Yearbook of the Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures

Political metaphors in the speech of parliamentary leaders

Elena Tarasheva — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study traces conceptual metaphors in political speeches in Bulgarian. The corpus for the study comprises the parliamentary speeches given by the leaders of the major political parties represented in the 50th parliament of the Bulgarian National Assembly. The leaders announce their plans for the new season, which should represent the political principles embraced by the respective parties. Metaphor is defined following George Lakoff’s definition as a cognitive mechanism of making sense of the world. Specific reference is made to his classification of political metaphors of the state as a family. Where metaphors fall outside the scope of the American taxonomy - as can be expected of the Bulgarian context, new categories are introduced based on the empirical material. Conclusions are sought about each speaker’s conceptual system and the nature of the political ideas presented by them.

Confusión grafemática de -b-, -u-, -v- en tres documentos mansucritos de la primera oleada de la Conquista de América

Daniela Aleksandrova — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This article studies the confusion between the graphemes -b-, -u-, and -v-, typical of 16th-century Spanish, in three manuscripts from the first wave of the Spanish Conquest: two versions of Lope de Aguirre’s letter to King Philip II, and Vázquez y Almesto’s Relación de Omagua y El Dorado. The article applies a descriptive, comparative, and document analysis method.

Semantic features of Bulgarian sentences of consequence and their Italian equivalents

Desislava Davidova — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The article attempts a semantic analysis of consequence constructions expressing cause-effect relationships through a bilingual translation corpus from Bulgarian into Italian. For Bulgarian, a semantic classification of consequence clauses is proposed, which is missing in the Bulgarian literature on grammar. The logic inherent in the cause-effect relationships determines their division into two types, which is the aim of the functional-semantic analysis, namely to show the extent to which this logical relationship is present in each type. The conclusions from the analysis show a clear difference at the syntactic and semantic level between intensive-resultative and constative-resultative consequence clauses. In the first type of clauses, even in cases of complicated syntax with more than one subordinate clause, the intensity-result relation is preserved. In the second type though, the logical relation between cause and effect is weakened, allowing the context to become the determining factor and not the typical logic inherent in cause-effect relationships. As a result, the translation shows a preference for conjunctions, concluding adverbs, with which the subordinate clause of consequence can be separated from the main one and thus can function as a simple sentence.

Examining Lecturers’ Insights: Resolving Challenges and Implementing Strategies for Improving Academic Writing Proficiency Among Kosovo Students

Fjolla Kallaba — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the perspectives of 40 lecturers from public and private universities in Kosovo on the challenges students face in developing academic writing skills and strategies for improvement. Using a structured questionnaire, lecturers identify common obstacles: insufficient foundational skills, lack of critical thinking, issues with clarity and cohesion, difficulties balancing personal ideas with sources, problems adhering to standards, and grammar and vocabulary misuse. The research highlights effective strategies to address these issues, including peer review, individualized feedback, writing workshops, critical thinking development, a supportive classroom environment, clear objectives for assignments, regular writing tasks, and offering choice in topic selection. The findings emphasize the need for comprehensive institutional support and active student engagement to enhance writing proficiency. The study offers practical recommendations to improve writing instruction, contributing to higher education quality in Kosovo.

The “Us” versus “Them” Dichotomy: A Case Study of Donald Trump’s rhetoric

Rossitsa Hristova — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This case study explores the use of “Us” versus “Them” dichotomy as a strategy for framing and shaping public opinion in the rhetoric used by Donald Trump in articles published in The New Yorker Magazine. The fact-finding is held by a qualitative research method, particularly textual analysis. Taking into consideration the global rise of nationalism, respectively populist rhetoric, the research attempts to find a correlation between political representation and language. Related to the latter, it aims to analyse focal linguistic features such as inclusive and exclusive pronouns, metaphors, analogies and oppositions. Hence, language is used to create and enhance distinction between an in-group (us) and out-group (them). The findings of the analysis show that the language features function in a way to establish identity, solidarity and not least – opposition, in order to achieve the ultimate goal, that is to say, shaping opinion and attracting support by the in-group and respectively weakening and marginalising the out-group. This research endeavours to prove the strength of the dichotomy “Us versus Them” as a powerful tool for constructing social identities and relationships through language so as to form social dynamics, and shape the political discourse in order to evoke collective action.

Study of the perception of foreign language names of commercial establishments in the urban linguistic space

Zlatina Nikolova — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

For the purposes of this study, a roximately 480 names of organizations from various fields were analyzed, including pharmacies, bookstores, educational centers, shops, restaurants, pastry shops, travel agencies, beauty and health salons, etc. From the collected material, 13 names with different methods of formation, including borrowing, were selected in order to study the degree of perception and comprehension of the names by consumers. The names were collected using Google Maps and personal observations in the major regional cities in Bulgaria (Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and Burgas). The results showed a variety of reasons for the use of foreign languages in commercial names. After the linguistic interviews, it was found that, according to some of the respondents, foreign languages sound more modern and contemporary, while others associate them with the practical need to facilitate communication with foreign visitors. However, the majority of respondents clearly prefer the use of the Bulgarian language, which reflects the importance of cultural identity in the urban onomastic space.

The Italian infinitive introduced by a determiner and its interpretation in Bulgarian translation

Maria Ladovinska — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The article examines the constructions of the infinitive preceded by a determiner in Italian and their translation into Bulgarian. Using a corpus of examples, the constructions will be examined from both a structural and functional perspective. Examples from the corpus will serve to distinguish four types of constructions and describe their syntactic characteristics. Analysis of the published Bulgarian translation of the examples from the corpus will complement the discussion and reflections on both the Italian construction and the means by which it could be translated into Bulgarian.

Practices in teaching audiovisual translation. The experience of Spain

Veneta Sirakova — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This article explores the origins, development, and current state of university-level training in audiovisual translation in Spain, a country with well-established traditions in this field. Drawing on the PACTE research group’s model of professional translation competence and the European Master’s in Translation (EMT) competence framework, it examines the key competences fostered in four master’s programs in audiovisual translation across six major Spanish universities. The discussion focuses on how effectively these programs prepare competent and competitive translators for the demands of today’s rapidly evolving translation services sector. Particular attention is given to academic offerings that address emerging trends in audiovisual translation and localization, such as the translation of multimedia products, video games, smart devices, and applications, as well as live subtitling and other practices. Training in audiovisual translation for users with disabilities is also highlighted.

Glimpses of the History of Diplomatic Interpreting in Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary in the 1950s and 1960s

Boris Naimushin — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This article is part of a larger research project into the history of diplomatic interpreting in Bulgaria in the period 1944–1970, compared with the Soviet Union, the USA, Romania, and Hungary. The research was triggered by two archival photographs related to the participation of Nikita Khrushchev, Todor Zhivkov, Gheorghe Georgiou-Dej and János Kadar in the 15th session of the UN General Assembly in September-October 1960. Information was drawn from a variety of sources, including memoirs of participants in these events, media publications, and declassified documents from the archives of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the Politburo of the Bulgarian Communist Party Central Committee, the State Department, and the FBI, as well as preserved photographs and documentaries in Bulgarian and foreign archives. In various contexts, high level interpretation was provided by professional interpreters (Veselin Izmirliev, Viktor Sukhodrev), diplomats (Petar Vutov, Silviu Brucan, Karoly Erdelyi) and journalists (Stela Avishai). Veselin Izmirliev’s activity as a diplomatic interpreter is not widely known. One of the aims of the text is to partly fill this gap by presenting archival documents, photographs and videos that show this aspect of his multifaceted activity in the context of the general development of diplomatic interpreting at the time.

English-Bulgarian translation of legal vocabulary from the semantic field of property

Irina Dimitrova — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The paper presents some specifics of the English- Bulgarian translation of terminology from the semantic field of ownership discussing the challenges before the legal translator. The semantic field is limited to the terms concerning freehold property rights with no claim for an exhaustive analysis or inclusion of all field terms. The outlines of the field are fuzzy due to the polysemy characterizing the terms whose meanings are identifiable both in the field of freehold property rights and in neighboring fields such as the field of possession, for example, which as a concept is also an element of leasehold property rights. The degree of control exercised by the owner serves as a distinguishing criterion between the terms belonging to the semantic field of ownership and those of its elements. At the lexical level, on the other hand, this “distinction” manifests itself depending on the connotative connections that a given term establishes with other elements of the text and context. The ambiguity of concepts in a close context, combined with cultural and legal system differences between the two languages, as well as the imperative need for semantic and intercultural precision, form the complex nature of the challenges facing the translator of a legal text.

Machine Translation and Specialized Texts: A Brief Overview Comparing GOOGLE TRANSLATE, DEEPL and CHATGPT

Ivanka Sakareva — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Machine translation (MT) is essential in an era of globalization and fast information exchange, especially for translating specialized texts like technical documentation, scientific papers, and legal documents, which are crucial for international collaboration and knowledge sharing. These texts present unique challenges due to their specific terminology, complex structures, and nuanced contexts. Effective MT tools such as Google Translate, DeepL and ChatGPT need to deal not only with language equivalence but also with content-specific complexities. Translating specialized texts, therefore, requires more than just linguistic skills; it necessitates domain-specific knowledge and an appreciation of the complex relationship between language, structure, and context (based on a personal experience of translating legal, technical and scientific texts). As MT technology progresses, driven by advances in computational linguistics and AI, it aims to produce translations that are both technically accurate and contextually nuanced, addressing the challenges posed by the complexity and variability of human language, thus improving global communication and understanding.

On some specifics in the training of foreign language teachers

Yanka Koeva — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The aim of this paper is to highlight key aspects of the education and training of foreign language teachers. It examines the didactic and methodological preparation required, focusing on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that must be developed. In line with the CEFR framework, the professional competences of a foreign language teacher include not only the development of linguistic knowledge and communicative skills, but also the fostering of intercultural awareness, the cultivation of independent learning strategies, and the encouragement of personal initiative in pursuing language learning beyond the classroom. Within teacher training, particular emphasis is placed on multilingualism and the intercultural approach. Finally, the paper presents a professional competence model for German language teachers.

Use and functions of quotations in scientific discourse – structure of a sample lesson

Irena Vassileva — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The aim of this article is to present the structure of a sample lesson designed to explain the use of quotations in academic discourse, with a particular focus on their communicative function and evaluation. The need for such a lesson arises from the difficulties frequently observed among students when they have to refer to sources in written assignments. The focus is not on the form of quotations, but on their purpose and justification. The lesson has been successfully conducted for students at two German universities in German and at several British universities in an English version. It can help to further develop students’ awareness of the role, function and significance of quotations in academic discourse, thereby improving their writing skills.

The literary work in foreign language teaching – a brief historical overview (XIX – XX centuries)

Magdalena Karadzhunkova — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The article explores the use of literary works in the process of foreign language teaching, examining the topic from a chronological perspective. The research presents the views on the subject matter held by representatives of various didactic schools throughout the historical development of foreign language teaching methodology. The article draws on scholarly opinions regarding the use of literary texts in foreign language classes, as proposed by both Bulgarian authors – specialists in the field – and foreign researchers who have studied the topic.

Internationalization and interdisciplinarity in higher education: an example from NBU

Diana Yankova — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The internationalization of higher education is characterized by the need to develop science and education with innovative methods and content that respond to changes in academic communication influenced by social conditions and technological advances. Cooperation through strategic partnerships between universities has become an important means of institutional development and joint strategic action. These newly created conditions and approaches to educational cooperation, characterized by a number of challenges and opportunities, will play an important role in the future of internationalization in Europe and worldwide. There has been an increase in the number of foreign students worldwide, with their number expected to reach nearly 8 million by 2025. In addition to the usual countries of choice for education, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, there has also been an increase in international students in non-English-speaking countries that offer programs in English. Therefore, the development of bachelor’s and master’s programs in English opens up new opportunities for partnerships, exchange programs, and attracting students. Foreign language skills are extremely important for the successful establishment of economic, social, technical, political, and cultural ties and relations between individual countries, organizations, and individuals. In this regard, the training of specialists who are competitive in areas such as teaching, media, advertising, marketing, public relations, publishing, and journalism is a top priority. The new interdisciplinary bachelor’s program „English Language and Professional Communication“ at the Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures at New Bulgarian University, developed in collaboration with the University of York, UK, meets the requirements for the internationalization of higher education and corresponds to the outlined conditions and needs. The program includes modules from various fields such as intercultural communication, sociolinguistics, media studies, marketing, public relations, English language teaching, translation, digital literacy, etc.

ESL Teachers’ Attitude towards Intercultural Communicative Competence

Senad Jusufi — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Linguistic competence in language teaching has attracted the attention of many intercultural scholars. However, in the modern globalization era where people are technologically connected, equipping the learners with linguistic competence may not be the overall solution to ensuring intercultural communicative competence (ICC). Furthermore, appropriateness and effective communication are vital in providing an effective language learning process. This study has investigated the attitude of Prizren University EFL teachers towards promoting ICC in the classrooms and the strategies they employ in promoting the ICC. The study involved 35 Prizren University EFL teachers, full-time and part-time, with a teaching experience in different cultural backgrounds and who have mastered the course descriptions. The study employed structured questionnaire with open-ended questions. The questionnaire was divided into two major parts, with the first part seeking to find the attitude of the EFL teachers towards ICC in the classroom and the second part seeking to find out the strategies the participants used to promote ICC in the classrooms.

A Fitting Finale: Ruth Rendell’s Dark Corners

Andrei Andreev — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The paper provides an analysis of crime writer Ruth Rendell’s last, posthumously published novel, Dark Corners. It compares and contrasts the work to the author’s previous stand-alone psychological thrillers, examining prevailing themes and motifs, typical settings, principal characters, plotlines and resolutions, as well as tone and style of writing. Human weaknesses and hypocrisies, delusional obsessions and compulsive murderous urges are dealt with, as is the role of social circumstances, interpersonal relations and modern-day fads in determining various aberrations from the generally accepted norms of human behaviour. The writer’s use of biting irony and black humour in the investigation of this dark subject matter is also commented upon. The study establishes that, with this book, Rendell – consciously or not – provides readers with a thorough recapitulation of her thematic and moral concerns in the non-series strand that she herself claimed to prefer, thus delivering a fitting finale to her literary career of over five decades.

Editorial Board — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Foreword

Diana Yankova — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

About the Authors

Editorial Board — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Abstracts in English

Editorial Board — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Yearbook of the Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures

Political metaphors in the speech of parliamentary leaders

Confusión grafemática de -b-, -u-, -v- en tres documentos mansucritos de la primera oleada de la Conquista de América

Semantic features of Bulgarian sentences of consequence and their Italian equivalents

Examining Lecturers’ Insights: Resolving Challenges and Implementing Strategies for Improving Academic Writing Proficiency Among Kosovo Students

The “Us” versus “Them” Dichotomy: A Case Study of Donald Trump’s rhetoric

Study of the perception of foreign language names of commercial establishments in the urban linguistic space

The Italian infinitive introduced by a determiner and its interpretation in Bulgarian translation

Practices in teaching audiovisual translation. The experience of Spain

Glimpses of the History of Diplomatic Interpreting in Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary in the 1950s and 1960s

English-Bulgarian translation of legal vocabulary from the semantic field of property

Machine Translation and Specialized Texts: A Brief Overview Comparing GOOGLE TRANSLATE, DEEPL and CHATGPT

On some specifics in the training of foreign language teachers

Use and functions of quotations in scientific discourse – structure of a sample lesson

The literary work in foreign language teaching – a brief historical overview (XIX – XX centuries)

Internationalization and interdisciplinarity in higher education: an example from NBU

ESL Teachers’ Attitude towards Intercultural Communicative Competence

A Fitting Finale: Ruth Rendell’s Dark Corners

Contents

Foreword

About the Authors

Abstracts in English