The Department of Applied Linguistics was established in May 2000, with a decision of the Academic Council. It succeeds the Foreign Language Department which was one of the first educational units of Higher Technical School in Sofia, founded in 1943. Through the years the Department has accomplished a great number of achievements in the field of foreign language training and development of teaching materials and reference tools aimed at foreign language training of students in the field of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Surveying.
The syllabi the department offers provide for foreign language training of Bulgarian and foreign students with respect to the modern requirements of foreign language training. Students are offered a choice to study English, French, German or Russian languages. The foreign language course is allocated 180 academic hours, which are distributed as follows: in the first two semesters for students of Architecture, Hydrotechnical Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Surveying, and in the first four semesters for students of Civil Engineering. Students’ pre-university level of knowledge is checked at the beginning and their training is performed in a group on the relevant level. The lecturers of the department have developed courses for language training for specific purposes based on the modern methodological principles and foreign language training techniques, as well as on the wide use of audio and video recorded materials and visuals. The aim of the training is to develop on the basis of General English their communicative competence in a variety of specific situations, ranging from day-to-day communication in the offices of a construction company or on the building site to scientific summaries, reports, articles discussions, workshops, etc.
The course integrates according to the level of pre-university knowledge of the language the development of the four language skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing - making a clear distinction between and within them.
The department offers Bulgarian language training for foreign students during their first and second semesters at the University, which is allocated 120 academic hours. The aim of the Bulgarian language course is to enable foreign students to master the communicative skills and techniques relevant for their effective education in the specific field.
The Department of Applied Linguistics offers the foreign language courses in an environment equipped for the use of modern technologies and multimedia presentation of the teaching material.
Overview
The Department of Applied Linguistics was established in May 2000, with a decision of the Academic Council. It succeeds the Foreign Language Department which was one of the first educational units of Higher Technical School in Sofia, founded in 1943. Through the years the Department has accomplished a great number of achievements in the field of foreign language training and development of teaching materials and reference tools aimed at foreign language training of students in the field of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Surveying.