Department of Modern Languages and Arts

Professor Hristo Krotev Receives the Prestigious “Golden Lyre”

Professor Hristo Krotev, who teaches music and leads the choir at AUBG, received the “Golden Lyre” award in an official ceremony at the Sofia Philharmonic on Feb. 24 2021. The award, given out by the Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers, is a recognition of Prof. Krotev’s prolific career and significant contribution to the Bulgarian music scene.

Professor Senem Konedareva: At AUBG one can develop their full potential

Professor Senem Konedareva, who teaches Bulgarian and Cultural Studies at AUBG, says that to her, each language is a whole new universe. She has had the desire to share her knowledge about language, culture and the relation between the two ever since she studied those subjects as a Master's and a PhD student at the South-West University in Blagoevgrad. Her interest in linguistics and intercultural communication led her to obtain additional specializations from Potsdam University, Germany, and Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, and then work at the department of Bulgarian language and culture at Ankara University, Turkey for one semester. When teaching, Professor Konedareva likes to think beyond the conventional, to experiment and innovate, things she says are all possible -- and encouraged -- at AUBG. Read our interview with Professor Konedareva to learn more about her work experience, teaching and research interests, and things she likes doing outside work.

AUBG Professor of Spanish Lucia Lopez-Vazquez: 'I love what I do'

Lucia Lopez-Vazquez, a professor of Spanish at AUBG, joined the university after working in Italy and Cape Verde. Her passion for languages led her to obtain two Master’s degrees from the University of Vigo and the University of Alcalá in Spain. After that, she went back to University of Vigo for her PhD studies. Professor Lopez-Vazquez says she always comes to her workplace with a smile on her face because she finds teaching Spanish to AUBG students a very rewarding job. Read our interview with Professor Lopez-Vazquez, who's Spanish-Galician bilingual and is fluent in French, Italian, English, Greek, Portuguese and Cape Verdean, to learn more about her work experience, teaching and research interests and what she likes doing in her spare time.

AUBG Professor Diana Stantcheva: ‘Any and every foreign language is of value’

Diana Stantcheva, who teaches German at AUBG, joined the university in the fall semester of 2005. After obtaining her Master’s and PhD degrees from the Humboldt University in Berlin, she was a research fellow at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences in Berlin and has taught at Humboldt University in Berlin and at Goethe-Institute in Sofia. A German teacher, linguist and certified translator, she has authored a number of articles and two monographs. Professor Stantcheva, who speaks Bulgarian, German, English, Spanish, and Russian, has also been teaching Globally Connected Courses with a partner professor from Denison University, USA. Read our interview with Dr. Stantcheva to learn more about her work experience, teaching and research interests, and the activities she likes doing in her free time.

Delight and Instruct: Sharpen your skills and feed your soul
with the MLA department

Join the Department of Modern Languages and Arts (MLA). Our full-time and adjunct faculty with degrees from prestigious universities and international experience will help you develop your interests and skills and encourage you to explore new perspectives.

Both of our minor programs, Modern Languages and Cultures and Fine Arts showcase different linguistic and artistic traditions around the world. To benefit from the different programs, students conduct research, deliver presentations, and develop academic projects. We invite all AUBG students to take advantage of the breadth of experiences we also offer through our general elective and general education courses (Textual Analysis, Social and Cultural Analysis, and Aesthetic Expression modes of inquiry)!

If you wish to engage in the aesthetic field, the Fine Arts courses offer you the opportunity to expand your horizons and experience the works of the world’s greatest artists such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Louis Armstrong, Michelangelo, or Rembrandt. Our music courses focus on classical music, jazz, pop, Bulgarian folk music, and contemporary music, allowing a comparison between different music styles. The drawing courses involve extensive practical work and culminate in a public exhibition of student work. You can take part in art exhibitions, piano, harp, and voice concerts. Apart from that, you have the chance to join the AUBG’s award-winning choir, the female folklore ensemble Svetlina, or the Bulgarian Folk Dance Club Samodiva.

Are you passionate about modern languages? Learn Bulgarian, Chinese, French, German, or Spanish. Expand your linguistic skills while discovering new cultures. Choose from courses exploring the works of Goethe, Cervantes, Hugo, Botev, and Confucius. Apart from the minor, the general education modules and electives, you can also co-operate with your professors to organize independent studies that suit your interests. How about a class in German Literature and Film, French for International Relations and Diplomacy, Business Spanish or Bulgarian through Acting?

The MLA faculty also welcome you to participate in workshops, exhibitions, competitions, guest lectures, concerts, and conferences. Let the annual Language and Culture Week, together with the Spring Artfest and the International Festival Meeting of Student Choirs inspire you. Enjoy movie nights in any of the offered languages and take part in field trips. Take advantage of the MLL classes and prepare for your future academic and professional endeavors such as Erasmus exchanges, summer schools, Master’s or PhD programs.

Did you know that:

Ø The Modern Languages faculty organize the annual Language and Culture Week at AUBG.

Ø The Fine Arts faculty organize piano, harp, and voice concerts, the AUBG Spring Artfest, and the International Festival Meeting of Student Choirs.

Ø The Department arranges art exhibitions on AUBG campus.

Ø Professors organize field trips to different places in Bulgaria and abroad.

Ø Movie nights in German, Bulgarian, Spanish, French, and Chinese take place every semester on AUBG campus.

Ø Students and professors regularly present their work at the AUBG Annual Research Conference.

Ø The Department hosts guest lectures in cooperation with Institut français de Sofia, Goethe-Institut Sofia, Instituto Cervantes Sofia, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Ø The longest running course connection in the Great Lakes Colleges Association’s Global Course Connections Program has been between the German courses at AUBG and Denison University, USA – since 2013. Since 2017, French courses at AUBG and Earlham College, USA have been connected as well.

Ø AUBG students demonstrate their continuous interest in modern languages and cultures by participating in AUBG German, French, and Spanish Clubs, the Female Folklore Ensemble Svetlina, and the Bulgarian Folk Dance Club Samodiva.

Ø Several AUBG students are recipients of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship for master's degree programs in German universities and summer language courses in Germany. Others have received a grant from Lions Clubs – France to participate in a summer program in France.

Ø In 2015, AUBG Choir won the “Grand Prix” at the International Internet Choir Competition held in Moscow (Russia).

Ø AUBG students fluent in German, French, and Spanish spend an Erasmus semester in Germany (e.g. at universities in Augsburg, Mannheim, Magdeburg, etc.), France (at universities in Bordeaux, Grenoble, and Paris), Belgium (at universities in Brussels and Liege), and Spain (at universities in Madrid, Alicante, Valencia, etc.).