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Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Iva: In this lesson we have something special.
Yuri: A quiz! Which may have some of you thinking, "Oh no!" but don't worry. This will be a fun one.
Iva: We are not going to test out your Bulgarian skills or anything like that, yet.
Yuri: Nope. These questions are all about Bulgaria itself — society, geography, pop culture — so you can see how much you know about Bulgaria.
Iva: Yes, because learning Bulgarian is much more than just learning a language.
Yuri: You learn about people, life, society, all that good stuff.
Iva: If you pass, you could always go on to the next lesson.
Yuri: And if you don't pass, you can still go on to the next lesson. So no pressure! So, everyone, are you ready?
Iva: Yuri, you'll be the one taking the test.
Yuri: Oh, really? Ok, then. Well, let's get going.

Lesson focus
Iva: First question is on geography. In which part of Bulgaria is the Black Sea coast located? A) The north, B) The south, C) The east.
Yuri: Oh, I know this one. C) The east.
Iva: That's right. The Black Sea coast covers the entire eastern bound of Bulgaria.
Yuri: Many foreign and local tourists visit it and this is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bulgaria. Its nickname is the Bulgarian Riviera.
Iva: The Bulgarian Black Sea coast has a humid, subtropical climate with temperatures varying around 28 degree Celsius and the sunshine in the big season of July and August is more than 300 hours. The southern Black Sea coast is known for its white, sandy beaches with preserved privacy and beauty.
Yuri: It is really an amazing place.
Iva: The rest of Bulgaria is pretty amazing, too.
Yuri: That's true. The Bulgarian Black Sea coast presents many opportunities for summer sports, sightseeing, archaeological tourism, art festivals, and many other ways of having a good time. Ok, next question.
Iva: Pop culture. I'm going to name three people — one is a famous singer, another is a politician, and a third is a sports star. Match the name with their profession. Boyko Borisov, Dimitar Berbatov, Valya Balkanska.
Yuri: Whoa! I'm going to have to think about this one. Well, I know that Borisov is the prime minister (as of 2014), so he's the politician. Berbatov is all over the soccer news, so he's certainly the athlete. That leaves Balkanska. She must be the singer.
Iva: Nice job.
Yuri: Dimitar Berbatov is a Bulgarian soccer player and is well known throughout the world. He captained the Bulgarian national team from 2006 to 2010 and is its all-time leading goal scorer. Now (as of 2012), he plays for Manchester United. But who is Valya Balkanska?
Iva: Valya Balkanska is a Bulgarian folk music singer known locally for her wide repertoire of Balkan folk songs, but in the around the world, mainly for singing the song “Излел е Дельо хайдутин”, part of the Voyager Golden Record selection of music included in the 2 Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977.
Yuri: And everybody knows Boyko Borisov.
Iva: Right. Boyko Borisov is the prime minister of Bulgaria since July 2009.
Yuri: He was the mayor of Sofia from November 2005 until his election as prime minister.
Iva: His man-of-the-people attitude and the failings of the previous government have been seen as the main sources of his popularity.
Yuri: He has also marked a very wide media presence, being regularly sighted in most major media outlets.
Iva: He's always in the news.
Yuri: So what's the next question on?
Iva: Travel. Which of the following combinations includes all three of the most popular travel destinations in Bulgaria? A) Rila National Park, Bansko and Sofia. B) The Black Sea resorts, Melnik and Sofia. C) Bansko, Sofia, and the Black Sea resorts.
Yuri: I'm going to have to go with C.
Iva: And that's right. C) Bansko Sofia, and the Black Sea resorts.
Yuri: Bansko is the most frequently visited ski resort in Bulgaria.
Iva: Bansko has the best snow record and the longest ski season of all Bulgarian ski resorts, from mid-December to mid-May.
Yuri: Did you know that during the last couple of years, this resort is under a massive investment process with new hotels and resort facilities?
Iva: Yes, we are quite excited about it.
Yuri: Sofia is the capital and the largest city in Bulgaria.
Iva: It is located in western Bulgaria at the foot of Mount Vitosha.
Yuri: Prehistoric settlements were excavated in the center of the present city. Near the royal palace, right?
Iva: Yes. It is also a center of media, modern theaters and research institutes, sporting events, orchestras, and museums. The increasing number of cultural events in contemporary arts and festivals are making Sofia a very attractive destination.
Yuri: Many of the major universities of Bulgaria are also concentrated in Sofia.
Iva: The current population is 1.3 million with high population density.
Yuri: Wow! So what's the next question about?
Iva: Economics.
Iva: Bulgaria is the world's largest exporter of A) wine, B) fuel, C) rose extract.
Yuri: That's a hard one. Bulgaria is very famous with lots of rose oil production, so I'm going to say C) rose extract.
Iva: Trick question. C) is a correct answer, but wine export is also interesting case.
Yuri: Really? I didn't know about the wine.
Iva: Yep. Although Bulgaria's export of wine is not the world's largest, by mid-90s, Bulgaria has become the world's second-largest exporter of bottled wines.
Yuri: Really?
Iva: Yes. Bulgaria, thanks to the Bulgarian wine cellars, is the fifth-largest exporter overall, after Italy, France, Spain, and Germany.
Yuri: That's amazing!
Iva: Yep. More than 80% of the country's production is exported.
Yuri: Whoa! I'd like to try some Bulgarian wines.
Iva: Actually, many people don't know this, but Bulgaria's electronics, IT, and services outsourcing are the sectors of the Bulgarian economy with the greatest growth potential.
Yuri: Really? IT services and outsourcing are so important?
Iva: Yep. Bulgaria is an IT heaven according to some specialists.
Yuri: Cool. Anymore questions?
Iva: Nope. Just one last section about myths.
Yuri: Myths? Like Greek gods and stuff?
Iva: No. Myths about Bulgaria. Things that people think about Bulgaria that aren't true.
Yuri: Well, that's going to be one long section.
Iva: Don't worry. I worked hard to get it as simple as possible. Here, I'll read this part and you'll read that part.
Yuri: Ok.

Outro
Iva: This first topic is economic. The biggest myth is that country of Bulgaria has no good potential when it comes to the development of the economy.
Yuri: Bulgaria is considered one of the fastest growing economies.
Iva: Now the myths about food.
Yuri: Bulgarians do eat yogurt every day, but do not have the same customs for eating it as the other nations.
Iva: Actually, yogurt is used for cooking or as an addition to already cooked meals. It can be main ingredient of a salad, topping of a dish, or part of the dessert. Culture...
Yuri: Bulgarians do shake their heads for "yes" and "no" in the opposite way compared to the rest of the world.
Iva: Still many young people and people who are used to foreign countries are aware of that and will adjust so that they won't confuse you with the extraordinary way of nodding your head. Society...
Yuri: Bulgarian society is such a blend of Bulgarians with their mixed ethnic origin of the tribes which created the country, together with the Turkish and the Roma, all considering Bulgarians with the specific Bulgarian cultural traditions. You know, I actually agree with that.
Iva: I told you I worked hard on this section.
Yuri: Good job.
Iva: Roma. The Roma in Bulgaria are the country's second-largest minority and third-largest ethnic group, after Bulgarians and Turks. Bulgaria is the European country with the highest percentage of Roma.
Yuri: Bulgaria also participates in international initiatives to improve the socio-economic status and social inclusion of Roma.
Iva: Language...
Yuri: Last, but not least, Bulgarians speak Bulgarian, their unique Slavic language.
Iva: Yeah. I don't know why people are amazed that the Bulgarian language still exists.
Yuri: I often run into people at the airports who are surprised to discover that their Russian is not so useful here.
Iva: All right. That’s all for our quiz.
Yuri: We hope you had fun and this lesson format was interesting.

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