Our Team

Short info

Asst. Prof. Penka Hristova, PhD is a Chief Assistant Professor at the Department of African and Indo-Pacific Studies, Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology, at Sofia University ‘St. Kliment Ohridski’ (Bulgaria). She currently teaches Academic English, Practical Syntax, English as a Lingua Franca in Africa, Sociolinguistics and Terminology and Analytical Skills of the European Union to university students.

Penka Hristova has a BA degree from the English and American Studies Department at Sofia University and an MA and PhD degree from the European Studies Department at Sofia University with the dissertation topic ‘European Language Policy and European Identity’. Her academic interests are focused on European and national language policies, plurilingualism and multilingualism, language attitudes, English as a lingua franca, foreign language teaching and European identity. 

She has been a Project Manager of various academic projects focusing on developing competences for junior scholars, researching the impact of Erasmus+ programme on the participant students, etc. Also, she has conducted several academic studies on the language attitudes of Erasmus+ participants, university students and African migrants in Bulgaria.

Selected projects

- Africa in a changing world: postcolonial transformations and sustainable development (2025)

- African Music, Dance, and Art: A Rhythmic Journey of Diversity and Influence (2024)

- Impact of Erasmus+ on language skills, process of EU identity construction and educational policies at SU (2020)

- Developing competences and improving skills for contemporary research methods by junior scholars (2016-2018)

Selected publications

- Hristova, P. (2025) The Linguistic Repertoires of Students Enrolled in the African Studies Program at Sofia University. In: The Epistemological Web and Transfer of Knowledge: Philological Infrastructure in the 21st Century. "St. Kliment Ohridski" University Pres, pp. 96-108.

- Hristova, P. and Hristozova, K. (2024) Erasmus+ as a Factor for the Formation of the Participants’ Attitudes Towards English and Other Foreign Languages. In: Issues in Sociolinguistics ХV. New Trends, Topics and Ideas in Sociolinguistics. "St. Kliment Ohridski" University Pres, pp. 212-224.

- Hristova, P. (2023) Multilingualism Policy in the European Union and European Identity. "St. Kliment Ohridski" University Pres. (in Bulgarian)

- Hristova, P. and Hristozova, K. (2023) The Impact of Erasmus+ Mobilities on European Identity: Insights from Sofia University. In: Hadzantonis, M. & Hill, N. (Eds.). Тhe GLOCAL Conference Proceedings Series. The GLOCAL in the Mediterranean and Europe 2022, pp. 116-121.

- Hristova, P. and Hristozova, K. (2021) Urban environment as a factor for improving the students’ foreign language skills. In: Issues in Sociolinguistics ХIV. "St. Kliment Ohridski" University Pres, pp. 67-82.

- Hristova, P., Mordescu, D., Pavlova, D. and Carson, L. (2020) European multilingual cities and their citizens: Research perspectives. In: Carson, L. Kwok, C. K. & Smyth, C. (eds.). Language and Identity in Europe: The Multilingual City and its Citizens. Peter Lang.