International spouses find belonging at Virginia Tech

When Batmunkh Yondon’s family left Mongolia four years ago, he had little time to study English. He worked remotely full time for his Mongolian employer while his wife, Noko Tsogt-Ochir, pursued her Ph.D. in the College of Engineering.

Their 7-year-old daughter, Luna, quickly adapted to life in the United States. She learned English in school and, over time, lost much of her Mongolian.

Yondon had never learned English. Luna had forgotten her first language. Gradually, father and daughter struggled to communicate. Eventually, he realized something had to change.

Alice Bertini faced a different but equally isolating challenge.

After five years in a long-distance, transatlantic relationship while her husband, Paolo Terranova ’25, worked toward his doctorate in mechanical engineering, it was finally time to live in the same place again. When Terranova accepted a position with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Bertini left behind her nursing job and community in Florence, Italy, to move to Blacksburg.

She wanted to return to nursing and begin building a new life. But she needed English to pass the certification exam required to practice in the United States. Her husband had friends, but they were all English-speaking.

“It’s been difficult to connect with people when you worry they don’t understand you,” Bertini said.

For both Bertini and Yondon, the turning point came when they discovered a program at the Language and Culture Institute (LCI) created specifically for spouses of Virginia Tech employees and students.

Part of Outreach and International Affairs, the institute provides English language instruction and intercultural training that support international students, scholars, professionals, and their families as they build lives and careers at Virginia Tech.

When families feel rooted and supported, scholars and researchers can focus on the work they came here to do — strengthening the university community in the process.

The Intensive English Program for international spouses offers reduced-price courses in grammar, speaking, writing, and listening, designed to help participants build confidence, connection, and community.

Building belonging

Bertini and Yondon each enrolled in grammar, listening, and speaking courses with instructor Pinar Gurdal, along with a writing and reading course taught by Bonnie Sumner.

Gurdal said her approach goes beyond teaching grammar. Drawing on her own experience living abroad, she understands how deeply language shapes daily life.

“As a person who lived in a country where I did not speak the language, I know the challenges that creates,” Gurdal said. From deciding where to shop to choosing a school for a child, learning the language can be essential for navigating daily life.

For Bertini, the program has offered more than improved English skills. It has helped her feel at home.

“Already, I feel very comfortable in Blacksburg,” Bertini said. “I’ve found so many people who are willing to help. I came to the U.S. two days before LCI classes started, so I missed orientation week. The staff gave me so much information and showed me around. Everyone welcomed me so warmly.”

Sumner said that helping students like Bertini and Yondon gain confidence and find community is intentional work. Language and Culture Institute instructors support students well beyond the classroom — explaining how to open a bank account, sharing where to find familiar foods, and suggesting local activities that match a student’s interests.

“We do this by exposing them to American culture, offering field trips, and advising them on events in the community they can take part in,” Sumner said.

Part of the family

Yondon describes his experience with the institute as life-changing. His growing confidence in English is evident not only to his instructors, but also to his young daughter, who has become one of his biggest supporters.

“Luna is so excited for me to learn English,” Yondon said. She eagerly offers pronunciation tips and encourages him to use English whenever he slips back into Mongolian.

One day, he brought Luna to class.

“She met my classmates and my teacher,” he said. “She was so excited and so happy.”

For Sumner, meeting Luna felt especially meaningful. She had taught Luna's mother several years earlier when she first arrived at Virginia Tech. Teaching Yondon now — and meeting their daughter — felt full circle.

Bertini, who has only been enrolled for a few weeks, said she is already beginning to feel like part of the Hokie community.

“I didn’t know anyone before coming here,” she said. “The LCI is a place where I can meet new people. We immediately have a sense of camaraderie because we’re all in the same boat — coming to a new culture and new community and learning a language together.”

She said she was surprised by how quickly instructors made her feel known.

“An hour after arriving to my first class, my teachers knew my name,” Bertini said. “They genuinely care and want their students to succeed. Leaving everything you’ve known is hard. Everything is new, and you are out of your comfort zone. It helps to have instructors who truly care.”

Looking to the future

For Bertini and Yondon, learning English at the Language and Culture Institute is about more than adjusting to a new community. It’s preparation for what comes next.

Improving her English will allow Bertini to pursue her U.S. nursing license and return to the profession she loves.

For Yondon, language study has opened the door to a new dream. Motivated by a desire to serve and a deep connection to Mongolia, he hopes to study political science at Virginia Tech before returning home as a policymaker.

“The more successful he is in English, the better opportunity he will have to earn this degree,” Sumner said. “Having English on his future resume will likely open doors for him in the political field.”

Yondon said studying in the United States would expose him to perspectives he would not encounter at home, preparing him to lead with broader insight when he returns.

To learn more about language opportunities for spouses of international students, faculty, or staff, visit the Language and Culture Institute website or call 540-231-9192.