Prism Linguistics arranges Temne interpreters and certified translation across Canada, for refugee and immigration hearings, healthcare and civil matters. Temne is a Mel language of Sierra Leone and, with Mende, one of the country's two largest languages, spoken mainly in the northern and western areas. Because Sierra Leone issues civil records in English, the Temne element of a file is usually the interpreting, and it is often arranged by telephone or video.
We arrange Temne interpreters for Immigration and Refugee Board refugee protection hearings, IRCC interviews, legal aid, and hospital and clinic appointments under PHIPA and PIPEDA. Krio is Sierra Leone's lingua franca and English the language of its records, but neither substitutes for Temne, so we check the speaker's preferred language and interpreting needs at booking and assign a Temne interpreter rather than a Krio one.
Interpreters attend on site in the larger centres and join by telephone or video anywhere in Canada. Remote sessions are common and let us reach a Temne interpreter wherever an appointment falls.
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.
A birth, marriage or death certificate from Sierra Leone normally arrives in English, so document translation runs the other way for most Temne files. Many records were affected by the civil-war years, so a birth may have been registered late or a certificate reconstructed, and a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths can set out how a name or date was established.
We keep name spellings consistent with the passport, and where a genuine Temne-language text exists we translate it into English. A translation is issued by a certified translator or supported by that affidavit, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution such as IRCC, the IRB or a provincial registry.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Temne translation, our full Temne 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 Temne 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 Temne translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Temne is a Mel language spoken by around 1.5 million people primarily in northern Sierra Leone. It's one of Sierra Leone's two largest indigenous languages alongside Mende. Temne speakers in Canada are found in Toronto and other large cities. Our Temne translation work is typically IRB and IRCC paperwork, and Sierra Leonean records affected by the 1991-2002 civil war may have been registered late or reconstructed.
Often not for the certificate itself, since records are issued in English, and the Temne part is usually the interpreting. A sworn affidavit can support a late or reconstructed record. Acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
No. Krio is the English-based lingua franca of Sierra Leone, while Temne is a distinct language. Tell us Temne is needed and we match accordingly.
Yes. We arrange Temne interpreters for IRB hearings and IRCC interviews, on site in the larger centres or by telephone and video across Canada.
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 Temne interpreter and a firm price.