Prism Linguistics provides professional Kanjobal (Q'anjob'al) interpreters and certified translation across Canada. Q'anjob'al is a Mayan language of the Huehuetenango highlands of Guatemala. Because Guatemala issues civil records in Spanish, document work runs from Spanish while the Q'anjob'al need is usually the interpreting, for Immigration and Refugee Board hearings, IRCC matters and medical appointments nationwide.
Interpreting is the heart of a Q'anjob'al matter and can decide an asylum file, because an interview run in Spanish rather than in the client's preferred language may misrepresent the account, so we confirm the language and the hearing's requirements before assigning. We arrange interpreters for Immigration and Refugee Board protection hearings, IRCC interviews, legal aid, and hospital and school meetings, on site where a speaker is near and by telephone or video anywhere in the country.
Q'anjob'al sits among closely related highland Mayan languages, so a person booked as Q'anjob'al may in fact speak Akateko, Chuj or Popti (Jakalteko) from a neighbouring municipality. Tell us the speaker's home town so we place the right Mayan language rather than assume Q'anjob'al, and we assign the Q'anjob'al interpreter on that basis rather than assuming Spanish will do.
Common settings include legal and court interpreting, medical and hospital interpreting, IRCC and Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) interviews, and police and enforcement work. See all on-site interpreting options or start a free quote.
Q'anjob'al is written in the Latin alphabet using the standardised Mayan orthography, but civil records are not issued in it. Guatemala registers births, marriages and deaths in Spanish and issues RENAP identity papers in Spanish, so a family's certificates are translated from Spanish into English rather than from Q'anjob'al.
Where a rural birth was registered late, or a name was recorded inconsistently between its Mayan and Spanish forms, a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths can accompany the Spanish-to-English translation to explain how a name or date was established. Output comes from a certified translator, and we keep names consistent with the passport. Acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution, such as IRCC or the Immigration and Refugee Board.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Kanjobal translation, our full Kanjobal translation services, or general document translation. Every translation moves through our TEP workflow — translation, editing and proofreading by separate linguists — with free revisions.
An interpreter attends in person for hearings, medical appointments and meetings. On-site interpreting
Same-day, often within minutes, for calls, intake and urgent situations. Phone interpreting
Telehealth, remote hearings and sign language, anywhere in Canada. Video interpreting
Simultaneous interpreting for events and multilingual meetings. Conference interpreting
Legal consultations, settlement services and private appointments. Private interpreting
ASL and LSQ interpreting for accessible appointments and events. Sign language
We arrange Kanjobal interpreters in cities across every province and territory — on site in the major centres and by telephone or video everywhere else:
Need documents translated locally? We provide certified Kanjobal translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Kanjobal (Q'anjob'al) is a Mayan language spoken by around 100,000 people in the Cuchumatanes mountains of northwestern Guatemala - Huehuetenango department in particular. Guatemala issues civil records in Spanish, so Kanjobal document work is typically refugee-protection and family-court paperwork translated from Spanish, alongside healthcare and school documents, with Q'anjob'al interpreting served through our national interpreter network.
Guatemala issues civil records in Spanish, so we translate them from Spanish into English. The Q'anjob'al part of a file is usually the interpreting.
Yes. A Q'anjob'al interpreter is assigned so the hearing runs in the language the speaker actually uses, not one assumed on their behalf.
They are related highland Mayan languages but distinct. Tell us the speaker's home town and we match the right language across Canada.
On site where a speaker is near, and otherwise by telephone or video, which lets us reach a matched Q'anjob'al interpreter anywhere in the country.
Tell us the language, the setting and the date through our quote form or by phone. We return a written quote with the exact price and turnaround, usually within 60 minutes during business hours, before you commit.
Tell us the setting, the city and the date, and we will confirm a qualified Kanjobal interpreter and a firm price.