Mission & Vision

The Language Exchange is an online database that provides Harvard community members with the opportunity to find partners with whom to practice language speaking. It is open to any Harvard community member, whether they are a novice language-learner or a native-level speaker. Users register with their known and desired languages and contact information, after which they can search the database to find potential matches. Once their match request is approved, users may meet up virtually or in-person at a pace that suits their needs and goals.

One of the more commonly acknowledged problems in the Harvard community is the obstacle a large, decentralized institution presents to relationship building and genuine belonging. Even within one’s own department, a student or staff member may well feel isolated when opportunities for socialization are scarce, and when highly competitive environments can obscure the potential for interpersonal exchanges. Since the COVID era began, this problem has only become more deeply entrenched. To foster authentic empathy and understanding, the Language Exchange offers a readily available network for communication widely accessible to staff, students, and faculty–most especially, to those who may have not always felt seen or welcomed. It is a step in providing Harvard affiliates the tools to not only gain invaluable experience in a second (or third, or fourth) language, but also to find a sense of belonging and acceptance.

History

Since its inception in the spring of 2020, the Harvard Language Exchange has grown to a membership of nearly 700 users, with 850 matches in 71 languages. The success of that rollout was a testament to the need for, and utility of, such a program in the Harvard community. The program’s growth was fortunately not hindered by the pandemic; if anything, its versatility was born out by utilization of the platform even when users could only meet remotely. Today, the Language Exchange maintains its robust membership database as the options for modalities of meeting have multiplied—whether virtual or in person (perhaps at one of the meeting rooms at the Language Center!). To support pre-existing Exchange partnerships and encourage new ones to form, the Language Center also organizes regular open houses and events.