A Conversation with Jen Carson
Jen Carson is LTI’s Proficiency and Learning Specialist, with a career that spans law, classroom teaching, and district leadership. She’s passionate about the transformative power of virtual exchange, and she sat down with me to talk about why it matters, how it works, and what she’s learned from years of helping teachers bring the world into their classrooms.
Q: Jen, can you start by telling us a little about your background and what you do at Level Up Village?
Jen: When I came over from teaching French and Spanish, I was the K-12 Learning Specialist. After one and a half years, I switched to my current role at Level Up Village: thought leadership and assessment.
At its heart, virtual exchange is about helping students see people in other countries not as “others,” but simply as people. When a seventh grader in the U.S. realizes a seventh grader in Argentina also loves Bad Bunny—or when they notice differences, like how sports are organized—it opens their eyes. Those moments make language learning authentic, purposeful, and human.
Q: Why do you think virtual exchanges are so important for students today?
Jen: Teenagers often live with blinders on. They may struggle to imagine life even in the next town, let alone another country. A virtual exchange widens that lens.
When they realize people their age are using the language they’re studying to communicate—whether it’s asking for the bus schedule or passing the milk—it’s a lightbulb moment. They begin to connect the classroom to real life. And hopefully, they also grow more empathetic toward people who live differently, both abroad and in their own communities.
Q: What challenges do teachers and administrators face when adopting virtual exchanges?
Jen: The first hurdle is funding and buy-in. Not every district treats world languages as “core,” and administrators don’t always see the value. That’s why case studies, sample videos, and webinars are so important—we have to show the impact, not just tell.
For teachers, the challenge is often time. It can feel like “one more thing.” But the truth is, you’re not adding—you’re replacing. Instead of a fill-in-the-blank worksheet, students get authentic intercultural communication. Once teachers realize it’s a swap, not a burden, it clicks.
Q: What is the typical student experience like?
Jen: At first, some students are hesitant. They don’t want to show their face on video, or they’re nervous about speaking. Teachers can ease them in—allowing audio only, or adding visuals. Then they watch their partner videos, and everything changes.
They realize their peers abroad were nervous, too. They notice similarities—like loving sports—and differences—like where sports happen. And suddenly, what felt intimidating becomes exciting. I’ve even heard teachers say that students not enrolled in language classes start asking, “Can I take Spanish next year so I can do this, too?”
Q: Do you have any favorite stories from classrooms?
Jen: One that always sticks with me came from a colleague presenting at the Foreign Language Association of Virginia (FLAVA) conference. She described her students’ surprise at learning milk is sold in bags in Argentina. It sounds simple, but for the students it was a revelation. Those small “aha” moments are often the ones that spark lasting curiosity.
Me: Oh my goodness, the bagged milk again! I’ve heard this before…
Jen: Haha, it is just the little things! On the other side, sometimes things go “off script.” A student video might drift into a tangent, or a background poster might need to be edited out because a teacher realizes too late that it was inappropriate. But even those moments often spark meaningful connections—like realizing that students in another country don’t work after-school jobs the way American teens often do.
Q: How do virtual exchanges support different learners?
Jen: Level Up Village naturally builds metacognition and self-regulation: students reflect on how they’re learning, set goals, and take ownership. Some record their videos multiple times, trying to get it right—and that reflection is as valuable as the final product.
It also gives students a sense of responsibility. They see themselves as ambassadors for their school or community, and that changes how they approach their participation.
Q: Teachers sometimes worry asynchronous video isn’t “real” interaction. How do you respond?
Jen: Today’s students live in asynchronous spaces—Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram. To them, video-based communication feels authentic, immediate, and natural. They don’t see a lag; they see connection.
Q: What advice do you give teachers who are considering trying a virtual exchange?
Jen: First: take the leap. Don’t wait for the perfect semester—you’ll never know how powerful this is until you try it. Second: give yourself and your students grace. Not every video will be perfect. That’s okay. What matters is the attempt, the connection, the learning. And third: remember the bigger picture. Even if students don’t master every grammar point, they walk away knowing there are kids across the world learning another language just like they are. That’s huge.
Q: How have you seen teachers themselves change through this process?
Jen: I’ve seen teachers go from hesitant to confident—presenting at conferences, collaborating with international colleagues, even improving their own language skills. It builds professional confidence as much as student confidence.
Q: Looking ahead, what’s the future of virtual exchange?
Jen: I think AI will play a role in the practice stage—imagine students rehearsing with an avatar before recording their video. But the essence of Level Up Village will always be human-to-human communication. That’s where the real transformation happens.
When I asked Jen if she had any closing thoughts or remarks, she succinctly wrapped with this call to action:
Don’t put it off. The barriers are low, and the rewards are incredible. Level Up Village has changed my life—I hope it changes yours.
