CHICLE Language Institute

Specialties

We pride ourselves on providing the language resources required for any situation — whether it’s interpretation or translation in a business context, language classes for travelers or professionals, or conversation practice in a casual, comfortable atmosphere, CHICLE does its best to fulfill any request. We are always seeking out more languages to offer, and are happy to take on a challenge!

History

Established in 1999.

An unprecedented flood of Latino immigrants into Chapel Hill and Carrboro in the 1990s created something of a crisis for public health workers, city workers, law enforcement, the judicial system, employers, retailers and others.

Many people found themselves at a loss for words — Spanish words.

Six community-​minded women from varied backgrounds but with a common interest in Spanish took notice. In a community with broad global interests, there was no independent language and cultural center to meet the area’s needs.

They launched CHICLE, the Chapel Hill Institute for Cultural and Language Education. They started small, teaching Spanish only, with the goal of growing to meet the needs of the community as they arose. Since then, CHICLE has grown beyond their imagining, supporting a wide range of languages and services in a more and more global neighborhood.

Meet the Business Owner

Perla S.

Business Owner

Perla is from Mexico City where she taught both English and Spanish. She has taught at CHICLE since we opened in 1999 and, with Craig Snyder, developed our in-​house Spanish language curriculum. Perla also translates, manages translations, and develops our intensive and profession-​specific materials. She became the co-​owner of CHICLE in 2014, and is excited to continue working with our students to make the school an even more vibrant and multicultural place.