Maká interpreting and translation

Maká interpreting, close to Asunción

Because of their urban setting, many Maká adults handle routine conversations in Spanish or Paraguayan Guarani. For health, family or legal matters, however, Maká may be the language in which a person can explain themselves fully, so we ask the client's preference rather than deciding for them.

Relay through Spanish is the usual approach: a Maká interpreter works into Spanish, and a second interpreter into English, with careful checks that nothing is lost between the stages. Since the main community is close to Asunción, video interpreting with a Paraguay-based linguist is often straightforward to arrange, through the SILA Linguists® app or a platform you prefer. Telephone sessions are available whenever required, and identity or legal appointments are interpreted consecutively, with a female or male interpreter on request.

Maká translation and certified translation

Maká is written in the Latin alphabet, with materials developed for schools and by linguists. Literacy in Maká varies, so for health notices, school letters or consent forms we can advise on combining a short Maká text with an audio recording or spoken explanation, and we translate English or Spanish source material accordingly.

Identity cards, birth certificates and other official records in Paraguay are issued in Spanish. Our certified English translations of them include a signed accuracy statement, accepted by UK authorities such as courts, the Home Office and educational institutions, and by employers.

Transcription for cultural and craft projects

The Maká are known in Paraguay for their crafts and textiles, sold in Asunción, and cultural organisations, fair-trade partners and museums sometimes record makers talking about their work. We transcribe such interviews, with time codes and an English or Spanish version, and can subtitle short films, helping the community present its craft in its own words. Research recordings and community meetings are handled the same way, with each language labelled.

Settings for our linguists in Maká

Our vetted, trained and qualified Maká linguists can support health services, schools and education programmes, legal and identity advisers, cultural and craft projects, and researchers. SILA Linguists® gives every request one coordinator, and all linguists sign confidentiality agreements and follow UK GDPR, important in a close community where many families know one another.