The Written Word Remains. Write Correctly!

The project The Written Word Remains. Write Correctly! Includes all departments of the Institute of Bulgarian Language and its goal is to support the correct usage of the Bulgarian language and increase the literacy and language competence among the Bulgarians.

Period: 2019 – 2021

Principal Investigator: prof. Svetla Koeva PhD

Participants: prof. Svetla Koeva PhD, prof. Mariana Tsibranska-Kostova Dsc., Diana Blagoeva-Stefanova PhD, prof. Elka Mircheva PhD, prof. Luchiya Antonova-Vasileva PhD, assoc. prof. Vanya Micheva PhD, assoc. prof. Yavor Miltenov PhD, assoc. prof. Milen Tomov PhD, assoc. prof. Nadezhda Kostova PhD, assoc. prof. Ilyana Garavalova PhD, assoc. prof. Kalina Micheva-Peycheva PhD, assoc. prof. Yoanna Kirilova PhD, assist. prof. Magdalena Abadzhieva-Yordanova, assist. prof. Katerina Usheva PhD, assist. prof. Simeon Stefanov PhD, assist. prof. Ilyana Kuneva PhD, assist. prof. Nadezhda Dancheva PhD, assist. prof. Svetlozara Leseva PhD, assist. prof. Valentina Stefanova PhD, assist. prof. Maria Todorova PhD, Zhaneta Zlateva PhD, Lora Zheleva (PhD student), assist. Malina Stoycheva (PhD student), assist. Teodora Krasteva, Hristina Kukova, Krasimira Fuchedzhieva, Martin Yalamov.

The project is financed according by a contract ДСД 15/21,08,2019 (first stage) for the period 21.08.2018 – 21.05.2020 (first stage) and by a contract ДО1-151/06.07.2020 for the period 21.08.2020 – 30.09.2020 (second stage) under the program Education with science between the Ministry of Education and Science and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

In the project participated 35 (mainly young) scientists from the Institute for Bulgarian language Prof. Lyubomir Andreychin and three – from the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Within the framework of the two stages all planned activities are realized, in addiction other activities are realized.

Educational courses and lectures for teachers and students.

Thematical course for Bulgarian language teachers was developed “Application of research methods, interdiscplinary methods and new technologies in the project-oriented education of Bulgarian language”. The course was conducted online on 16th and 17th of may 2020 with 28 Bulgarian language teachers from 27 schools from 10 cities and 7 villages and on 11th and 12th of september with 28 Bulgarian language teachers from 21 schools (two of them private) from 9 cities and 1 village. The fist course was completed successfully from 24 teachers and the second – from 22 teachers. They received certificates that certify the number of credits.

Matherials of the course are distributed freely with licence Commons Attribution 4.0. International Licence (CC BY 4.0) in The Education Platform of The Institute for Bulgarian Language.

Two educational lectures for teachers and students were developed: “Sound systems” and “Between the semantics and syntax”. The first lection was given on 2nd of november 2019 in Tryavna on the Traditional Autumn seminar about matematical linguistics for students and teachers to 85 students and 15 teachers from 18 matematical, natural-mathematical and language gymnasiums. The second lecture is distributed freely with the YouTube channel of the Institute for Bulgarian Language “The Written Word Remains. Write Correctly!”

Language research problems

Three main types of language research problems were developed, aimed at independently reaching knowledge and developing of the skills for indipendent thinking.
Computational linguistic probrems

The computational linguistic probrems are intended for competitions in computational linguistics as a part are for preliminary preparation and others – for conducting competitions. Four problems are prepared (with total of 100 subconditions) for finish-state machines. Three problems are prepared (with total of 50 subconditions) for semantic relations.
Language games and quizzes

Three language games are created under the title “Get to know the Bulgarian language”. It includes 15 groups with two problems each connected in three modules: for fifth, sixth and seventh grade and one general language game “Get to know the Bulgarian language” with 10 problems for students that are in junior high school stage of education. They are distributed as interactive problems online and in traditional format with the platform “Written word remains”.

For five days during the National week of reading in december 2019 the language problems were solved as it follows: 1613 times the games for fifth grade (155 true answers of all the problems), 1587 times the game of sixth grade (23 true answers of all the problems), 1501 times the games of seventh grade (106 true answers of all the problems). After that the problems as it follows: 3204 times for fifth grade, 2931 for sixth grade and 2735 for seventh grade.
Materials for individual work and student’s reseach projects

12 texts are being made for important questions about the history of the Old Bulgarian language and literature (grouped in two packages). They are compliant with the national program for general education and can be used by teachers and students. Along with that the texts build up the educational content by presenting facts that are not widely known. They are distributed with the platform “The written word remains”.

16 videos are being filmed – 8 lessons and 8 exercises accessable in the Youtube channel of the Institute for the Bulgarian language dedicated to the Bulgarian temporal system. The materials are intended for students and teachers from junior high school and high school stage of education and with them we aim not to dublicate the educational content, but to build it up in accessable and funny way.

9 educational materials were created about the bulgarian spelling, grammar and puctuation, 3 materials, that present the language resources of the Institute for the Bulgarian language and 4 quizzes about Old Bulgarian language and literature. All of them are accessable in Youtube channel of the Institute for Bulgarian language “The Written Word Remains. Write Correctly!”. Some of the most popular materials are about bulgarian spelling, grammar and puctuation.

On the occasion of 24th May are selected and written two new dictations. The dictations are distributed freely on the YouTube channel of the Institute for Bulgarian language. Dictations are conducted in 118 schools in Bulgaria in 59 cities and 27 villages, 1 school in England, 2 schools in Ukraine, 2 schools in France, 2 universities in Russia, one in Azerbaijan and one in Ukraine. Dictations are distributed as audio files, but also in a traditional way on the platform “The Written Word Remains”.

From the begging of the 1st of August 2019 to 31st of May 2020 the site visits on the page “Get to know the Bulgarian language” were the materials of the project “The Written Word Remains. Write Correctly!” are uploaded are 15794; the visits on the page “Resources” where the resources of the Institute are presented are 11403 and the visits on the platform “The Written Word Remains” were the materials are published are 34 258.

The language problems are distributed with a licence Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. International Licence (CC BY 4.0).
Direct work with talented students.
Open Day

On 4th of November 2019 – The Institute for Bulgarian Language Prof. Lyubomir Andreychin organises Open day. The day of open doors was visited from students from 9th, 11th and 12th grade of 140 school Ivan Bogorov from 12th grade of the National gymnasium for ancient languages and literatures Konstantin-Cyril The Philosopher from 5th grad of 93 school Alexander Teodorov-Balan and etc.
Competition during the National week of reading

On the 11.12.2019 young scientists from the Institute for Bulgarian language Prof. Lyubomir Andreychin were guests in school Petko Rachov Slaveykov, Kardzali. On the National week of reading competition with bulgarian language problems were conducted. In it participated students from 7th grade from school Father Paisiy, Yordan Yovkov, Petko Rachov Slaveykov.
Language games during the National science educational festival “The found generation”

On 25 and 26.01.2020 The Institute for Bulgarian language participated in the National science educational festival “The found generation”. The festival was conducted in the National Palace of Culture. The pavilion of the Institute for Bulgarian language was visited by students and teachers from: First English language gymnasium in Sofia (9th grade), 163 primary school “Chernorizec Hrabar” in Sofia (5th grade), primary school “P. R. Slaveykov” in Burgas (6th and 7th grade), primary school “Vasil Aprilov” in Ruse (4th grade), High School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics “Prof. Emanuil Ivanov” in Kyustendil (7th grade), 164 gymnasium with education of Spanish language “Miguel de Cervantes” in Sofia (10th grade), “M.V.Lomonosov” High school in Sofia (8th grade), Private middle school “Bulgarian school” in Sofia (4th grade) etc.
Second demonstrative computational linguistics competition

The second demonstrative computational linguistics competition was conducted from 10:00 to 12:00 o’clock on the 16th of May 2020. The competition was intended for students in junior high or high school of education. The competition required the solving of two problems and was realised with the Educational platform of The Institute for Bulgarian language. 67 students participated from 5th to 12th grade from 18 cities and 25 schools. Three firsts, two seconds, four thirds and eight incentive prizes were awarded in two age groups (from fifth to ninth grade and from ninth to twelfth grade).
Language games on the “Book alley”

On 31st of july (from 19 to 21 o’clock) and on 1 of august (from 16 to 18 o’clock) was conducted a special event dedicated to the spelling under the title “The Written Word Remains. Write Correctly!” in the exposition “Book Alley” in Varna. The pavilion of the Institute for Bulgarian language was visited by more than 50 students from the whole country.

“The Written Word Remains. Write Correctly!” of the Institute for Bulgarian language “Prof. Lyubomir Andreychin” in Bulgarian Academy of Sciences participated in the “Book Alley” in Sofia. On 8th of september, Thursday, between 10:00 and 12:00 o’clock on occasion of The International day of spelling and the upcoming start of the school year spelling competition was conducted. The pavilion of The Institute for Bulgarian language for only two hours was visited by more than 20 students from Sofia.
Language games on Sofia Science Festival

The language games with the Institute for Bulgarian language were conducted on The Sofia Science Festival on 26th and 27th of september from 10:00 to 18:00 o’clock (in Sofia Tech Park). In entertaining way were presented different dictionaries and handbooks on the Internet and also materials about bulgarian lexis, grammar and spelling. The pavilion of The Institute for Bulgarian language was visited by a diverse public including more than 50 students from different age groups.

The virtual workshop “Language games” was conducted on the 30th of september from 12:15 to 13:00 o’clock. 4 teams from school “Elin Pelin”, Sofia. The virtual workshop was streamed on the Internet and on the event in the school was watched by 20 students from fifth grade, 26 students from sixth grade and 27 students from seventh grade and also teachers of Bulgarian language and mathematics.

Out of the project (on 2nd of October) the scientists from the Institute for Bulgarian language conducted entertaining language game titled “Language masters” on the occasion of European language day and was streamed on the Internet.
Popularisation of the project “The Written Word Remains. Write Correctly!” and the program “Education with science”

An webpage of the project is created and is supported. News about the project are regularly published on the webpage on the Institute for Bulgarian language and on the Facebook profile of the Institute “Language consultations”.

On 11th of October 2019 the Institute for Bulgarian language participated in the presentation of the program “Education with science” of the Bulgarian academy of sciences and Ministry of education and science in the National etnographic museum. Information about the presentation about the program “Education with science”.

On 14th of November 2019 the Institute for Bulgarian language participated on a work meeting on a topic “Education with science and become friend of science”. The members of the Bulgarian assosiation of private schools and also teachers and students from several private schools – private school “Gianni Rodari”, private school “William Shakespeare”, private school “Tsar Simeon The Great”, private school “Galina Ulanova”, private school “Petar Beron M.D.”, private school with german language “Veda”, private school “Britanica”, private school “Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi”, private school “Maria Montessori” had the opportunity to ask their questions the scientist from the Institute of Bulgarian language.

On 14th of december 2019 from 15:00 to 17:00 o’clock presentation of the project “The Written Word Remains. Write Correctly!” was conducted in front of the participants and guests on the Anniversary Science Fair “150 years of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences”. The information about the presentation of the project in front of the participants and guests on the Anniversary Science Fair “150 years of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences”.

Out of the preiod of the project (on 2nd of october) the scientist from the Institute for Bulgarian language conducted an entertaing language game titled “Language masters” on occasion of European language day and was streamed on the Internet.