ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING THROUGH THE PRISM OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC

Abstract

The changes that occurred as a result of the global pandemic of COVID-19 have significantly affected all elements of the teaching process in the academic environment. It was necessary to restructure the teaching material in order to look for working alternative forms of communication and teaching. Within the scope of the project entitled "Study of attitudes to the therapeutic potential of reading in atypical situations for the individual" with contract № KP-06-H45 / 2 of 30.11.2020, funded by the National Science Fund of Ministry of Education and Science, a list of top five most popular book titles written in English with a sought therapeutic effect in each of the three countries ‒ the USA, the UK and Bulgaria has been used to test the potential of reading in English as a foreign language during the pandemic and the ways these book titles can be used to enrich the scope of English language teaching at the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (ULSIT), Bulgaria. The purpose of the report is to present the opportunities to be involved in English language teaching of the literary works that have become extremely popular during the pandemic period. The idea is to promote these book titles among university students who are interested in reading in the English language and are enrolled in the Bachelor's degree programs outside the field of library studies at the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (ULSIT), Bulgaria, the academic year 2021/2022. Consequently, the students become acquainted not only with the readers’ preferences over the period specified and the therapeutic effect they may use themselves when encountering atypical situations in their lives, but also it can assist them with their learning English as a first foreign language at the university. The bachelor students are supported and advised by their lecturer and author of this review along the way of discovering new contents, enriching their vocabulary, and appreciating the therapeutic effect these books could have on themselves. This can also become a starting point for a fruitful discussion in English and Bulgarian during classes about the therapeutic effect of the field of bibliotherapy on students’ foreign language learning broadening their perspectives on reading foreign and native book titles and being aware of this kind of particular communication between the reader and the world of literature in a foreign language. They are encouraged to share their attitudes towards reading and the kind of stressful situations they have been into during the pandemic period. In addition, this report serves as another example of proving the interdisciplinary character of the project under implementation and adds to the bibliographic resources that reflect the issues of the therapeutic potential of reading during the pandemic.