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Chinni Mancilla, Owner & Program Director
¡Hola! Salut! Nǐ Hǎo! My name is Chinni, and I have proudly owned The Language Labs for the past seven years. I was born in California but raised in Venezuela. With a Spanish father and a Venezuelan mother, Spanish was always the heart of our home—but my parents instilled in me something even deeper: the value of learning other languages and embracing different cultures. Because we moved and traveled often, I gravitated toward a career that let me use my language skills while continuing to explore the world. I became a flight attendant and happily flew across the globe for nearly a decade. One of the most enriching chapters of my journey was living in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, where I became fluent in French. Today, I’m also a Certified Medical and Educational Interpreter and run an interpreting agency—all proudly operating under The Language Labs umbrella. Over the years, I’ve expanded The Language Labs beyond traditional classes. We now provide Bilingual StoryTimes at libraries throughout the Chicago area—introducing little ones to language through music, movement, and joy. And most recently, we opened our beautiful new center in downtown Hinsdale, where we offer vibrant, high-quality language classes for learners of all ages in Spanish, French, Chinese, and more. At The Language Labs, we bring that same sense of adventure, joy, and cultural curiosity into every classroom. Spanish is such a vibrant, joyful language—and that’s exactly how we teach it. Whether we’re dancing to salsa, singing Spanish songs, or having students present their favorite hobbies in Spanish, we make learning immersive, meaningful, and fun. Above all, conversation skills are our top priority. There's truly nothing more rewarding than seeing the joy on a student’s face when they master new vocabulary or confidently speak a complete phrase in Spanish. ¡Gracias! Merci! Xiè Xiè! Maestra Chinni ; ) |
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Alma Ascencio, TLL Principal Consultant
¡Hola Familias! My name is Alma Ascencio, and I was born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, where I graduated with a degree in Social Work. In 1988, I moved to Chicago, and later, in 1996, I got married. The following year, my husband and I welcomed our son, whom we have proudly raised bilingual. I firmly believe that being bilingual opens a world of opportunities and enriches the mind. A few years after becoming a mother, I discovered my true passion—working with children. Since 2000, I have been dedicated to teaching Spanish in a variety of educational settings. My journey has taken me to teach in public, private, Catholic, and Montessori schools. I am deeply proud of my heritage, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to share my language, customs, and culture with your children. I hope to see your children in my classroom! ¡Muchas Gracias! Señora Alma |
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Laura Gutierrez, TLL Spanish Teacher
¡Hola! My name is Laura Gutierrez, I was born and raised in Mexico City and received my Business Administration degree from the University of Valle de Mexico. My husband is a sugar trader and his company transferred us to the United States 14 years ago and since then, Naperville has been our home. I am very passionate about my culture, language, and traditions. For this reason, I am so excited to share my native language with your children and be a part of their bilingual development. Through games, songs and videos I hope to provide your children a learning experience that will enhance their Spanish knowledge and I will strive to offer fun but educational classes each lesson. ¡Gracias! Maestra Laura |
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Veronica Juarez, TLL Spanish Teacher ¡Hola amigos! I was born and raised in Mexico, and I earned my degree in Business Administration from the University of San Luis Potosí. In 2006, my husband received a job opportunity that brought our family to the United States. For the past 12 years, I’ve had the joy of teaching Spanish at various child care centers, and I also work as a Spanish tutor. I love being active in my community and regularly participate in events at my church, school district, and other local gatherings with my family. I’m a proud mother of two daughters who graduated from the University of Iowa, and a son who is currently in college. It is truly a pleasure to share my Hispanic-Mexican culture in every class and with each of your students. ¡Muchas gracias! Maestra Veronica |
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María José Mendez, TLL Spanish Teacher
¡Hola familias! My name is María José Mendez and I have the pleasure of introducing myself. I want to start by sharing a little about myself. I am originally from Venezuela and my native language is Spanish. Two years ago I had the opportunity to move to this beautiful country and since then I have been working as a Spanish teacher. I feel very lucky to be able to share my passion for the Hispanic language and culture with your children. In addition to my experience as a teacher, I am a Venezuelan doctor and I am also a proud wife and mother of two beautiful children. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and we also have two adorable dogs that fill us with joy. My focus in the classroom is to create a positive and motivating learning environment, where your children feel comfortable and safe expressing themselves in Spanish. My goal is to foster a love for the language and help them develop their language skills in a fun and effective way. I appreciate your trust in allowing me to be part of your children's education. I am sure that together we will make great progress in their learning of Spanish. Saludos cordiales! Señora María José |
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Alejandra Osorio, TLL Curriculum Developer & Consultant
¡Hola amigos! I’m very happy and proud to be part of The Language Labs Family! This is my eleventh year as an educator in the United States, and my twentyth year teaching foreign languages. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching French in 2003 from the University of the State of Morelos in my home country, Mexico. Since 2019, I have also been the author and creator of both Spanish and French language books, a project that reflects my deep love for teaching and language. What I enjoy most about teaching is that it’s a two-way street—I bring patience and passion to the classroom, and in return, I learn from my students every single day. I am fully committed to creating an inclusive and supportive classroom environment where students feel confident expressing themselves while building their language skills through games, fun, and creativity. I can’t wait to see all the happy faces and begin another exciting journey of language learning together! ¡Hasta Pronto! Señora Alejandra |
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Ivelisse Rodriguez, TLL Spanish Teacher
¡Hola Familias! I am originally from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico and hold a Bachelor’s Degree in English Secondary Education from Antillean Adventist University. My teaching journey has included roles as an ESL teacher for elementary and middle school students in School District 100 (South Berwyn), as well as a Spanish and preschool teacher at Downers Grove Christian School. In addition to my classroom experience, I am a trained interpreter with over 13 years of experience in both educational and medical settings. I’m truly excited to share the wonderful Spanish language with children and to create a classroom environment that is both educational and fun. I look forward to a joyful and successful school year ahead! ¡Hasta pronto! Maestra Ivelisse |
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Yoliver Rodríguez, TLL Spanish Teacher ¡Hola Familias! I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, where I completed my studies as a phoniatric doctor, specializing in language pathologies, hearing, learning, and all aspects of human communication. It was during my academic journey that I discovered my true passion—helping children reach their full potential. I believe that through games and engaging learning activities, children unlock an infinite world of opportunities that will become one of their greatest strengths in the future. I absolutely love teaching my native language, and witnessing children embrace it as their second language brings me indescribable joy. My personal mission is to fill each lesson with laughter and learning, while helping children see that being bilingual is their superpower. ¡Hola Familias! Mi nombre es Yoliver Rodríguez. Nací y me crié en Caracas, Venezuela, donde completé mis estudios como médico foniatra, especializada en patologías del lenguaje, audición, aprendizaje y todo lo relacionado con la comunicación humana. Fue durante mis años de estudio que descubrí mi verdadera pasión: ayudar a los niños a desarrollar al máximo sus habilidades. Me encanta enseñarles que, a través de juegos y actividades de aprendizaje divertidas, se les abre un mundo infinito de oportunidades que podrán aprovechar en el futuro y que se convertirán en una de sus mayores fortalezas. Me llena de alegría poder enseñar mi lengua materna y ver cómo los niños la adoptan como su segundo idioma. Mi objetivo personal es llenar sus días de risa y aprendizaje, y mostrarles que ser bilingües será su superpoder. ¡Nos vemos pronto! Maestra Yoliver |
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Peggy Laparra, TLL French Teacher
Bonjour! My name is Peggy, and I’m originally from Normandy, France. As a native French speaker, I hold a French as a Second Language Certificate, an internationally recognized diploma for teaching French as a foreign language. I also earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. I lived in Paris for 14 years, where I worked as a Training Development Manager before relocating to the United States in 2012. Since then, I’ve been living in Naperville with my family. In the Naperville area, I’ve been actively involved in teaching French—working as both a French teacher and Head of Curriculum at a French school for native-speaking students. I began teaching with The Language Labs in 2019, leading multiple French classes in elementary schools, offering tutoring, and hosting bilingual story times. I absolutely love teaching my native language. It fills me with pride to see my students make steady progress and begin communicating confidently in French. I enjoy sharing French culture through stories and songs from my childhood, and I love being creative with craft projects that my students find fun and engaging. À bientôt! See you soon! |
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Sonia Mani - TLL Operations Manager
Hi! My name is Sonia, and I’m so excited to be joining The Language Labs Administrative Team! I graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Operations Management and Information Systems. Early in my career, I spent a few years consulting at Accenture, applying my IT skills within the Products Department, working with clients such as Pfizer, UPS, and Best Buy. After stepping away from the corporate world to raise my two wonderful children—now 18 and 15—and welcoming the most loyal pup in the world, Luna 🐶, I launched my own portrait photography business, House of Sonia Photography. Through that journey, I’ve continued to explore various artistic disciplines, integrating my passion for fine art into my work. Today, I’m thrilled to bring my creativity and marketing mindset to The Language Labs. I love developing new ideas and managing digital content to help promote language learning, strengthen our brand, and foster meaningful relationships with our families and communities. I’m proud to contribute my skills toward supporting The Language Labs’ mission—and I look forward to being part of the exciting journey of inspiring a love of languages! |
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Introducing your child to another language isn’t just about words — it’s about opening their heart and mind to a bigger world.
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