Hi, I'm Valeria
I grew up with two languages and I'm raising a bilingual daughter. So I know this path from both sides: as a child and as a parent.
I studied and worked in Germany, where I met my Italian husband, and today we live in Italy. I speak Russian with our daughter and my husband speaks Italian.
How this started
By the time I was expecting my daughter, I spoke five languages, but I still had questions about how children learn even one. So I dove deep into the research on raising bilingual children. I wanted to understand what actually works, not just follow advice. I studied The Bilingual Brain with Prof. Arturo E. Hernandez (University of Houston) and Miracles of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics with Prof. Marc van Oostendorp (Leiden University).
Then one of my videos went viral, and thousands of messages from bilingual families followed. Parents told me their child resisted their language, and they didn't know what to do or where to start, because nothing they tried seemed to work. Some felt guilty for slipping into their child's stronger language themselves. Others worried their child couldn't really talk to their grandparents, or had been told by doctors, teachers or relatives to "just speak the local language." Many felt alone, being the only one in the family speaking their language every day.
I saw how many myths about bilingualism cause real suffering, for parents and for children. It showed me how underserved these families are, and that I could help.
What I do now
For about two years, I've supported international families through my content, hundreds of conversations and ongoing personal guidance. I share what science says and turn it into simple steps for everyday family life.
I help parents whose child understands the home language but won't speak it, and parents starting from zero.
My goal is a child who speaks your language, without pressure, guilt or daily battles over language, and a parent who feels confident again.