Student Alma Mater TV

20 May 2009 3.5.2021 (sample episode)

Lecturers
Students

Arts & Music
Journalism & multimedia

Classroom Context

Bulgarian

Any language

B1
B2
C1
C2

Video

Vocabulary
Grammar
Pragmatics

Listening
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Reading

This resource offers un-to-date info and insights into today Bulgaria.
The programme in focus consists in five 20-40 mins episodes of news on recent books available in Bulgaria, the journalists’ choice, and interviews with journalists and writers.
Addresses particularly younger learners in a lively, fluent dialogue between two journalists. Fresh, unbiased, lively. Can be used in conversation, vocabulary-building, discourse, reading classes.
Young people discuss books they like and give reasons in informal educated language, mention of intergenerational dialogue.

Multifunctional resourse was used for various levels in class to give info on various areas, illustrate standard language use with colloquial elements, to entice debate and encourage production of similar oral and written texts.
2. A portal extremely rich in content devoted to contemporary culture of the younger generations, suitable for teaching / learning Bulgarian as a foreign language, especially for levels B and C. The website could be an addition to the educational process and offers many activities, such as listening, reading comprehension, writing, depending on the interests of the study group or the individual preferences of a particular student and the imagination and stimuli given by the teacher. By virtue of its technical qualities, content and organization it is suitable not only for work in class, for home group and individual assignments, but also for independent work and training. The diverse content of the website determines its potential for a wide range of didactic opportunities. It offers extensive material, numerous reviews and comments on the current cultural and social events in Bulgaria and abroad, which makes it suitable for students of different nationalities. Prof.Assia Assenova, Kliment Okhriddski University of Sofia + Ca Foscari University, Venice.

1.This 40-minutes episode consists of 4 sections; the book section takes the first 10 minutes; it can be split into two, according to the 2 books presented by each journalist: the documentary novel Chernobyl Prayer (Chernobilska molitva) by Svetlana Aleksievich and poems Kurazh serdtsa (The Courage of the Heart) by Lilia Yovnoova. There are two additional section, an inteview with Bulgarian translator Vida Delcheva and writer Rene Karabash.
2. Pre-activity. Techer presents topic: Speaking about Books and gives handout 1 with short authors’ bio and list of books. Students are asked to name some favourite authors and genres; screened versions of books; popular docudramas (книги, писател-писателница, филм). Teacher has another handout 2 with writers of personal choice.
3. Teacher plays first 5 min of programme: Alex presenting S. Aleksieivh’s book.
4. Activity. Language and discourse focus. 4.1. Conversation: Students are asked to give info on the writer and her other books; to comment on the content of the book presented; to compare the American documentary and the original. Students are asked to comment on Alex’s perspective (books on which successful movies are based are often deeper, have a wider scope and stronger impact). 4.2. Vocabulary: standard with elements of slang (stakhotni, cool) and new borrowings (spinoffite, spin-offs); 4.3. Grammar focus: strings of Genitive can be practised intensively (В новия ни епизод); Чернобилска молитва” на Светлана Алексиевич; на крилете на силата на човешкия дух и надежда; книгата-портрет на цяла една система; 5. Discourse: Гледайте онлайн само по телевизия “Алма Матер” и в социалните мрежи.
Activity +. Teacher asks students to discuss contents of presentation and to create (write out) a similar presentation by working in pairs on writers chosen from handout 2. Students present their piece; practice role play, role switch, dialogue.