Sofia

60 Dondukov blvd.

Office

tel/fax: 944 21 81

Assistent Principal

tel: 944 83 89

е-mail: aeg1@abv.bg

Teaching English at First English Language School

       Teaching English language at First English Language School has always been challenging — not only because of the competitive learning environment but also because of the high requirements for both students and teachers.

       The teachers in English use proven modern educational systems. Thus they successfully develop the four fundamental areas of linguistics — reading, listening, writing, and speaking, using the most popular textbooks available in Bulgaria and throughout the whole world. Students’ attention and creative abilities are constantly developed through introduction, practice, and confirmation of the basic language structures and terminology. These are achieved through audio–video lessons, Internet tuition, and different varying in format and content activities. The innovative approach towards grammar mastering and vocabulary diversification presents the student with exceptional opportunities but requires serious attitude, as well. In order to help the students acquire knowledge more easily the teachers apply different teaching approaches, often focusing on the gradual language assimilation. It is the ability to work together, underlying the process of communication and teaching, that later allows the students to achieve excellent results on the university entrance exams in Bulgaria and abroad.

       The majority of teachers in English at the high school are actually its graduates. Their high level of language fluency has been achieved there and has been even further advanced in international universities and linguistics institutes all over the world. This fact provides our teachers with a broader and more intimate understanding of the process of passing their knowledge to the younger and considerably facilitates it. Our teachers perform their duties professionally and are exceptionally well acquainted with the culture and traditions of the English–speaking nations. As a result, their students learn something much more than simple English language and their classes turn into an engaging study they never forget. Apart from language knowledge they cultivate understanding of the surrounding world.

      The 50–year–old educational tradition is preserved by the teachers who consider the high school as “our own high school” and the students as “our own students”. That is why the students respect their teachers in English so much and ask them for any kind of help and advice.

     To sum up, the teachers at First English Language School use the most effective language acquisition systems — Bulgarian and foreign ones. The teaching techniques are focused on the particular needs of the students and successfully prepare them for the university entrance exams in Bulgaria and abroad.

      “Literature is a view to the world, its emotional experience, the other side of life. Literary texts form the world. Literature is a way of life. Showing the notional worlds through texts, reading teaches us to see the meaning and break codes. Literature is a social act in which a person’s inner world is “born”.

     As a respected liberal arts educational establishment First English Language School assigns literature a special place in the general and specialized preparation of the students.

     Many of them enter the high school after taking the exams in literature and get the opportunity to enhance their skills and interest in the sphere. A proof for the quality of literature teaching at the high school is the fact that each year several seniors are accepted in Bulgarian universities thanks to their excellent performance at the national olympiad.

    History is one of the most popular subjects at First English Language School. The high school’s liberal arts orientation explains the students’ interest in the particular subject. It is taught in English, multimedia and alternative devices are used for teaching, and students are given the opportunity to extend their knowledge in the topics they are interested in beyond the mandatory matter of instruction. Each year First English Language School graduates rank among the best on the university entrance examinations in history.

     Geography tuition provides the students with the opportunity to acquire the mandatory level of competence in geographical sciences in English language through the most recent textbooks and materials developed exclusively for their needs. The so very popular among the students 2–year–long tourist guides course is also offered, after the completion of which the participants receive official certificates of qualification as well as exclusive opportunities to work for a partner–company. Each year students of First English Language School participate in the olympiad in geography where they always end up among the first and in 2005 a high school team won the National Geography Competition which took place in the City of Vidin.

    Languages are a priority at First English Language School. Apart from English, which is obligatory for all students, a second foreign language may be chosen. The possibilities include: Russian, Spanish, French, and German. Teaching is exceptionally professional, only modern and interactive educational methods and approaches are used. Exchange programs abroad are organized which help students test and improve their language skills.

      Until the 10th grade math education is conducted in 3 hours per week. In the 11th and 12th grades those who choose to study Profile Math receive 3 extra hours of PP (Profile Preparation) which together with the 2 hours of MP (Mandatory Preparation) and 2 hours of FcMP (Free–chosen Mandatory Preparation) present opportunities for the intimate understanding of the subject aimed at the successful performance on the university entrance exams.

      The fact that First English Language School’s teams regularly take the leading places in math olympiads and competitions testifies to the quality of math tuition and to the great achievements of both students and teachers. Each year the school takes part in the competitions in Plovdiv, Lovech, Dobrich, and Sofia — centres with long tradition of math contests. And that is natural since our teachers succeed in presenting the necessary matter of instruction in an accessible and comprehensible way and making even the most difficult parts of mathematics understandable. The high school is a predominant power among the national language schools in the annual math competition in the Town of Lovech. For several years now our representatives have been in the basis of the Bulgarian team in the Power Contest competition.

       Exceptionally talented teachers form the school’s faculty — two Doctors of Mathematical Sciences, three bearers of First Qualifying Degree, and three of Second Qualifying Degree. Among them are textbook authors. Our teachers participate in different projects with their works and win international recognition. Not surprisingly, “Teacher of the Year — 2005” in Bulgaria became a math teacher from the high school.

       Physics is especially valued at First English Language School. Students — members of the physics society of the high school under the leadership of Mrs. Snejana Pavlova rank among the first in the national physics competitions, olympiads, tournaments, and conferences. The society’s members continue their education in the most prestigious universities in the world — Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Brown, Colgate, etc. and are among the smartest and most prosperous people on the planet. The new physics lab equipped with latest audio–visual hardware will take the education at the high school in the 21st century. In 2005 the majority of students took part in the International Physics Day in the Earth and People Museum.

       Chemistry is traditionally one of the strongest subjects at the high school. Apart from the advantages of the special chemistry lab students can study chemistry as PP (Profile Preparation) in the 11th and 12th grades. The impressive number of First English Language School graduates admitted in medical colleges in Bulgaria is a proof for the exceptionally high level of preparation at the school.

       Students can enjoy not only biology taught in English but also diverse possibilities for in–depth work in the field. The Profile Preparation in the 12th grade is priceless help for all determined to study medicine in Bulgaria and the number of admitted students each year is very high. Biology Club encompasses several sections. “Biotechnologies” works on a project called “GMO and their influence on the environment” with which it participated in Mondialogo School Contest together with a team of students from Nigeria. “Ecology” section deals with the preservation of bio–diversity and eco–tourism; “Biology and Medicine” section — with drugs and alcohol addiction, and sexually transmitted diseases. The club celebrated the Earth’s Day on April 22 by organizing many presentations on various subjects related to biology, which attracted the attention of both teachers and students.

       The high school has two computer labs with over 30 working places, equipped with modern hardware. The education is carried out in groups of 15 students where each one has an individual working place. The computers in the labs are networked and have access to the Internet.

Four qualified teachers are in charge of the education, one of which is the head of a computing labs and is responsible for the school’s electronic journal.

       Apart from Mandatory Preparation, in the 12th grade Profile Preparation is offered according to the curriculum with 4 hours per week.