Language Options: Language Interpretation

A Host can designate interpreters to provide their own audio channels to translate to a different language. Attendees can select the audio channel to hear the translated audio in their language of choice, as well as the option to mute the original audio instead of hearing their chosen language at a lower volume.   

Up to 20 interpreters can be designated with different languages choices. English, Chinese, Japanese, German, French, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, and other custom languages can be added.  

Cloud recordings of interpretation sessions will record the original audio of the meeting or webinar, as well as the translations. Local recordings of interpretation sessions will record any audio the person recording can hear, but not multiple audio channels.

Requires Zoom Windows/macOS desktop client and Zoom Android/iOS mobile app of 5.9.6 or higher.

The Host must be signed into the Zoom desktop client (app) for Language Interpretation to launch when the meeting starts.

Limitations:

• Cannot be used with a Personal Meeting ID (PMI) or an instant meeting.
• Not available in Breakout Rooms, only available in the main room.
• The host cannot initiate or manage Language Interpretation when using the Zoom mobile app.
• When screen sharing with computer audio, the shared audio will be broadcast at 100%.                   It's best to avoid sharing audio while language interpretation is active.

Enable the Language Interpretation Setting

 Sign in to your Zoom account.

1. Click Settings in the left navigation menu.
2. Click on Meeting tab.
3. Under In Meeting (Advanced), locate and enable the Language Interpretation setting.
   • Option: Enable language interpretation by default to enable Language Interpretation for all scheduled meetings.  
   • Option: Allow participants to speak in listening channel. To prevent participants from speaking to a channel during interpretation, and prevent echo in the listening channel, disable the option. 

Add Language Interpreters When Scheduling

Sign into the Zoom web portal:

1. Click on Meetings.
2. Click Schedule a Meeting.
3. If Personal Meeting ID is enabled, next to Meeting ID, select Generate Automatically. 
4. Next to Interpretation, select the Enable language interpretation check box if not already selected by default.
5. Enter the information for your interpreters.
   Note: The pre-assigned interpreters must be signed into the account associated with the chosen email address. If they are not signed in with that email address when joining the meeting or webinar, they will not be recognized as an interpreter; however, the host can manually assign them to be the interpreter in the meeting. 
6. Click Save (message appears if you have not invited anyone.  Ignore this message and Save anyway if you do not want to send any invitations).
7. To modify the list of interpreters, click Edit.
8. Click Save when you are finished (message appears if you have not invited anyone.  Ignore this message and Save anyway if you do not want to send any invitations).

This process is similar to enabling language interpretation for webinars. In the navigation menu, click Webinars, then click Schedule a Webinar; follow Steps 4-6.

Start Language Interpretation in Meetings or Webinars:

The Host must be signed into the Zoom desktop client; the meeting can be started from the app or the website portal. 

1. Start or join a meeting.
2. Once your meeting has started, click Interpretation in the meeting controls. You can add or remove interpreters from this menu if necessary.
3. Click Start to begin the interpretation sessions. After the host clicks Start, the interpreters will receive a message that they have been assigned a language.

Interpreters and attendees can now click Interpretation in the meeting controls and select a language channel. An interpreter in the channel will hear the original meeting audio which they can translate. Interpreters only have access to the language channel they have been assigned to. Interpreters can adjust the location of the window that provides their interpreter controls, to avoid the window obscuring chat notifications.

Participants in a language channel will hear the translated audio and also the original audio at a lower volume. The original audio volume will return to 100% 8 seconds after an interpreter has stopped speaking.

End Language Interpretation in Meetings or Webinars:

1. Click Interpretation in the meeting controls.
2. Once the Language Interpretation window opens, the host can click End.
3. The host can also click Manage Language Interpretation to make changes to the interpreter settings during a session. 

For complete details including prerequisites for using this feature please view this article on Zoom's knowledge base support site: Enabling Language Interpretation and Using Language Interpretation in your meeting or webinar.