zornitza Ivanova
Sofia University
https://doi.org/10.53656/bel2026-1-11-ZA
