With around 15 million speakers in total, Bulgarian may not be among the world’s top languages by the number of speakers. However, it is still a language that is well worth learning. Here are some of the reasons for learning the Bulgarian language.
It’s a good introduction to the Slavic languages family.
If you are aspiring to become a polyglot and/or are specifically interested in Slavic languages, Bulgarian can be a good way in.
It is believed by many to be one of the easier Slavic languages to master, so you won’t have too much of a struggle at the beginning. On the other hand, it shares quite a few similarities with other Slavic languages, which will make them easier to learn once you master Bulgarian.
This is especially true for Macedonian and Serbo-Croatian. If you understand Bulgarian, you’ll understand most of Macedonian, and to a lesser extent Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian and Slovenian even without learning these languages as they have quite a high degree of mutual intelligibility.
It may give you unique career opportunities.
If you want to work with languages or in linguistics, learning Bulgarian definitely gives you access to a niche. You’re not just another person who can speak English or Spanish. It gives you a particular skill that is fairly unique.
Every language has a value and it’s up to you to use it to your advantage. If you truly master Bulgarian, you can easily work as a translator or interpreter, teach your native language to people from Bulgaria or teach Bulgarian as a foreign language.
And who knows, maybe you decide to move to Bulgaria one day and find a job there – then knowledge of the language will definitely come in handy.
You will be able to travel easily around Bulgaria and explore its hidden treasures
Bulgaria is a popular tourist destination thanks to its beautiful landscape. It boasts mountains that are great for hiking or skiing and snowboarding during the winter months. During the summer, the beaches are popular destinations.
Knowledge of Bulgarian will allow you to stray away from the ‘beaten tourist paths’ without getting lost and explore the hidden gems common tourists can’t.
Bulgaria has a rich culture and history
The culture of Bulgaria is based on an interesting blend of Thracian, Slavic and Bulgar traditions, along with the influence of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Many ancient customs remain, such as Thracian fire dancing, which is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Bulgaria also has a strong folkloric tradition that pervades many aspects of art, literature, music, celebrations and daily life.
If you learn the Bulgarian language, you will be able to truly immerse yourself in the Bulgarian culture and gain some exciting authentic experience.
It will help you make new friends
Bulgarians are known for their hospitality, warmth and most of all respect to foreigners. If you speak Bulgarian, you will be able to appreciate it even more, as well as thank Bulgarians for their hospitality in their native language and make some friends.
The more words and phrases you understand, the better you can communicate with Bulgarians. Even if many young Bulgarians speak English, they will appreciate it a lot if they hear you using Bulgarian vocabulary every now and then. And once you learn the most used words, you’re good to go.
Learning a foreign language is great for self-development
Not only will learning a language improve your memory and keep your brain sharp – it will also help you see the world from a new point of view and make you a little wiser. While it is true for any foreign language, with all the other advantages it has it may as well be Bulgarian.