En el marco del proyecto acreditado 2024-1-ES01-KA121-ADU-000203934, nuestra compañera Olivia Ross, auxiliar de inglés en la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Estepona, realizó una movilidad Erasmus+ en el centro anfitrión ППМГ „Акад. проф. д-р Асен Златаров” en la ciudad de Botevgrad (Bulgaria) del 11 al 18 de junio de 2025.
Durante su estancia, Olivia tuvo la oportunidad de observar y participar activamente en clases de idiomas, con el objetivo de profundizar en diferentes metodologías y enfoques pedagógicos empleados en otros contextos educativos europeos. Esta experiencia se enriqueció gracias al intercambio con docentes locales, el conocimiento del sistema educativo búlgaro y el trabajo directo con el alumnado.
Además de asistir a clases, Olivia colaboró con el profesorado del centro anfitrión en sesiones de desarrollo profesional y en el diseño de actividades orientadas a fomentar la competencia comunicativa y el aprendizaje activo.
Este tipo de movilidades favoreció la internacionalización de nuestro centro, impulsó la mejora continua de la calidad educativa y promovió una visión más amplia y diversa de la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras.
Wednesday 11 th June
After landing in Sofia, Megi Andonova the Erasmus coordinator organised for a private transfer to take me directly to the hotel in Botevgrad. She helped me to get checked in and saw me up to my room. Afterwards, she introduced me to the school, where I was greeted by a pupil, Deborah, in a traditional Bulgarian dress. They welcomed me with bread and honey, a typical Bulgarian tradition. I was given a tour of the whole school, meeting all the staff members.
I attended an English class with 15/16 year olds. It was very interesting to see first hand the different education systems.
After class Megi took me to a basketball game. I have learned that basketball is very typical in Bulgaria, as common as football in the UK or Spain! Many families encourage their sons and daughters to take up basketball as a hobby. It’s a sport that has been passed through many generations in Bulgaria.
After the basketball game, we walked through the main park and saw the brass band play. Megi’s son in law plays in the band and I also met her daughter and grandsons. Megi took me to a restaurant near the centre of Botevgrad where I tried a traditional salad with cucumbers, peppers and cheese, beef tongue and other Bulgarian delicacies.
Thursday 12 th June
On Thursday I had the opportunity to visit a monastery in Bankya with the fifth grade class. The monastery was located in the mountains. The teachers helped to translate for me and made me feel very welcome. After the tour of the monastery, we all sat in the beautiful garden to enjoy some refreshments and cakes and a traditional Bulgarian cheese pastry called banitsa. We then had two hours of free time, so the teachers showed me around the centre of Bankya which was absolutely beautiful! We had lunch together and I tried tarator, a traditional Bulgarian cold soup made from yoghurt, cucumber and herbs.
On the bus back to Botevgrad, I sat amongst the pupils and I formed good relationships with lots of them. They were asking me about Scotland and telling me about their exams studies and hopes for the future. I was really impressed by their English and their ability to have such conversations at a young age.
Friday 13 th June
On Friday morning before school I had some free time, so I went with Megi to the museum in Botevgrad. Botevgrad is a small town but it has so much history. I then attended a German class and a Spanish class. The German was a little hard for me to understand as it had been years since I studied German but the teacher went out of her way to make sure I understood what was going on, and Megi helped to translate for me.
After German, I went to the Spanish class. As an aspiring Spanish teacher, this was a great experience for me. I started by introducing myself to the students in Spanish and we played a game.
I then attended Megi’s 11 th grade English class. This was interesting as students were discussing the impact of technology and the influence of artificial intelligence on their learning and how it can be used as a tool, not to cheat. I then attended fifth grade maths. The teacher did a Kahoot quiz with them to help test their knowledge of the topics they had learned in a fun way. They really enjoyed this!
For lunch, Megi and I went to a restaurant near the centre where I tried traditional beef soup, tripe soup and something similar to meatloaf.
That evening, Megi invited me to her home to have dinner with her and her husband. We ate local cheeses, salad, bean stew, traditional sausage and a dish like Scottish haggis, with organs and spices. It was all delicious.
Saturday 14 th June
On Saturday morning, Megi and her husband invited me to have breakfast with their family. It was such a beautiful morning. We ate banitsa, the cheese pastry, Bulgarian fried pancakes, fresh fruits and drank coffee and juice. I played in the garden with their two little grandsons, aged eight and four. They were very kind to me, and the eldest tried his best to speak to me in English when he could.
After breakfast we headed to the Troyan monastery. It was so beautiful. We lit candles for health and also witnessed a name giving ceremony. We then went for lunch, and I tried Bulgarian meatballs and meat rolls. I really enjoyed this.
We explored the town and had a look in some local shops and enjoyed a coffee in the sun!
Sunday 15 th June
On Sunday morning I went with Megi and her husband to the Hyatt Regency hotel. We took a walk around the site, enjoying the gorgeous landscape and lake. We then had coffee and went for lunch. I tried more traditional Bulgarian food, a chicken casserole with potatoes, stuffed peppers and a custard like creamy pudding.
I had the rest of the afternoon to relax so I decided to explore Botevgrad a little more and walk through the park. That evening we had dinner in a lovely restaurant, we had seafood pasta, grilled octopus and chocolate souffle. It was all delicious!
Monday 16 th June
On Monday morning, I visited Botevgrad’s clock tower which I believe is one of the tallest in the Balkans. I was a little afraid to climb to the top, but the view was outstanding. The guide also told me lots of interesting information about its history. After the clocktower, we went for coffee and cake and we met some of Megi’s ex-students. It was lovely to talk to them and find out about their next steps. It was also great to see the excellent relationship Megi has with them, and I think it speaks volumes about the kind of teacher Megi is. Great teachers can make massive impacts on their students’ lives.
I then attended two English classes and did a presentation about Scotland and Scottish culture to one of the English classes, they were very eager to ask me questions and find out more about where I came from.
Then, I saw the German class rehearse their ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ play. This was very fun to watch and the pupils all seemed to really enjoy themselves. We then had lunch in the centre, and we were joined by Megi’s eldest grandson. I tried Bulgarian vegetable and cream soup.
We then went to the Vrachesh Monastery in Botevrgrad. It was so peaceful and calm. All the garden and crops were managed by the nuns and the people who lived there. I then tried Bulgarian Baklava which I hope to find in Scotland!
I then had some free time, so we went for lunch and picked up Megi’s youngest grandson from nursery and enjoyed some ice cream in her home. She then showed me the folk dancing class and I had the opportunity to learn some basic steps. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it reminded me of our traditional dances in Scotland.
That evening, Megi took me to the majorettes’ rehearsal and we enjoyed a refreshment in the sun, before heading back for some Moussaka. Majorettes are very common in Bulgaria, Megi informed me that her daughter was a majorette and had competed internationally!
Tuesday 17 th June
On Tuesday morning I attended the German class. I loved that the teacher had a great control over the class, but the class still had fun and the class was entertaining; this was really useful for me to see. We played a game; students were learning body-part vocabulary, so they were blindfolded and had to draw a body as their classmates named parts of the body.
Megi then showed me one of Botevgrad’s beautiful churches. The garden was also stunning and had lots of flowers.
That afternoon, the librarian gave me a tour of the library and showed me the vast collection of literature on offer. They even had some of my childhood favourites translates into Bulgarian!
I attended one final English class and also taught them about Scotland. All my presentations and lessons were very well received.
Afterwards I went with Megi and her grandson to see a local concert. The concert was held to celebrate 20 years of an English-teaching organisation. We watched a play and saw traditional Bulgarian folk dancing.
We had a traditional Bulgarian dinner in an outdoor restaurant. We ate tarator, grilled fish, fried fish, prawns and salad.
The time then came to say goodbye to Megi and her family prior to my departure on Wednesday morning.
I would like to thank the wonderful Megi for making my experience so special and memorable. I would also like to thank her and her wonderful family for the warm, heartfelt welcome they gave me to Botevgrad, and into their home. I would also like to thank EOI Estepona for organising this experience and allowing me to take part in something so meaningful. As an aspiring teacher, this has been invaluable. Being in the classroom with
skilled professionals and learning from them is a lesson I will carry with me for life. I have loved completely immersing myself in another culture and learning about Botevgrad’s rich history and traditons. Thank you!
