Building a Global Dream: The Heart Behind the Global Language Community

A volunteer instructor's desire to help English students post-pandemic led to a YouTube channel and the creation of the Global Language Community.

The journey of the Global Language Community has been anything but ordinary. It all began with a simple desire to help. As a volunteer English instructor at the English Learning Center since 2018, I had a front-row seat to see the challenges my students faced when in-person classes resumed after the pandemic. Many workers, accustomed to the flexibility of online learning, suddenly faced practical hurdles, including daily commutes, childcare needs, and more.

Having experienced some of these challenges myself, I truly understood their predicament. My students approached me in November 2023 with a heartfelt request: they wanted to continue their online English learning without any extra expenses. These were individuals I had already come to know and care for as a volunteer.

This is also why many of you reading this may know me personally—the foundation of this community is built on genuine relationships. The "English Teacher Dale Snavely" YouTube channel was my answer. YouTube became the school, my channel is the classroom, subscribers are the students, and the over 300 videos are the library.

It was launched almost two years ago as a volunteer effort, a way to keep providing the online classes my students needed. I hoped that community support would help cover the inevitable costs of running a channel, and maybe a little naively, I set a goal of reaching YouTube's monetization threshold—1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours—within a year.

You can find our channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@engli... Shortly after the channel was born in December 2023, I attended an online InterNations event. We were challenged to present our "impossible goal" for the year ahead. For me, it wasn't about starting something new, but about taking the passionate work I was already doing in Denver and making it so much bigger.

My Impossible Goal was to provide Free English Lessons to one million deserving Students Around the World. Looking at where we are today is both humbling and exhilarating. We have over 400 dedicated subscribers, and in June 2025 alone, I had the incredible privilege of teaching more than 2,600 students. And now, with the invaluable partnership of Tina, we’ve officially launched the Global Language Community. You can join our community here: https://www.glcunity.com/community.

It hasn't been without its challenges. Several well-meaning individuals have pointed out the lack of direct monetization from the "English Teacher Dale Snavely" channel. It's a valid point, and the need for sustainability is something we take seriously. That's exactly why the Global Language Community was born. It represents the next exciting chapter in this journey—a way to continue our mission of accessible language education while building a framework that can support its ongoing growth and positive impact.

This new phase, built on the foundation of the "English Teacher Dale Snavely" YouTube channel, is allowing us to reach even more learners and create an incredible, thriving community. It’s all about taking that initial spark of volunteerism and nurturing it into a sustainable global dream. Our micro-courses are at the heart of this new endeavor. They are our pathway to a sustainable future, allowing us to keep providing impactful content while covering the costs of our growing operation.

The ultimate goal of these courses is to empower young professionals in nations with emerging economies, giving them the language skills they need to advance their careers and improve their lives. You can find our courses here: https://www.glcunity.com/courses.Join us as we continue to build the Global Language Community, one lesson, one connection, one dream at a time. The journey is just beginning, and we're so grateful to have you with us.

Categories: : Community, Education, Inspiration, Online Learning