enesca +34 647 98 88 08 hello@valencialanguageexchange.com
+34 647 98 88 08 hello@valencialanguageexchange.com
enesca

About us

In an increasingly globalized world, knowing foreign languages has become an important asset for social interaction and represents an unavoidable need for human beings, because today’s multicultural and multilingual society demands it from us.

Valencia Language Exchange (VLE) wants to promote language learning from a different perspective. The most efficient method to learn a language is by imitating the process everyone goes through when they learn their own language naturally, through social interaction.

When and how was VLE created?
What does VLE do?
How  does VLE do?
Who is behind VLE? 
All these questions that one can ask, we will try to explain you in our timeline.
 

Valencia Language Exchange

In an increasingly globalized world, knowing foreign languages has become an important asset for social interaction and represents an unavoidable need for human beings, because today’s multicultural and multilingual society demands it from us.
 
Valencia Language Exchange (VLE) wants to promote language learning from a different perspective. The most efficient method to learn a language is by imitating the process everyone goes through when they learn their own language naturally, through social interaction.

When and how was VLE created?

Valencia Language Exchange is one of the largest language exchange groups in Europe. As a politically independent, non-profit and non-governmental organization, VLE is an association open to people of all ages interested in learning new languages and sharing their own.

The idea originated in 2008. 7 people of various nationalities, living in Valencia, decided to meet sporadically with the aim of practicing their respective languages and learning new ones. Today, 16 years later, these meetings are attended by over 150 people every day with a total of over 15,000 members.

What does VLE do?

Valencia Language Exchange provides its users with the necessary resources to hold language exchanges.  The concept is simple: when each person arrives at one of these meetings, an organizer guides them to a table where other people interested in speaking a particular language have sat, either because they are learning it or because it is their native language. A few minutes after the start of each event, the establishment in question has become a multilingual gathering place.

In addition to the daily meetings (every day of the week in a different establishment, in order to reach more people), Valencia Language Exchange organizes all kinds of events: trips to the mountains, cultural outings, karaoke, etc.. Over time VLE has become a big family for all the local people who attend these meetings, having had the opportunity to meet hundreds of people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.

Meet the team

At the head of the organisation is Neeraj, also known as Nini. He was one of the seven original members who came together to exchange languages. As the organisation expanded, nini was in need of assistance. To manage and promote the events, nini turned to international students. These international exchange students form a multicultural and multilingual team who, in addition to working in the office, also welcome members in a language of their choice during the events. The advantage of a multicultural team is that each member can represent a different and new perspective. The organisation reflects its mission through its team.

2007
Traffic Light Posters

Nini arrived to Valencia and wanted to learn Spanish, There was no social media or means to search for tandem partner. So he started to post papers on Traffic lights to find someone who could teach him Spanish and in exchange he would teach English or French. 
After so many posters he got a message from Juan, who wanted to learn french and would like to teach Spanish to Nini. 

2007
Juan in Kebab

Both Nini and Juan start meeting in a kebab shop, It was around every second day. This kebab shop still exist 🙂 Avenida del puerto junto con Manuek Candela.

2008
Meeting with Sandra Randy and others

Same time Juan was doing language exchnages with other people for english he presented Sandra to Nini, who presented Randy and other 4 people Nacho, Marcela, Elena & Juanjo. 
Now Nini had language partner for almost the whole week 

2008
Laboratorio & Facebook Group

2008, we decided to meet al together once a week. We used to meet in a Bar Laboratorio in Carmen, i always miss this bar. 
Anyway it was dificult to decide the day because no social media, no whatsapp, Facebook messenger you could send only message to one person.  So we decided to make the FACEBOOK private group. VALENCIA LANGUAGE EXCHANGE.

A private group: Never thought this group will become the biggest language exchange comunity of europe one day. 

2009
Nini`s house - Thomas & Johnsons,

We were already 30-35 people and  laboratorio will stay smaller for us, so we decide to move to Nini`s house meeting until twice police came because of neighbour complaint for noise. 
So the owner of nini`s house invited them to his bar in Calle chile “Thomas & Johnsons”  

2011
Valencian Television to Seven

Every thursday more than 60 people meeting in Thomas & Jhonsons and then in

2011 we got interviewed in Valencian news channel: (if you want to see the interview) 
Of course this makes us famous and now we won’t fit in Thomas & Johnsons, we will have to find new location, in November 2011 we came to Seven. 

2012
Tuesday & Sunday Language Exchange

Every Thursday in seven  there was a line of more than 100 people waiting outside and more than 150 people in side. It was that crowded that people even could go out to smoke, ” If yo leave you will have to make queue again”. We will have to divide the participants. 
we started Tuesday Language Exchange in Upper club in gran vía. 

It helped but now there were line in front of 2 bars 🙂 
So we started Sunday Language Exchange in Bigben (What later will change to Monday Language exchnage). 

2012
Umbracle Tandem Party

During summer VLE will organise Flag tandem in a Bar next to beach, where once the Manager from Umbracle having a drink he saw many people and asked to organiser NINI the concept and will like that much that he offered umbracle for this event, from Now on VLE will host the event in the biggest  and most famous club of valencia.

Proceed Booking