Experience Teaching Language Abroad Shapes Del Ray Business

ALEXANDRIA, VA — When Anne Barkow taught language in places around the world and the U.S., she realized a dream of opening her own language school. That dream became reality during the pandemic with the opening of Wantok Language Initiative.

Barkow got her start in language instruction teaching English in Ecuador to help fund her Spanish classes. She went on to teach hundreds of classes in North America, South America, Africa, and Asia, got a fellowship through the U.S. State Department to teach English in Gabon, and was an instructor at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan.

Her business started in Wisconsin during the COVID-19 pandemic, but she moved to the DC region with her military husband. Wantok Language Initiative is based in her Alexandria home with rental space on Mount Vernon Avenue.

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Here is more information on Wantok Language Initiative:

Business name

Wantok Language Initiative

Location

Wesmond Drive (home address), rent space at 2210 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA

Website

wantoklang.wixsite.com/website

Hours

10 a.m.-6 p.m.

When and how did the business get started?

I started in Wisconsin during the pandemic; however, I had to move to DC since my husband is military. I have had the dream of owning a language school since my mid 20s when I taught abroad in Latin America. I have taught all over the world as well as here in the US, but my dream is to have my own school.

What does your business offer?

Spanish classes, English classes, Spanish tutoring, English tutoring, Cultural workshops, English for Special Purposes, Spanish for Special Purposes, Teaching workshops.

What's your most popular product or service?

Spanish tutoring and English tutoring

What's your favorite thing about the community your business is located in?

Del Ray is extremely supportive. I have been pleasantly surprised how much other business owners have tried to help me develop marketing and find space. They have gone out of their way to include me and tell me about opportunities. Del Ray wants people to succeed here. There is a strong community focus. It is amazing!

What kind of impact has the COVID-19 pandemic had on business?

Covid caused me to pivot to online classes in Wisconsin which worked for a while, but I think people got burned out by screens too quickly.