The globalization of business and the ever-growing internationalization of education have created a need for live, multilingual virtual events. Whether you are hosting a live zoom meeting, webinar, or conference for your business, video remote interpretation (VRI) can make your event more effective and engaging for all participants.
Video Remote Interpretation is live interpretation via video conferencing platforms such as Zoom. It is a live, remote simultaneous interpretation of one language into another.
If you are looking to make your next multilingual virtual event successful, follow the best practices listed below.
Use Live Zoom Interpretation
Zoom interpretation feature allows for live interpretations in up to 25 custom languages in a meeting. This live interpretation feature can be used for Zoom Meetings, Webinars, and Group Chat. It is important to note that live interpretation is only available on the Pro, Business, Education, and Enterprise plans.
To use live interpretation on Zoom, go to Settings > In Meeting (Advanced). Then, scroll down to the “Interpretation” section and select “Enable live interpretation.”
From here, you can add languages and assign interpreters. You can also choose how interpretation will work in your meeting: original audio or live video. We recommend live video so that participants can see the interpreter as they interpret.
You can add interpreters once the meeting has begun or while setting up a meeting. We recommend the latter to avoid hassle after the meeting has begun.
Get Clear on the Logistics of the Meeting
Plan your Zoom multilingual meetings/events well in advance to ensure all the logistics are taken care of, and there are no last-minute hiccups.
- What is the agenda of the meeting?
- Who is speaking and in what language?
- When will interpretation be needed?
- How many attendees are expected, and what languages do they speak?
Answering these questions ahead of time will help you determine the logistics of your meeting and ensure that everything is covered.
It is also important to consider how long each interpretation will need to be. For example, if you are hosting a live panel discussion, you will need to factor in time for interpretation between each panellist.
Make sure you have a good internet connection and enough bandwidth to accommodate all your attendees. Live interpretation can be resource intensive, so you’ll want to ensure your event runs smoothly.
Understand and Inform the Participants of Technicalities Beforehand
From setting up the live Zoom interpretation to your participants using it, there are a lot of technicalities to keep in mind. Make sure everyone understands how to make the best of the meeting by informing participants of:
- How live interpretation will work during the meeting
- What they need to do to enable live interpretation
- How to change the language of interpretation during the meeting?
- What to do if they experience any technical difficulties
You can avoid any issues or confusion during the meeting by informing your participants of these technicalities. Send them an email with instructions and videos before the meeting so they are prepared and know what to expect.
And even before this, you, as the host of the meeting, should have a working knowledge of Zoom and its live interpretation feature. This way, you can be prepared to answer questions that come up and help participants with any technical difficulties.
This guide on using language interpretation can come in very handy here.
Test, Test, Test!
Before your live event, it is essential to test the live interpretation feature. Create a zoom test meeting to check and ensure that everything runs smoothly during the meeting and avoid any technical issues.
Here are some things you should test:
- The live interpretation feature in your Zoom account with a small group of participants.
- How long will each interpretation take?
- The sound quality of the interpretation.
- The pace of the presentation.
By testing everything out beforehand, you can avoid major issues on the day of the event and be prepared for potential problems.
Work with a Reputable Remote Interpretation Provider
Imagine going through all the efforts to set up a multilingual virtual event only to suffer from poor translation! When it comes to live interpretation, quality is key. So it is crucial to work with a reputable remote interpretation provider.
Look for a language service provider who has experience in providing live interpretation for Zoom events/meetings/webinars and can offer you quality service. A good interpretation provider will have a team of professional zoom interpreters who are native speakers of the languages you need. They will also have experience interpreting in a variety of settings and industries.
Tip: Clarify everything from data security to pricing before you commit to working with a language service provider.
You can use Translate by Human’s live Zoom Translation Services that offer live interpretations in over 180+ languages, ISO 17100:2015, and GDPR Complaint. Our security protocols ensure that your data is handled with utmost vigilance. We have a team of experienced interpreters who can provide quality interpretations for all your live events.
Take Care of the Visual Elements too
If your live event has visual elements such as PowerPoint presentations or videos, make sure they are properly captioned in not just English but all the languages interpretation is being done into. This way, everyone can follow along, regardless of if they are using zoom’s live interpretation.
If your virtual event has an audience of more than a handful of languages, then avoid any language on the visual elements, if possible, to ensure everyone can understand.
Provide any written materials in advance, so participants can follow along and have them for reference later.
Plan for Technical Difficulties
Despite all your preparation, there is always a chance that something can go wrong during the meeting. That’s why it’s important to have a plan for technical difficulties like lack of stable internet connection, hardware/software issues on the hosting side and the chance of Zoom being down (we suggest you have another platform picked, just in case).
Designate someone to be in charge of troubleshooting any technical issues that may come up. This person should have expert knowledge of the platform used for the live event, and the live interpretation feature and be available during the meeting to help participants.
It’s also a good idea to have a backup plan if live interpretation doesn’t work out. This could be recording the meeting and providing interpretation later or live interpretation over the phone.
Conclusion
A lot could be at stake for your business when you plan a multilingual virtual event or video conference. That’s why it’s important to be prepared and work with a reputable live interpretation provider. Translate by Humans has your back here. We provide dedicated project managers who will work with you from ideation to execution of your live events. Our linguists are certified native speakers and have 5+ years of experience. So, you don’t have to worry about the translation part of your live events!
By following the tips in this guide, you can set your business up for success and make sure your live event goes smoothly.
