News

Eleven participants from across the country, including 6 Roma and 5 other Bulgarians, have passed the midpoint of a one-month English teacher training course in Sofia. After the course, the novice teachers will apply their new skills in formal or informal English classes for adults in Roma communities and for disadvantaged or underserved groups. The participants are affiliated with organizations in Lom, Kyustendil, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Barutin village, Razgrad, and other locations.

The course, hosted by the Bulgarian Center for Development and Training (BCDT, a USAID legacy), includes daily practice lessons with adult students, recruited primarily from NGOs that work with Roma and vulnerable groups. At the end of the course, the novice teachers will receive a Qualification in Language Teaching certification issued by the World Learning SIT Graduate Institute and BCDT.

The course is supported by the Democracy Commission of the U.S. Embassy, the Bulgarian American Society, and USAID. A similar course will take place later this spring. In addition, a version of the course leading to an international teaching certificate is planned for April/May (for native or near-fluent English speakers). For more information: Matt Brown, mbrown@bcdt.bg, www.bcdt.bg.