UNED Language Center and the Vanderbilt Center for Languages: The Story of a Productive Partnership
The launch of this pilot program of virtual language exchange stemmed from the visit of Dr. Chalene Helmuth to UNED Costa Rica in June 2023 and built on previous professional collaborations with faculty member Dr. Vilma Peña Vargas.
Dr. Helmuth is Director of the Center for Languages, and Associate Professor of the Practice in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese in the College of Arts and Sciences at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Peña Vargas serves as Liaison for the Office of Internationalization and Cooperation at the UNED in San José, Costa Rica.
The first language exchange took place in December 2023 with 21 students, offering cultural exchange as well as Spanish-English interactions over five sessions. These sessions enabled both personal and professional exchanges on a wide array of topics including migration, health, youth employment, and tourism, among others.
In 2024, three additional exchanges were conducted with Costa Rican students at intermediate English levels, while their counterparts were intermediate and advanced Spanish learners.
Most recently in 2025, two student groups were combined into one, allowing them to share their experience between February and March. The exchange topics focused on international politics and other areas of interest.
Faculty members involved have also experienced an intercultural exchange and mutual learning process. At Vanderbilt University, the initiative has been led by Dr. Paz Pintané, while at the UNED, Mag. Ana Laura Escobar has been responsible for coordinating the program, selecting students, organizing activities, and assessing the experience.
For Ana Laura Escobar, this exchange is “a way to break the ice between speakers… Through this experience, we are beginning to pave the way for the Language Center to provide our students with more opportunities to interact with native speakers of the languages they are learning.”
At Vanderbilt, Paz Pintané states, “The UNED-VANDERBILT virtual exchange stems from a single desire: to bring reality into the classroom alongside its true protagonists, to provide our students with opportunities to improve their language skills in an authentic context, and most importantly, to develop a genuine intercultural awareness.”
Looking ahead, it would be highly beneficial to include faculty exchanges as well, as professional practice and new learning experiences are needed. Additionally, it could be possible for students from the Language Center to visit Vanderbilt University, offering them an immersive experience that would further enrich their language-learning journey.
The Office of Internationalization and Cooperation (DIC) serves as a bridge between both institutions, promoting language learning, cultural exchange, and inter-university and international collaboration. The hope is that the UNED-VANDERBILT partnership will continue fostering initiatives like this, enriching academic life while strengthening bonds through peace, respect, and dialogue.
*This article was published in Vanderbilt University’s and the UNED’s communication channels.