Thew most modern way to learn Bulgarian!

A Textbook and Reference Grammar
Ronelle Alexander, with the assistance of Olga M. Mladenova
Finalist for the award for Best Contribution to Language Pedagogy, given by the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East-European Languages (AATSEEL).

“A magnificent course by one of the foremost experts on the Bulgarian language in the world.”
—Victor A. Friedman, University of Chicago

This is the first comprehensive textbook teaching English-speakers to read, write, and speak contemporary Bulgarian. The text is designed to be adaptable for students of varying skill levels and can be taught at a gradual or intensive pace. It is also a much-needed reference grammar of Bulgarian, incorporating the latest research and theories on Bulgarian grammar in accessible layman’s language.

Volume 1, introducing the basic elements of Bulgarian grammar, contains Lessons 1–15, a Bulgarian-English glossary, an English-Bulgarian glossary for beginners, and an appendix of verbal forms. Like many popular language textbooks, the dialogues in Intensive Bulgarian form a continuing dramatic narrative that gradually introduces students to both language and culture. Throughout the text, Bulgarian constructions and phrases are compared with English ones to clarify grammar and idioms.

Lessons include:

    dialogues and sample sentences
    exercises and translation sentences
    basic and supplemental grammar sections
    reading selections
    a glossary for the lesson
    cultural notes.



Volume 2, treating more complex issues of grammar and syntax, contains Lessons 16–30 and a cumulative Bulgarian-English glossary covering both volumes.

Together, volumes 1 and 2 of Intensive Bulgarian provide all the materials necessary for teachers and students to learn lively, modern colloquial Bulgarian, to become familiar with Bulgarian cultural life, and to thoroughly understand Bulgarian grammar. Slavic scholars will also find in Volume 2 both a thorough presentation of the Bulgarian verb system, as traditionally conceived, and a new analysis of this system.

Additional materials in the Intensive Bulgarian series:
Intensive Bulgarian 1 Audio Supplement
Intensive Bulgarian 2 Audio Supplement

Intensive Bulgarian 1 & 2 Combo

Supplementary Materials

Ronelle Alexander is professor of Slavic languages and literature at the University of California, Berkeley. She has traveled throughout Bulgaria for her research on dialects and traditional culture and has been interviewed on Bulgarian radio. She has also taught at the University of California, Los Angeles; Yale University; and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Olga M. Mladenova, a native speaker of Bulgarian, is assistant professor of Russian at the University of Calgary in Canada.