During this time of remote learning, colleges should make the most of the many capabilities provided by digital tools in order to make the online experience equitable for all students. English-only classes may be a barrier to learning for students who are simultaneously studying English. These students may feel as if they do not belong in the class. The Zoom language interpreter technology can help to provide an inclusive learning environment to all community college students in California. One of the most essential features that supports this effort is the ability to offer live language interpretation. To do this, the host of the meeting needs to identify and invite a live language interpreter to the meeting.
We are currently working with the Accessibility Center on hosting a service that will provide on-demand transcription in English and other languages, but at this time selecting the interpreter(s) and payment for interpreter(s) services is the responsibility of the college (individual districts/colleges may have funding of their own). Please contact your college administration about approved interpreters and possible funding for this service.
Please note: the automated live transcription service hasn’t changed, it is available in English at no cost.
To enable Language Interpretation for your own use:
- Sign into the Zoom web portal.
- In the navigation panel, click Settings.
- Click the Meeting tab.
- Under In Meeting (Advanced), click the Language Interpretation toggle to enable or disable it.
- If a verification dialog displays, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
- Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the group or account level and you’ll need to contact your Zoom admin.
Once activated, users who schedule a meeting can choose to use interpretation (this feature can’t be used in instant meetings or with a Personal Meeting ID, so choose the option to Generate ID Automatically when setting up the meeting.)
Once enabled, participants in the class or meeting can select the language channel of their choice. Your live interpreter(s) will translate the meeting audio and participants will hear the translation at 80% volume, with the original speaker at 20% so they can still hear tone and intonation for greater understanding.
To learn more about how to use Zoom Language Interpretation and the supported languages click here.
For questions or additional support, please email support@CCCTechConnect.org.
