The Department of Foreign Languages and Communication in Tourism has been operating since the establishment of the College of Tourism – Varna and it is in charge of language training in English, German, French, and Russian.
Members of faculty teach languages in all three degree programmes: Tourism Management, Leisure Management, and Hospitality Management. Students also learn languages during their summer work placements, as part of their guiding training, in their foreign language guiding training, and in their course in History, Society and Culture. Students majoring in Tourism Management or Leisure Management also study languages in their course in Intercultural Communication.
The department lecturers are in charge of the mandatory first and second foreign language training of all students in their three years of education at the College of Tourism – Varna.
First foreign language training aims at providing students with language competences and skills in everyday communication and in writing documents at travel agencies, hotels or restaurant. Students are also introduced to specific topics in guiding, entertaining, working at tour agencies and tour operators, running hotels and restaurants, dealing with business customers. Students learn about the psychology of international tourists and types of tourism.
Second foreign language training at the College starts with a course in grammar and topics specific for tour guides, entertainers, travel agents, hotel employees, restaurant staff, etc. College graduates are fluent second foreign language speakers with at least intermediate language skills and competences.
Language courses incorporate the latest textbooks, up-to-date specialized publications, audio and video.
Academic staff at the Department are highly-qualified language specialists, some with PhD degrees. They constantly enhance their achievements as educators, researchers, and admin staff. Most are qualified and highly experienced tourism & leisure professionals who apply their hands-on expertise in their teaching. All department staff have been involved in EU-funded projects such as the British Know-How Fund programmes and the Leonardo and PHARE projects, aimed at the career development of academic staff and tourism professionals. Several English and German lecturers have been trained to examine for language certificates. French lecturers have been teaching senior admin staff at Alliance Française; some German lecturers teach part-time at Varna Language Center.
The Department of Foreign Languages and Communications in Tourism has been highly esteemed by its corporate clients for its quality language teaching. Academic staff are much sought after for providing short-term and modular business language courses. Varna Municipality, Provadia Municipality, the Palace Cultural Centre in Balchik, Albena and Kamchia Resorts have been some of the Department regular customers.
