However, with AI tools like meeting assistants , the process has become much simpler and more efficient.
This guide will show you how to get translations for Zoom meetings in the most efficient way possible.
Why Translation on Zoom is Important for Remote Work
A study conducted by Owl Labs found that 70% of employees wanted to maintain a remote or hybrid working arrangement even after the COVID-19 pandemic. This shows the increasing preference for these models. Further, with organizations continuing to hire remote employees from around the globe, there is bound to be greater diversity in the workplace regarding linguistic backgrounds.
Such diversity calls for high-quality, AI-powered tools for transcription and translation during team meetings to ensure that every team member can understand the discussion down to the last detail and gather key insights. It also ensures that employees do not lose focus mid-meeting if they do not understand something.
Thus, using AI tools for translating to other languages can make meetings much more efficient by minimizing interruptions and questions that might arise when someone struggles to understand the language spoken. These tools provide high accuracy and cover more languages, unlike traditional methods, which have a higher potential for mistakes and limited language capabilities. This greater efficiency can further help organizations maximize their ROI from their meetings in the long run.
However, according to the State of Inclusion in Meetings & Events report, 40% of the surveyed participants stated that they did not have the right resources to plan inclusive meetings. AI-driven translation and transcription tools can significantly help bridge this gap among remote teams.
Built-In Translation and Interpretation Features on Zoom
Like many major video conferencing platforms, Zoom offers its own built-in live translation, and interpretation features that make global collaboration seamless. So, for example, if a speaker is speaking in English, others can video the captions live in German or Italian, among several other languages.
While the host typically selects the languages to which the captions can be translated, the other members can self-enable captions should they need them. However, you must keep in mind that real-time translation for captions is only available on Zoom Workplace Business Plus or Zoom Workplace Enterprise Plus accounts.
Below are the steps to enable live captioning and translation at the account level on Zoom. These ensure that the company account always has live caption translations enabled should someone need them.
Step 1: Log in to your Zoom account as an admin who has access to edit the account’s settings.
Step 2: In the navigation menu that appears, click on ‘Account Management’ and then click on ‘Account Settings.’
Step 3: Click on the ‘Meeting’ tab in the next window.
Step 4: Under the ‘In Meeting (Advanced)’ option, click on the ‘Translated Captions’ toggle so you can enable or disable it. However, you must remember that the ‘Automated Captions’ feature must be enabled for you to use caption translations.
Step 5: If you see a verification dialog box to confirm your changes, click on ‘Enable’ if you want translations or ‘Disable’ if you don’t want them anymore.
Step 6: You can also click on ‘Edit Translation Languages’ to select the language pairs that you want available during your meetings.
If you want to enable translated captions for a group of users, you can do so using the steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Sign into the company’s Zoom account as an admin who has access to edit settings for a group of users.
Step 2: In the account’s navigation menu, click on ‘User Management’ and then click on ‘Group Management.’
Step 3: Click on the applicable group’s name from the list.
Step 4: Next, click on the ‘Meeting’ tab.
Step 5: Under the ‘In Meeting (Advanced)’ option, click the ‘Translated Captions’ toggle to enable or disable them based on the group’s needs. As with the previous steps, you will need to ensure that ‘Automated Captions’ are enabled for translated captions.
Step 6: Click on either ‘Enable’ or ‘Disable’ in the verification dialog box that appears next to confirm your settings. Keep in mind that if the ‘Enable’ option is grayed out, this means that it needs to be enabled at the account level before you can do so for a group of users.
Note: You can also click on ‘Edit Translation Languages’ to select a language pair to use during a meeting.
Enhancing Zoom Meetings with Transcription and Translation Tools
If you don’t have the premium Zoom accounts for the live translation features, the easiest way to translate a zoom meeting is to transcribe the meeting and translate the transcription.
Transcription tools not only enhance the overall experience when using Zoom but also ensure that meetings are inclusive and accessible to everyone, regardless of their native language such as leading tools like zoom meeting transcription .
With Transkripto r, you can easily transcribe Zoom meetings in their original language and then translate these transcripts into multiple languages, including German, French, Arabic, and Portuguese. You can also use the tool to transcribe Google Meet meetings , transcribe Microsoft Teams meeting , and transcribe Skype calls .
Using Transcription for Video Conferencing
There are several benefits to using transcription for video conferencing. These are described in detail below.
Bridging the Attendance Gap
If you have been part of a meeting, you will know that not every member can be present, as they might have other priorities or may not be available. Generating transcripts for your meetings ensures that the members who cannot attend can still be given a detailed breakdown of what was discussed, the targets set, and each member’s action items through meeting transcription .
Improving Focus and Engagement
Another benefit of transcribing meetings is that they can help team members focus on the meeting content better, as they don't have to worry about taking notes or translating at the moment. A better understanding of the content also ensures that employees can be more engaged and contribute to the discussion, making it more comprehensive.
Ensure Accountability
When meetings are transcribed and every participant is provided with the transcript, teams can ensure greater clarity on each member’s roles and responsibilities. With these responsibilities clear, holding members accountable for their tasks or responsibilities becomes easier.
Transcription tools use advanced speech recognition in collaboration software to identify and transcribe every word spoken during a meeting and translate it into different languages. The better the speech recognition system, the more accurate the transcript will be, with minimal errors across the text. However, some tools struggle when faced with highly technical jargon or heavy accents.
Integration of Third-Party Translation Tools
While Zoom offers its own built-in transcription feature, various third-party audio-to-text Zoom tools can also be installed to transcribe your meetings with live captions. Several of these tools leverage the power of AI to generate live captions accurately and in a range of languages so every member can engage in the discussion without any linguistic barriers.
Several popular tools offer transcription and translation features for Zoom meetings, including Transkriptor, Otter.ai, Verbit, Interprefy, and so on. As you can expect, each has its fair share of advantages and disadvantages.
Practical Tips for Effective Translation on Zoom
Aside from following certain best practices that can make organizing and distributing meeting notes efficient, you can also follow certain tips to ensure effective and accurate translations on Zoom. Some of these include:
Ensure every employee is provided with or uses a high-quality microphone to ensure their speech is clear enough for a voice-to-text tool to transcribe.
Pace your speech to ensure it is not too fast or slow for the most accurate transcripts and translations.
Structure your meeting in a manner that makes it easy for participants to access and understand the transcript well after it has concluded.
Ensure proper meeting etiquette at the very outset, such as ensuring nobody interrupts another speaker and that they wait for them to be called upon to speak. This helps ensure no overlaps in the transcript, which can often lead to inaccurately recorded statements.
Additionally, there are a few things you can do to prepare for meetings with participants from different linguistic backgrounds. These include:
Make sure to use simple and clear language and avoid any technical jargon unless it's absolutely necessary.
Before the meeting starts, establish a list of etiquette rules to ensure that every individual is given the time and space to participate.
Gather feedback from every member after the meeting to help improve the quality and inclusivity of your meetings over time.
Speech Recognition in Collaboration Software for Translation
Speech recognition software uses advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning models to identify words across a range of different languages and dialects. This allows them to transcribe meetings accurately, so every member of your team is on the same page regarding the content of the discussion.
Tools for Speech-to-Text Translation
As mentioned above, several different tools can be used to transcribe and translate Zoom meetings. Transkriptor is an audio-to-text converter that allows you to upload or add audio and video files from multiple sources to accurately transcribe them in seconds. It uses AI to identify even the most complex words and phrases, so you must spend minimal time editing the transcript at the end of the meeting. This, in turn, allows you to maximize your post-meeting productivity.
Some of the advantages of using speech recognition software include:
It helps increase accessibility by translating transcripts into various languages. As a result, linguistically diverse teams find it easier to collaborate on projects without any barriers.
Accurate speech recognition can also help create a culture of collaboration and trust within a team, especially when several employees work remotely.
It can help organizations build the foundation for greater global collaboration.
On the flip side, here are some of the disadvantages of using speech recognition software:
Noisy environments can make it hard for speech recognition software to transcribe what is said during a meeting accurately.
Voice to Text for Remote Work: Streamlining Communication
Voice-to-text features can significantly improve communication and streamline collaboration in remote teams. They allow those working from different locations to contribute to discussions at the same time. With a reliable, high-speed internet connection and a high-quality transcription tool, you can ensure that your meetings remain productive and efficient.
Creating Meeting Notes in Productivity Apps
Some apps also allow you to create meeting notes to highlight important sections or list key points or action items. Transkriptor, for example, allows you to add notes and edit the transcript to add crucial details that every team member can access in real time. Adding the AI bot also ensures that your team can immediately clarify any doubts and not leave them for later.
Given below are some key best practices that can help you share and organize translated meeting notes:
Organize and share meeting notes as soon as a meeting ends to ensure greater clarity and retention. The longer you take to share the meeting notes or minutes after a meeting, the greater the likelihood of confusion.
Always use a high-quality transcription tool that can generate accurate transcripts and share them immediately. Certain tools allow you to edit transcripts and search for specific information within them, making them ideal for larger teams.
Always ensure that a summary of the key points discussed in the meeting is added at the end of the notes. This ensures everyone understands what was discussed and any decisions that were made.
Using Transkriptor for Zoom Meetings
Transkriptor offers a seamless transcription experience for Zoom meetings, accommodating multiple languages. Here’s how you can use it:
Download the audio or video recording from Zoom after the meeting.
Log in to your Transkriptor account.
Upload the file to the Transkriptor dashboard. Transkriptor will automatically process and transcribe the content in the original language and can also translate it into several different languages, ensuring that the meeting content is accessible to all team members.
Unique Features of Transkriptor:
You can also download and share the transcript that Transkriptor provides and use the AI chatbot to find answers to any questions you might have about the discussion,
Supports 100+ languages for seamless transcription and translation,
Supports integration with Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive for easy file uploads,
Offers subtitle creation, enhancing accessibility for videos and further breaking down language barriers.
By using Transkriptor, teams can foster a more inclusive environment where language is no longer a barrier to effective communication and collaboration.
Conclusion
Translations on Zoom become absolutely critical when dealing with remote teams that have wide-ranging linguistic diversities. Creating an inclusive and equitable environment helps ensure that these meetings are as effective and productive as possible, and one of the best ways to do this is to enable translations on Zoom.
However, this approach does have certain disadvantages, which is why it can help to use a third-party tool to transcribe your meetings. While Zoom offers built-in translation features, tools like Transkriptor provide additional benefits, such as enhanced accuracy and multi-language support. Try Transkriptor today to experience seamless transcription and translation for your remote meetings!
