Tzeltal interpreting and translation

Tzeltal interpreters matched to the variant

Tzeltal has four main variants, western, northern, eastern and southern. Neighbouring varieties are mutually intelligible, but vocabulary and pronunciation vary, so tell us where the client is from, for example Oxchuc, Tenejapa or Bachajón. Tzotzil speakers understand some Tzeltal, but not reliably enough for legal or medical matters, so we never send a Tzotzil interpreter to a Tzeltal client to save time.

Spanish proficiency varies, and many women and older people in rural communities speak little Spanish, so a female Tzeltal interpreter is often the right choice for maternity and family health appointments. Migration from Chiapas to northern Mexico and the United States has grown in recent decades, and Tzeltal interpreting is increasingly needed abroad. Tzeltal interpreters connect over video, in the SILA Linguists® app or your own software, or by phone at any time, with Spanish relay where needed. In court and at the police station they work consecutively, one exchange at a time.

Tzeltal translation and certified translation

Written Tzeltal marks glottalised consonants with apostrophes, as in bats'il k'op, and older publications write tz where newer standards prefer ts. Before translating health information, school materials or development documents, we settle the variant and the spelling with you.

Records from Chiapas are issued in Spanish, and our English translations of them come certified and signed, accepted by UK authorities such as courts, immigration officials and universities, and by employers. For use with American immigration authorities, Chiapas records are delivered with the certificate of accuracy those officers expect.

Transcription for assemblies, research and evidence

Many Tzeltal communities have strong traditions of community assemblies and bilingual schooling, and recordings of meetings, interviews and lessons are common. We transcribe all of these with time codes and a parallel English text, noting the variant and checking place names in Ocosingo, Chilón or Tenejapa, and we handle evidential recordings for legal teams with the same care. If an asylum decision depends on origin, LADO analysis can be obtained.

Sectors we support in Tzeltal

Our vetted, trained and qualified Tzeltal linguists can support hospitals and maternity services, courts, police and solicitors, immigration services, schools and community development organisations. SILA Linguists® gives each project a single coordinator, and Tzeltal linguists sign NDAs and follow UK GDPR in all their work. Tzeltal interpreters can join US immigration proceedings, appointments with counsel and hospital visits, as well as UK legal and health settings.