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President
Sylvia Velikova
I am a senior lecturer and teacher educator at the University of Veliko Turnovo (Faculty of Modern Languages), where I teach ELT Methodology and coordinate the school-based TP. My teaching career began in 1996 at the Secondary School of Economics, Ruse, where I taught Business English and General English. Later I completed a teacher and trainer training course at the University College of St Mark and St John (Marjon), Plymouth, UK. In 2004 I visited the University of Oxford, UK where I conducted research in the field of applied linguists.
Currently I am involed in initial teacher education and research. I also run in-service teacher training workshops across the country, and teach English and Bulgarian as a FL. I have authored and co-authored several articles and books in SLA, ELT and teacher education. I work on national and international projects and travel widely all over Europe to present at conferences, and deliver lectures and teacher training workshops. Since 2008 I have been on the coordinating team of an ECML (Council of Europe) project on piloting and implementing the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL).My main interests are in psycholinguistics, psychology of communication, teaching listening, teaching ESP, teacher education and development.
Treasurer
Iskra Angelova
I am a graduate of Robert Wagner Junior High School and Julia Richman High School, New York, USA, with honours.
I have majored in “Basics of the American Economic System” and “European History” at Hunter College of City University of New York.
I am a holder of a Masters Degree in Organisation and Management of the Transportation System from the Higher Economics Institute “Karl Marx”, Sofia, Bulgaria.
I am also a holder of a Post Masters Degree Certificate as “Teacher of English in the Secondary School” from New Bulgarian University.
I have worked as Head of the “Foreign languages department” at the Educational Center to the Ministry of Machine-building.
I have worked as an expert in the department of “Bilateral and Multilateral Relations”, Aviation Directorate, Ministry of Transport.
I am also a teacher, a teacher trainer and a translator.
I have taught at New Bulgarian University, The Military Academy of Sofia, Foreign Language Centers and Secondary Schools.
From 2004 to 2009 I taught at Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang Chinese-English School, The Second People’s Kindergarten in Zhanjiang, PR China. In 2006 students from my Chinese school and my former Bulgarian school worked jointly and won the “Best International Entry” award in the “Chemistry for Humanity” Science Аcross the World international poster competition.
I have been an active member of BETA-IATEFL and ELTECS since 2000. I have held workshops and presentations at IATEFL Conferences in Bulgaria, Romania, China and Harrogate 2010, England.
I have managed and worked on ELTECS and Comenius projects. In 2004 our team won the ELTECS “European Innovations Award”. I have given presentations in Portugal and Hungary.
At present I am an English language teacher at 170 Secondary School “Vasil Levski”, Sofia.
Membership Secretary
Zhivka Ilieva
I am an assistant professor at Dobrich College, Shumen University. I teach English, Methodology, Children’s literature in English and I am also a teacher trainer. I have a PhD in Methodology of English Language Teaching. My thesis is dedicated to Oral Communicative Skills Development through Stories in the Primary Classroom. As a deputy director of the college I am responsible for the teaching process and students’ affairs, and for the organization of the student teachers’ teaching practice at school. In connection to my scientific work I have classes with primary school students at one of our teaching practice schools.
I gave lectures on communicative skills development at KATHO – Katholieke Hogeschool Zuid-West-Vlaanderen, Belgium as part of the Erasmus teaching mobility programme.
I run workshops for primary school teachers.
I take part in conferences dedicated to language teaching and teacher training in Bulgaria and abroad.
Scientific interests: language acquisition, teaching English to young learners, teacher training, communicative skills development, teaching English through stories and children’s books, intercultural language teaching, ESP (tourism and IT). Member of: BETA and IATEFL, USB (Union of Scientists of Bulgaria), BSBS (Bulgarian Society for British Studies).
Committee Member
Zarina Markova
Becoming a teacher was not my original intention when I was looking for a job 16 years ago. However, through a series of coincidences I found myself teaching English and I loved it. Since then I have taught EFL to young learners and teenagers in state schools, adults in private institutions, ESP to university students. In 1998 I was invited to organize the teaching practice for the students of English Philology and Applied Linguistics at South-West University, Blagoevgrad. In 2003 I became a full-time tutor at the university, mostly involved in pre-service teacher training, but also teaching General English.
I was trained with the British Council as a teacher trainer (1998-2000) and held workshops at the summer schools in Sofia, Stara Zagora and Kiten. I have taken part in several projects of the British Council and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science, coordinated Comenius projects, run in-service teacher training workshops, moderated online events. I have authored several articles in the field of ELT and co-authored ‘Observation in Pre-Service Teacher Training’ (SWU). I suppose this list could be continued. What cannot be included in such lists, however, is the enjoyment I derive from what I do and the satisfaction I find in the work with my students.
Committee Member
Ophelia Pamukchieva
I graduated from St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Turnovo, major English Language and Literature and minor Russian Language and Literature. I worked at the Secondary School for Foreign Languages, Pleven and since 1994 have been working for Europe Schools, initially as a teacher and since 1997 as a director and a teacher. I have considerable experience in training students both for internationally recognized exams, such as FCE, CAE, CPE, IELTS, TOEFL and business English as well as teacher training.
I participated in a Tempus project program of University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria and Willesden College, London, Great Britain to develop a program on ’Developing Vocationally Based Business Courses and Moderation’ and was a translator at several seminars and workshops for Problems Solving for Better Health of Dreyfus Health Foundation.
I was approved for teacher-training courses in Oxford House College, London, UK and Alpha College of English, Dublin, Ireland and was an online moderator of the 44th International Conference of IATEFL in Harrogate, UK.
I am the translator of Change Your Life with Feng Shui, Princeps Publishers, (1998) and Pocket Director, EA-AD, Pleven, (2000).
After so many years of practice, I still love teaching.
Co-opted Committee Member
Tanya Spahiyska
I was born in Sofia and I am currently based here.
I started teaching English to teenagers aged between 12 and 18 in Neofit Bozveli Secondary School in 2001.
At present I am working at AVO-Bell School of English where I have been teaching English to teenagers and adults for seven years.
I love what I do because it brings me joy and constantly enables me to meet new people.
I believe that learning a new language opens a new window to the world to everyone.
