How to Use Zoom for Interpreting Sessions

I don’t know about you, but I have a love-hate relationship with technology.

As a language service company, Metaphrasis Language & Cultural Solutions has always believed that human connection is the best way of building meaningful relationships with clients and obtaining favorable outcomes.

Early in the year, COVID-19 halted in person meetings, networking events and transformed education to remote learning. Metaphrasis had to quickly pivot and be creative on how to best assist our clients with their internal and external communication needs.

As a business that delivers onsite interpreting to over 85% of its clients, we had further embrace the world of technology.

When our clients called Metaphrasis to request interpreters via their preferred technology platforms such as Zoom, providing support did not come without challenges. Our team had to be flexible and quickly learn from our mistakes and those of our clients.

Now, Metaphrasis offers video remote interpreters for virtual meetings on platforms like Zoom, WebEx, Google Teams, and more.

In the process, we’ve put together some tips for those setting up their first call with an interpreter over Zoom and other platforms. If you are looking for directions on how to setup Zoom’s interpretation feature, see the official guide or watch the video below:

If you require an interpreter for an upcoming Zoom meeting, consider these best practices when using Zoom, Google Teams, or other platforms:

Specify the request is for a virtual meeting

Avoid confusion for attendees and interpreters by specifying the nature of the call (e.g. remote or at an office, audio only, video enabled).

Be specific on which platform you are utilizing

Be sure to tell attendees and the interpreter which platform you are using (Zoom, Google Teams, WebEx, etc…). Each video conference tool has its own unique configurations to prepare for.

Contact your technical support team and check if they offer interpreter service capabilities.

Your IT service provider may have resources you can use to find an interpreter over Zoom or other platforms. They may also require you use a specific platform or device.

Provide details of the meeting, including any breakout rooms and format of presentations.

Will each attendee be remote, or will separate groups first meet at different offices? Hammer out the details with your team and update the interpreter who will be assisting on the call.

Specify who will be joining the session and how many individuals/groups will be needing language assistance.

How many languages are being spoken on the call? Does every meeting attendee need a video remote interpreter? Nail down what languages and persons need assistance from your video remote interpreter.

Follow up with the meeting link, invite, and any materials at least 48 hours before the event.

Most virtual meeting tools have convenient scheduling functionality. For example, you can send a calendar invite for a Zoom meeting to both the attendees and the interpreter so everyone is on the same page.

Do a prep call at least 48 hours in advance with the interpreter.

Test the setup with your interpreter prior to the real meeting. This is the best way to avoid technical difficulties or awkward moments during the real call.

When it’s nearly time to start, allow the interpreter to connect no less than 15 minutes before the event to troubleshoot any issues beforehand. For larger events allow the interpreter to sign at minimum ½ hour earlier and have tech support and main contacts available as well.

When using your technology platform, remember, the Language Service companies do NOT provide IT support for those platforms.

While a video remote interpreter on a Zoom call will know his or her voice controls, they cannot offer IT assistance or troubleshoot technical issues for the meeting.

Because of this, please ensure that all required video platform specifications are taken care of before the interpreter joins the call.

You can also consult your IT service provider on what platform and device are most suitable for your planned call with a video remote interpreter.

Request the interpreter’s contact information in advance.

If for some the interpreter cannot join the meeting or you have last minute changes you are able to communicate rapidly and directly with the interpreter.

Here are some other tips when preparing for a Zoom interpreter session:

• Most of the meetings require a simultaneous interpreter, so be prepared to pay more for the service.
• Notify your speakers that an interpreter will be available for the meeting and ask them to speak at a reasonable pace.
• Always have someone from your team monitor the chat room if someone types in a question for the interpreter. Do not expect the interpreter to respond to the chat while interpreting.
• If your meeting lasts more than two hours, or have various breakout sessions, expect to have two or more interpreters.
• Be aware that some platforms will not allow for more than one interpreter.
• As with any appointments, you should be having a dialogue with your language service provider in advance of the request to ensure a successful outcome.

Zoom Interpretation Services

If you are seeking a reliable language service provider that can help you navigate some of the obstacles and provide a professional linguist for your virtual meetings, please fill out the contact form, or give us a call at (815) 464-1423.

Metaphrasis is a translation and interpretation agency in Chicago, IL that provides award-winning professional translation and interpreter services to empower businesses, healthcare professionals, legal professionals, government agencies, educational institutions, and more. Visit us at www.metaphrasislcs.com.