Fourth Cohort of AUBG's English for Journalists Program Graduates
Blagoevgrad journalists received their certificates from the English for Journalists program, an initiative led by AUBG and funded by the U.S. Embassy. The goal of the recurring program is to help journalists in Bulgaria advance their English language knowledge and explore the latest trends in the world of international media.
Over 100 representatives from more than 50 national and local, public and private media outlets took part in the program. In addition to the journalists and reporters, there were freelancers in communications, as well as public relations representatives coming from institutions and international companies. The English for Journalists program is part of AUBG's efforts to help Bulgaria and the region improve its media landscape and support democracy, economy, and the quality of life of its citizens.
Photo/Vera Arzumanyan
“I am very happy I took part in this course,” said freelance journalist Nikolay Dimov who participated in the program. “I am pleasantly surprised by the teachers and the approach towards the course. I have two different degrees but teachers with an approach like that are rarely to be found. It was very interesting to lead discussions with Maria [Bilareva] about the specific context, while with Joe [Kempf], as an American citizen, we talked about the daily routines in the United States.”
There were journalists from the radio, TV, and digital news agencies at this year's edition of the English for Journalists program. The journalists had classes with a Bulgarian teacher, Maria Bilareva, with whom they discussed theory, and with a native American speaker, Joseph Kempf, with whom they discussed practical examples. In addition to the classes, the participants also had a special training by factcheck.bg. Some of them said they are eager to continue their journey studying English at ELI.
Nikolay Yanev from the Radio and Television Center in Blagoevgrad said he is happy he enrolled in the course as it helped him freshen up his memory of specific English phrases. “I could say that I did not have even one absence," he said. "I put all my efforts to attend all of the classes [although it was challenging with our work schedule]. I improved and upgraded my knowledge of the English language. I am grateful to the professors who worked with us. We discussed relevant topics, articles from BBC and EuroNews, and other English-language media outlets. It was useful to learn more about the specific vocabulary used in them. The classes with Joseph were very interesting as we were comparing the American and Bulgarian cultures and media. He was also helping us understand different phrases better."
Hear more about the course from the participants in the special report for Знание.БГ (knowledge.bg) by the Bulgarian National Television.