Defying linguistic, cultural and physical barriers, tutors bridge the gap between two entirely different worlds. All that was needed to jumpstart this process was a pandemic, access to Zoom meetings and a student passionate for intercultural connections.
Founded in 2020 by high school alumna Anna Lin ‘23, Language Virtual began as a localized mission in Thailand. Now, it is a student-run nonprofit organization with over 200 tutors across the United States serving over 800 non-English speaking students from 25 countries.
Prior to the pandemic, Lin regularly visited an elementary school in Bangkok, which she considered a second home. Amidst a period of isolation in 2020, Lin launched Language Virtual as a program for children in Thailand to form connections abroad.
“I felt like I was physically cut off from the students [in Thailand] who I really felt in connection with,” Lin said. “I felt very isolated and wanted to reach out to still maintain that connection.”
Language Virtual’s pursuit of connection has prevailed, and it has expanded beyond Thailand since its founding. Senior and director of teacher programs Aleksandra Betts finds this aspect of the program an important step in gaining new cultural insights.
“[Language Virtual] connects various cultures, and I think [that for] a high schooler who has lived in Brookline their entire life, they’re not really exposed to what is outside of their bubble,” Betts said. “This is a good way to step foot and look at how other people live.”
For senior and vice president Eric Bardon, the program is beneficial in many different ways.
“BHS students not only are able to get community service hours and help the community but also younger students who are learning English have an opportunity to meet a mentor, meet a leader and meet someone willing to spend an hour or two on Zoom every week to teach English lessons,” Bardon said.
Betts said Language Virtual benefits both student and tutor.
“It’s been a pleasure to see [my student] grow because I’ve been teaching her since freshman year, and that’s been over three years. Seeing the improvement is really rewarding, and it feels really good,” Betts said.
In the future, Lin is looking to turn virtual interactions into physical ones by bringing students together with their teachers in person. According to Lin, this element will allow for stronger intercultural relationships.
“When you actually get to meet the person that you’ve been seeing on Zoom for the last six months or even two years, it changes a lot. Getting to see their house or seeing them in a cafe setting, your perspective broadens even more,” Lin said.
Ultimately, Lin attributed the success of the program to the community.
“If it wasn’t for Brookline High School, Language Virtual would not be where it is today with the support we have,” Lin said “There’s no other place like [Brookline] with the amount of cultural diversity and people with very open minds.”
