Meet our Lango Teachers!
I am Cristina G. Versteegh, owner and director of LangoKids Irvine. I am a native Spanish speaker from Colombia. I moved to the United States to pursue my Master's degree in English and Literature after having two other degrees: Specialist in Bilingual Education and Bachelor in Modern Languages Teaching. I have been teaching for 10 years, although it feels like a lifetime. My father is a teacher and I grew up seeing who he is as a teacher and what he does day after day with so much dedication and love. I finished my studies in PA and came to live in CA. Here, I enjoy my free time doing fun things with my husband and son. We share our time playing indoors or going on outdoor adventures like hiking, off-roading, traveling, eating local and international food, and watching movies together. When I am on my own, I like exercising, reading, connecting with God, visiting with friends and family, and I have to admit it...thinking about work. I love having the satisfaction of the work well done and want to be able to satisfy the needs of the people I work for at Lango: the kids, parents, and of course the teachers, who are a vital part of our project. The kids are the reason of our existence and I thank you for entrusting them to us. I look forward to meeting you and your kids and share a session full of smiles, games, words in foreign languages, giggles, songs, dancing, and much more.
Carla Barrios. A native of Mexico, Carla's interest for children led her to become a teacher, graduating with honors from Normal Colegio Ensenada, earning a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. Carla has 8 years experience at the kindergarten and preschool levels and served one year as school principal before moving to California with her husband and two children.
"I am creative, dynamic, enthusiastic and positive. I believe this is the best approach to passing my knowledge on to the students. I like to use games, song and dance, and dramatization; these techniques foster self confidence and a natural way of learning."
Ever since her arrival to this country 3 years ago, Carla has dedicated her time to study English in Saddleback College to prepare herself to continue her passion for teaching. And since September 2008 Carla has continued her passion with LangoKids, teaching children Spanish in a fun and natural environment.
Bonjour! My name is Sophia and I teach French at LangoKids. I’m from the South of France (Marseille) and have been living in California for 5 years. I hold a Baccalaureate in French Literature and foreign languages, and also a DEUG (Diplôme d'études Universitaires Générales)in psychology with a specialty in child development from the University of Provence Aix-Marseille. I also have substantial experience working as a teacher’s assistant with elementary school children. My own exposure to different people, cultures and languages from around the world has inspired me to want to share my own language and culture! Teaching diversity to children through new languages and cultures gives them a leg up in their academic and personal lives. I am very patient and enthusiastic about working with young children in a serious but enjoyable environment such as LangoKids. I am a passionate and talented teacher who loves teaching kids through fun and new activities in each of my lessons, so don’t hesitate to join us in this unique linguistic experience.
Ni hao!!! I’m Qinmei Zhao (Miss May), Master of Linguistics, and a native Chinese speaker from China. I hold a certificate of Mandarin Proficiency (Level A), which is a proof of standard pronunciation and tones. It is China’s official requirements to work as a radio announcer in province level stations. In the past five years, I have had teaching experience with kids in China’s biggest private school New Oriental Education & Techno (NYSE: EDU), and also experience with smart and hardworking engineers in Cisco China R&D Center (NASDAQ: CSCO). I love teaching my language to children and seeing how they absorb the language effortlessly. I have always been amazed at how we as adults struggle learning a language while kids acquire it naturally. That’s what Lango is all about: offer excellent instruction in foreign language acquisition for children in an intensive and fun immersion environment. Kids learn better if they like the environment they are in and if the teaching is welcoming and appealing. The Lango method is highly effective and we make learning fun and inviting. I love teaching kids and seeing them grow and develop their language skills with my help. I celebrate your desire to raise a bilingual child as I believe it is one of the best gifts and skills a parent can give a child. I have a daughter and I believe she will become a bilingual (maybe a trilingual) and excel in everything she does. See you at Lango!
Hello, I am Emily Doo and I am excited to be teaching at Lango! I am currently a fourth-year student at UCLA, studying Psychology and Education. I have interned and been a teacher's assistant at schools in LAUSD, worked with children in a research lab at UCLA, privately tutored for several years, and led youth groups at church. I have worked with children in many different settings throughout my life and am comfortable teaching all ages. I was born here in the United States and grew up speaking Mandarin and immersed in Chinese culture. I can speak, write, and read Mandarin Chinese fluently. I have taught Mandarin Chinese at Lango Summer Camp for two years and have enjoyed seeing my students improve week to week and throughout the entire program. I love working with kids and teaching them a language that I love. I emphasize learning through educational games and songs because I believe that children learn best through interactive activities. I bring enthusiasm, energy, fun, and creativity to the classroom. I look forward to learning with your child!
