Teaching Spanish in the university context of Bulgaria

Abstract

The article examines the development of Spanish language teaching and the Hispanic studies in the Bulgarian university’s environment from its beginning in 1934 up to the present day. The
phenomenon is presented in a diachronic and synchronic plan with emphasis on its evolution and its relationship with the historical context in its sociopolitical, socioeconomic and cultural aspects. After indicating the premises for the inauguration of the study of Spanish, we proceed to investigate its stages, being the Sofia University the center present in all of them: the initial phase (language course 1934-1960), creation of the specialty “Spanish Philology” (1961) and expansion and diversification: the language and subjects related to it are part of different careers at the aforementioned university and in another five – three public and two private – in different cities of the country (early 1990s-nowadays).