Teodora Genova

Dr. Teodora Genova serves as an Associate Professor and English lecturer at the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies (ULSIT/UniBIT) in Sofia, Bulgaria, where she works within the Department of Comprehensive Subjects. Her academic career spans multiple research domains at the intersection of language education, therapeutic reading practices, and library science.

Dr. Genova's research interests focus on three main areas: bibliotherapy (therapeutic applications of reading), art therapy for children with special educational needs, and the educational potential of audiobooks in English language teaching. Her work examines how literature and audio resources can support emotional development, particularly in preschool and early childhood education settings. She has conducted numerous empirical studies on parental and teacher attitudes toward therapeutic reading methods across Bulgaria.

With 59 publications to her name, Dr. Genova has established herself as a leading researcher in bibliotherapy applications within Eastern European contexts. Her recent work extends to international comparisons of bibliotherapy practices across European countries, particularly examining implementations in Belgium and France. She has documented the current state of bibliotherapy in Bulgaria through surveys of teachers, parents, and library professionals.

Dr. Genova has been actively involved in research projects funded by the Scientific Research Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science, including 'Study of Attitudes towards the Therapeutic Potential of Reading in Atypical Situations for the Individual.' She has also participated in Erasmus+ initiatives examining digital education during crisis situations. Her research methodology typically combines survey instruments, interviews, and comparative analysis to assess attitudes and effectiveness of therapeutic reading practices.

As an educator, Dr. Genova teaches English to students specializing in library and information sciences, with particular focus on specialized English for tourism contexts. She has developed teaching materials including the 'Handbook of English for Tourism' (2023) and has researched innovative methodologies such as task-based language teaching for specific purposes. Her monograph 'The Role of Audiobooks as a Medium in English Foreign Language Teaching' presents a comprehensive theoretical framework for using audio resources in language education.