Chadian Arabic interpreting and translation

Chadian Arabic interpreting by speakers who know the Sahel

Interpreters from the Middle East or North Africa rarely understand Chadian Arabic well. We work with interpreters from Chad or the Lake Chad region, or Sudanese interpreters with proven Chadian Arabic experience, and where the person is more fluent in another Chadian language, or in French, we can arrange that instead.

Face-to-face interpreting supports asylum interviews, tribunal hearings, legal advice, health appointments and refugee support sessions. Our phone service never closes, and a video call on the SILA Linguists® app or the client's platform connects people with a well-matched interpreter wherever both happen to be. Female or male interpreters can be requested, which many clients appreciate in health and family matters.

Translation, scripts and Chadian documents

Chadian Arabic is mostly spoken. Official documents from Chad are in French or Modern Standard Arabic, and we provide certified translations of birth certificates, identity papers, diplomas and court documents from either language, certifying each one with a signed declaration of accuracy, accepted by the Home Office, courts and other UK authorities alike.

When Chadian Arabic is written, it appears in Arabic script and, in some literacy, education and church materials, in Latin script. For community health messages and humanitarian information we agree the script and spelling with you at the start, and often recommend recorded audio for audiences with limited literacy.

Transcription and LADO for Chadian Arabic

Recorded interviews, voice messages and programme feedback are written out with timings, put into English, and any French or other languages labelled. In asylum claims where nationality or region is disputed, SILA Linguists® can arrange a LADO report, which can help tell apart Chadian, Sudanese and Nigerian backgrounds. Our transcribers also note words borrowed from local African languages, which can be relevant to that analysis.

Sectors we support in Chadian Arabic

Our vetted, trained and qualified Chadian Arabic linguists can support asylum and immigration services, humanitarian and refugee programmes, NHS and community health teams, and organisations producing community information. Requests go through one coordinating team. Our Chadian Arabic linguists sign non-disclosure agreements, and data is held under UK GDPR.