Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

A Language Fair has been held in the square in front of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia.

The traditional event featured 20 different European languages presented by 23 organizations. Three of the languages, including Azerbaijani, were from countries outside the European Union.

The event was organized by the Representation of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Translation in Bulgaria, together with language and cultural institutes within the EUNIC-Bulgaria network and other cultural organizations.

The Azerbaijani Language and Culture Center operating under Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", affiliated with Baku Slavic University.

The Azerbaijani Language and Culture Center also took part in the fair, introducing visitors to the Azerbaijani language and culture. The center's stand featured a language game specially prepared for this year's event, titled "Find the Similarities!" Participants were invited to identify similar words in Azerbaijani and Bulgarian. Words commonly used in Bulgarian, such as "chanta" (bag), "corab" (sock), "tavan" (ceiling), "shorba" (soup) and "pakhlava" (baklava), attracted particular attention.

The language game generated interest among both children and school students as well as adults. According to the organizers, it provided an entertaining way to demonstrate the similarities and connections between the two languages.

Interest in the Azerbaijani language also increased noticeably at this year's fair. Along with school students and university applicants, students studying various fields visited the center's stand. They asked about opportunities to learn Azerbaijani, the educational process, Azerbaijan and its culture, as well as the opportunities offered by learning less widely studied languages.

Participation in the Language Fair is part of the Azerbaijani Language and Culture Center's efforts to promote Azerbaijani language and culture in Bulgaria and encourage young people to consider the Turkology programme at Sofia University, including opportunities to study Azerbaijani within the programme.

Direct interaction with school students, university applicants and students gives them an opportunity to become familiar with Turkic languages and cultures and learn more about future educational and professional development opportunities.

The activities held as part of the Language Fair aim to encourage interest in learning foreign languages and strengthen ties between different cultures.