One fine winter evening, Juliana Valadares Saili launched her highly anticipated book ‘Our Bilingual Journey’ to an enthusiastic audience of friends, readers, and critics. Written in both Portuguese and English, the book reflects Juliana’s own roots and her family’s lived experience of speaking two languages under one roof. She wrote the book during her sabbatical year, originally in Portuguese before translating it herself into English.
Juliana, an ESOL teacher at Slough and Langley College, has called Slough home for over 20 years. Her family, including her daughter, are fully bilingual, despite her daughter being born and raised in England.
‘Our Bilingual Journey’ explores four central themes: teaching, family, navigating two distinct cultures, and the evolving role of AI in the publishing process. Without access to an editor or illustrator, Juliana turned to AI – specifically ChatGPT – to help proofread and refine her work. She was keen to clarify that she sees AI as a “tool rather than a replacement,” highlighting its potential to empower teachers, support creativity, and improve accessibility in education.
The atmosphere of the book launch was one of joy, celebration, and cultural pride. Copies of Juliana’s book were beautifully displayed around the room, accompanied by a vast selection of food representing both Brazilian and Punjabi heritage- including samosas, spring rolls, coxinha, and her daughter’s famous brigadeiro. The blend of cultures created a welcoming space that reflected Juliana’s story.
Throughout the evening, Juliana spoke of bilingualism with a poetic tone, describing her family’s two languages as “two windows to view the same landscape”. She emphasised that language barriers should not be seen as hurdles but as bridges that connect families. She made it clear that her book is grounded in real experiences, referring to it affectionately as her “sabbatical baby”.
A lively Q&A session followed, during which several themes were highlighted. It was emphasised that bilingualism is not about perfection; every family’s journey is unique, shaped by love, identity, and community. Something which was clearly visible when speaking to her daughter, who passionately discussed cognitive and social advantages of bilingualism, including improved focus, enhanced multitasking, increased creativity, and greater confidence when travelling.
It was particularly moving to hear the list of people Juliana chose to thank, expressing gratitude to her family, friends, and colleagues for their continued support and enthusiasm during the writing and publishing process. Juliana also expressed her hope that her book would be accessible and easy to follow for readers from all backgrounds, whether they are teachers, parents, or simply curious about bilingualism.
The book launch was a truly unique celebration, a blend of Brazilian and Punjabi culture, and meaningful insight into the beauty of bilingual life that many of us in Slough can relate to. Juliana’s book is clearly a deeply personal piece of work, and the launch reflected the same warmth, honesty, and cultural richness that fill its pages!
