My work with international virtual exchanges extends beyond Spanish and Portuguese. In 2014, I collaborated on a Russian-English teletandem initiative with Dr. Natalia Boykova, Assistant Professor of Russian at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Dr. Alla Nazarenko, a world-renowned linguist and Fulbright Scholar at Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU). Dr. Nazarenko, a Professor of Linguistics and former Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Area Studies at MSU, also served as Director of MSU’s Distance Learning Center at the time of our collaboration.

Together, we explored strategies for facilitating synchronous online interactions between Russian language learners at VCU and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at MSU. While coordinating teletandem between institutions with a time zone gap greater than three hours presents logistical challenges—Moscow is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time—we successfully developed a customized program focused on interactive, project-based learning.

Our collaboration with MSU culminated in a site visit to the Moscow campus and a joint presentation at the 7th International Scientific and Methodological Conference Information and Communication Technologies in Linguistics, ELT, and Cross-cultural Communication. We later co-authored a paper on the project, published by MSU Press, titled Connecting Cultures, Languages, and Students through Teletandem: Building Bridges to Enhance Learning and Understanding.

This project reflects the breadth of my work in international online language exchange and highlights the adaptability required to create meaningful learning experiences across distance and time.

My fascination with Russian language and culture made this collaboration particularly meaningful. Visiting Moscow was a deeply enriching experience — a city of breathtaking architecture, vibrant history, and extraordinary public spaces. I found the Russian educators I met to be among the most collegial, warm, and intellectually generous professionals I’ve worked with. I look forward to returning in the future and continuing to build partnerships grounded in mutual respect and global engagement.