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?

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. Seven 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 venue has become a multilingual gathering place.

In addition to the daily meetings (every day of the week in a different venue, 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 people who attend these meetings, who have 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 needed assistance, and to manage and promote the events he 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.

Our story

2007: Traffic light posters. Nini arrived in Valencia and wanted to learn Spanish. There was no social media or way to search for a tandem partner, so he started to post papers on traffic lights to find someone who could teach him Spanish in exchange for English or French. After many posters he got a message from Juan, who wanted to learn French and teach Spanish to Nini.

2007: Juan in the kebab shop. Nini and Juan started meeting in a kebab shop, around every second day. The kebab shop still exists, on Avenida del Puerto at the corner with Manuel Candela.

2008: Meeting Sandra, Randy and others. Juan was also doing language exchanges for English with other people. He introduced Sandra to Nini, who introduced Randy and four others: Nacho, Marcela, Elena and Juanjo. Now Nini had a language partner for almost the whole week.

2008: Laboratorio & the Facebook group. We decided to meet all together once a week, at Bar Laboratorio in El Carmen. Without WhatsApp it was difficult to agree on a day, so we created the private Facebook group VALENCIA LANGUAGE EXCHANGE, never thinking it would one day become the biggest language exchange community in Europe.

2009: Nini's house, then Thomas & Johnsons. We were already 30–35 people and Laboratorio became too small, so we moved the meetings to Nini's house, until the police came twice because of neighbours' complaints about the noise. The owner of Nini's flat then invited the group to his bar on Calle Chile, Thomas & Johnsons.

2011: Valencian television, then Seven. Every Thursday more than 60 people met at Thomas & Johnsons. In 2011 we were interviewed on the Valencian news channel, which made us famous, and we no longer fit. In November 2011 we moved to Seven.

2012: Tuesday & Sunday language exchanges. Every Thursday at Seven there was a line of more than 100 people outside and more than 150 inside. We had to split the participants: we started the Tuesday Language Exchange at Upper Club on Gran Vía, and the Sunday Language Exchange at Big Ben (which later became the Monday Language Exchange).

2012: Umbracle Tandem Party. In summer VLE organised a flag tandem in a bar next to the beach. The manager of Umbracle saw the crowd, asked Nini about the concept and liked it so much that he offered Umbracle for the event. From then on VLE has hosted the party in one of the biggest and most famous clubs in Valencia.