About

Hi, I'm Valerie.

I studied Multimedia / VR Design in Germany, and even back then, in 2011, I wanted to build a language learning app for my thesis, out of a deep frustration with the language learning software available at the time. I knew that learning by means of some kind of computer was ideal for me, and probably for many others, because I am fairly shy, and starting to talk freely with a tandem partner has always been hard for me. App development wasn't really viable yet though, and a desktop app somehow felt wrong to me, but the core idea never left me.

I went on to work as an Interaction Designer, then did a second Bachelor's in Cognitive Science, focused on language and the science of learning. My 2016 thesis compared mobile language learning apps against current SLA research. My conclusion back then: the perfect language learning app would be a perfect AI you could talk to like a tutor. One with infinite patience, always available, at low cost.

The world moved on, and then came ChatGPT, which made this seemingly impossible requirement suddenly a no-brainer.

During parental leave with my second child in 2024, I finally started building that app.

Valerie
Founder, BlablaPal