Languages lived in hearts, families and communities.
Evidence-informed consulting for families raising children with more than one language.
Your child doesn't understand your language, or doesn't answer in it. You tried the classes. The flashcards. The apps. None of it was the missing piece.
You are — when language lives in your child's relationships, identity and everyday family life. You're in the right place.
I'm Valerie, founder of The Language Place and a mother of three multilingual children. The methodology I use is evidence-informed, holistic and puts interpersonal connection at its centre. Together, we can build a system for your family that fits your everyday life.
This isn't language school. I don't teach a language — I help you embed your language in your family life, no matter the starting point, and no matter which language it is.
“Language isn't just communication. It's how your child knows where they come from. Who they belong to. Who they are.”
Schools & Educators
Your school wants to support its multilingual students well. I work with schools to help teachers and leadership teams understand language, identity and belonging for children navigating more than one language. If this would be useful, I'd love to hear from you.
Community
You're part of a community group supporting families who don't have easy access to this kind of support. I'm currently working out how to measure The Language Place's impact, so I can partner with you meaningfully. More soon.
“Valerie gave me the confidence to stay with my heritage language instead of unconsciously switching to English. She brought a whole new level of awareness to our family's language journey.”
“Since working with Valerie, Portuguese has become my language with my daughter. If I catch myself speaking English, I'm now able to switch back much more quickly because I understand the benefits of staying consistent.”
“I was worried that a part of my identity, my history and my full self would be lost and that my kids wouldn't get to know the full me. Since working with Valerie, my kids are experiencing a facet of me they hadn't seen before. My 7-year-old son especially is really keen to learn and is relishing in the language. Working with Valerie gave me a very manageable place to start and build from. It took away the overwhelm.”
Meet Valerie
I want to see a world where multilingualism is celebrated and supported as a source of identity and belonging — for families, and for the wider community. The Language Place works toward that one family, one educator, one community at a time.