Prism Linguistics arranges Xiang interpreters and certified Chinese-to-English translation across Canada, for immigration, medical and legal appointments. Xiang, often called Hunanese, is a Sinitic language of Hunan province with no separate everyday script, so document work runs through standard written Chinese while the spoken language matters for interpreters. Xiang speakers form part of the wider Chinese community, whose largest centres in Canada are in the Toronto and Vancouver areas.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
Xiang matters in the spoken setting, because it is not mutually intelligible with standard Mandarin. Younger speakers generally also use Mandarin, but an older speaker from Hunan may be markedly more at ease in Xiang, so for a medical appointment or a hearing we ask rather than assume Mandarin will do. Prism is a private agency, not a court-appointed body, and we confirm what a court requires beforehand.
Xiang divides into New Xiang, closer to Mandarin, and the more conservative Old Xiang, so we note the speaker's home area at intake. Interpreters attend IRCC interviews, hospital and clinic appointments handled under PHIPA and PIPEDA, and court or tribunal hearings, in person in the larger centres or by telephone and video, subject to a smaller pool of speakers.
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.
Certified Xiang translation is really Chinese translation, because documents from China are issued in standard written Chinese rather than in a separate Xiang script. A birth, marriage or death certificate, a household register known as the hukou, or a notarial certificate is translated from the standard Chinese on the page, with names matched to the passport in Pinyin and any romanisation the family uses.
Chinese notarial certificates commonly bind the original with a certified statement, and we carry that structure across so the set stays intact. Each translation is issued by a certified translator or supported by a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Xiang translation, our full Xiang 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 Xiang 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 Xiang translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Xiang is a Chinese language spoken by around 38 million people in Hunan province in south-central China -- Mao Zedong's home region. It's a distinct branch of Chinese, not mutually intelligible with Mandarin in spoken form. The Xiang-speaking community in Canada is small, absorbed into the broader Mandarin-speaking Chinese-Canadian population. Our Xiang translation work is rare -- civil documents are in written Mandarin Chinese, with Xiang being the spoken language used in interpreting work.
Written records from China are in standard written Chinese, not a separate Xiang script, so we translate from that. Xiang is the spoken language, which matters when we arrange an interpreter.
Not reliably for an older speaker, since Xiang is not mutually intelligible with Mandarin. Younger speakers often use Mandarin too, so we confirm the preference at intake.
Yes. New Xiang is closer to Mandarin and Old Xiang more conservative, so we note the speaker's home area so an interpreter fits.
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 Xiang interpreter and a firm price.