- Krasimir Todorov teaches “Man and Nature”, but literary language is his real passion
- The actors Marian Bachev and Gergana Stoyanova themselves offered to participate with short videos on legal discourse
An inspired teacher, dedicated to the preservation and preservation of the Bulgarian language, has amassed 44,000 followers with a website that every day provides answers to every hesitation on how to write and pronounce the native word correctly. Krasimir Todorov has been campaigning with his platform Gramoten.bg for a year and a half. The goal is to promote the correct use of the Bulgarian language in everyday life. Access is free.
The 45-year-old teacher, originally from Belene, lives and works in Veliko Tarnovo. He is a graduate of 4 universities, engaged in private business, even politics, but discovered his vocation to be a teacher. This school year, he took the subject ”Man and Nature” for fifth and sixth grade students at a school in the city. But his real passion is the literary Bulgarian language.
“The idea for the site came from this love of mine. She was brewing inside me for too long. I was trying to be useful in some way by having knowledge of grammar, legal language, spelling. A person cannot transmit knowledge until he makes something accessible to all people”, says Krasimir Todorov.
He was terribly surprised when people began to like the site en masse. He even aroused the interest of the actors Marian Bachev and Gergana Stoyanova. They wrote to him and offered to get involved if they could be of any help. They willingly agreed to make videos and participate in the literacy of Bulgarians. “Both Marian and Gergana are people who follow the changes and legal discourse with great interest, and this is very important,” Krasimir is grateful.
Even the professor of jurisprudence at NATFIZ Prof. Borisova contacted him. She gave him advice on how to make the “1 minute Bulgarian language” clips with correct pronunciation. Thus, he drew linguists, philologists, journalists, students and ordinary people into the digital discussions, but not the politicians.
“They are not looking! They are confident in themselves, but in fact they know nothing. An extremely unpleasant trend is the yawning – “we walk”, “talk”, “write”. They even think it’s kind of trendy. When they speak, they don’t know how much of a disservice they are doing to society because they are infecting with their incorrect speech. These people would have a hard time passing the exam that fourth-graders take at the national external assessment in Bulgarian,” the teacher believes.
Very often MPs create words that do not exist in the dictionary.
“I’m entering” is a complete absurdity,
astonishingly stupid, and I meet it even in official correspondence. You cannot add the suffix “-iram”. It is recommended and is applied only to foreigners such as “check”, “cancel”, “finalize”. This word was invented by a woman who is no longer in Bulgaria’s political elite,” Todorov was angry.
The literary norm is changing very dynamically and, unfortunately, the Bulgarian school lags behind in teaching the language.
“For me, the ability of a teacher to speak and write correctly will always come first. I am not a teacher of Bulgarian language and literature, but writing on the board is essential for me. As a parent, I also expect my child’s teacher to teach him to speak properly. And the children are like absorbents – when they see how their teacher speaks and writes, they absorb”, says the teacher.
His 11-year-old son often receives criticism that a word is not pronounced correctly.
“Dad, I don’t have peace with you! I have to constantly be careful what I say!”,
the boy tells him.
He is convinced that our gaze must be everywhere. “I see words on social media written by adults who don’t distinguish between ’and’ and ‘her.’ On national television, they confuse “someone’s” and ”someone’s”. Not knowing how to spell the word in the plural is no joke,” says the pedantic guardian of the language.
He says the site is a platform for good discussions and even the creator tolerates criticism. The debates are caused by the drastic changes after 2012, introduced with the release of the official BAS spelling dictionary, which people refuse to accept. “Recently, a huge discussion on the site took place when I published that the residents of Sliven did not merge, but were from Sliven. Then there were over 1,000 comments along the lines of:
“Are you going to tell us what to call each other?”
And it’s very easy – when you enter the municipality, it says “Slivenci”, when you go to the local museum – the same. And they have never been different. But they like to call themselves “mergers”, the teacher claims.
There is a huge misconception regarding some words that Bulgarians are convinced are pronounced in one way, when in fact this is incorrect. “For example, about the word “cypress”, many people live under the delusion that it is pronounced like cypress”. The foreign word “quinoa” has an accent on the first syllable, not as it is widely spread. And when you shoot it at them on social networks, they say: ”No, that’s not true!”. You check it and it is exactly as I wrote, because I check it several times in all sources”, adds Krasimir.
He does it because he thinks that if he writes something wrong once, the site will lose the trust of users. “I was recently asked how to write:
“His pants are missing” or “His pants are missing”
The explanation is simple – the verb ”no” is impersonal, there is no subject in this sentence, so the article is short.
He is far from thinking that he has exhausted all controversial cases in the Bulgarian language, because new and new linguistic situations are constantly emerging. “When I told my students that it is said and written ‘nine’ and ‘ten’, they reacted: ‘Sir, that is not true! Hey, now we’re going to ask the lady in Bulgarian!” Krasimir laughs.
He has a degree in Political Science, Diplomacy and National Security, Elementary School Pedagogy. He is currently studying to become a teacher in “Man and Nature”. His colleagues often ask him why he doesn’t also enroll in Bulgarian philology in order to teach his favorite subject. “I take it as a hobby – something I really like to do. If he goes into business, my love for him might disappear,” Todorov jokes.
Interview between Time.news Editor and Krasimir Todorov
Editor: Welcome, Krasimir! It’s a pleasure to have you here today. Your work with Gramoten.bg is making waves in promoting the correct use of the Bulgarian language. Can you tell us what inspired you to create this platform?
Krasimir Todorov: Thank you for having me! The inspiration for Gramoten.bg came from my deep passion for the Bulgarian literary language. I noticed that many people struggle with grammar and pronunciation, which can lead to misunderstandings. I wanted to create a resource that makes these details accessible and encourages correct usage in everyday conversation.
Editor: It’s fascinating to see how you’ve engaged so many people! You mentioned that you have around 44,000 followers. What do you think led to such a strong response?
Krasimir Todorov: I was honestly surprised! Many people seem to resonate with the idea of preserving our language and culture. The importance of proper language use has not only aesthetic value but also profound implications for communication and understanding within society. I think people appreciate a platform where they can get straightforward answers.
Editor: You even attracted the interest of actors Marian Bachev and Gergana Stoyanova, who volunteered to help create videos. How did that collaboration come about?
Krasimir Todorov: Yes! Both actors reached out to me after hearing about the site. They expressed interest in helping to spread awareness about proper language use. Their involvement is a testament to how much public figures can impact literacy and language education. It shows that this issue matters to many, not just educators.
Editor: You mentioned the challenges faced by communication in politics. Could you elaborate on your thoughts regarding the language used by politicians?
Krasimir Todorov: Absolutely. I’ve observed that many politicians create words that are not found in our dictionaries and use incorrect grammar, leading to a trend that seems to glorify poor language choices. It’s concerning because such language can influence public perception and understanding. For instance, phrases like “I’m entering” are absolutely incorrect, yet they find their way into official communication.
Editor: It’s alarming when we consider the influence of such figures. On another note, you emphasized the role of teachers in setting an example for proper language use. What do you think can be done to address this in schools?
Krasimir Todorov: The responsibility of a teacher goes beyond just imparting knowledge; they need to model correct language use as well. I believe educators should receive ongoing training in linguistics and effective communication. Additionally, we need to rethink the curriculum to ensure that proper spelling and grammatical norms are taught rigorously.
Editor: You mentioned the shift in language norms since the release of the official BAS spelling dictionary in 2012. How has this impacted public understanding and usage of the language?
Krasimir Todorov: There has been significant resistance to the changes outlined in the new dictionary. Many people still cling to outdated usages or resist the nuances of the contemporary language. This often leads to debates and misunderstandings, as seen in some discussions on my site. People are resistant to what they consider an imposition on their everyday speech.
Editor: That makes perfect sense! You also pointed out misconceptions about the pronunciation of certain words, like “cypress.” How can we bridge this gap in knowledge?
Krasimir Todorov: Education and awareness are key! My site aims to foster discussions about these misconceptions in a friendly, accessible manner. By encouraging dialogue and providing clear explanations, we can gradually change how people perceive and use their language.
Editor: Lastly, what do you envision for the future of your platform and the Bulgarian language in general?
Krasimir Todorov: My hope is to continue growing and engaging more people in conversations about the Bulgarian language. I want Gramoten.bg to be a hub for language lovers to share their insights and corrections while also being a place where we can celebrate our rich linguistic heritage. Ultimately, the goal is to cultivate a greater appreciation and respect for our language in everyday life.
Editor: Thank you, Krasimir. It’s inspiring to see someone so dedicated to preserving and promoting the Bulgarian language! We wish you all the best with your endeavors at Gramoten.bg.
Krasimir Todorov: Thank you! It’s been a pleasure discussing this important topic with you.