Sofia, December 7 (BTA) - Higher education institutions in Bulgaria have developed electronic textbooks in Bulgarian language, history, and geography for students and teachers from Bulgarian schools abroad. The materials were demonstrated and discussed during the Second Balkan Forum on strategies for learning Bulgarian in a foreign language environment, held in Athens by the Bulgarian Education Ministry and the Bulgarian Embassy in Greece, the Ministry's press centre reported.

Ideas and experiences for teaching Bulgarian in a foreign language environment were exchanged at the event. The certification of native language competencies under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages was also one of the highlights of the discussions.

The Bulgarian Studies network for the exchange of practices, established by the Bulgarian language teacher at the University of Athens, Gencho Banev, and by teachers from Bulgarian Sunday schools, was pointed out as a good example of the aim of the forum. The first initiative of the new association has been an essay competition for pupils and students dedicated to the common history and future of Bulgaria and Greece.

The forum was attended by Gencho Banev, as well as by representatives of the Bulgarian Sunday schools in Greece, Croatia, Serbia, and Turkey, and of Bulgarian universities which train teachers of Bulgarian language abroad, experts and Bulgarian language teachers from Sofia, Blagoevgrad, and Haskovo, representatives of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, members of the Interdepartmental Commission for Affairs of Bulgarians Abroad and of the Association of Bulgarian Schools Abroad. DS/YV