Elena Dimitrova

Elena Dimitrova graduated the Veliko Tarnovo University (Bulgaria) in 2001 with Master’s degree in German Studies (German and Dutch languages). At present she is an Assistant Professor in contemporary German language at the same University. Her academic researches are within the sphere of translation studies, intermediate comparatistics and intercultural communication.

The topic of my dissertation project is the comparative analysis of Bulgarian, German and Austrian textbooks in history from the intermediate point of view. The word and the image as two of the systems with which we present the surrounding world are the basic building elements of every school textbook – each with its respective functions and implications. The history textbook together with the rendering of knowledge constitutes and differentiates notions such as I and the other, i.e. contributes to forming own personal identity. Within this project, I would like to research to what extent the image and the text in history textbooks interact when teaching values and behaviour patterns of social roles in society or when creating specific national stereotypes towards big social entities, other cultures and minorities. By means of the contents analysis method I will try to answer the question to what extent the correlation between image and text is congruent, complementary or elaborative. I will apply the results of this analysis to the reflexis of the didactic, methodological and socializing roles of the textbook.