Live Transcript feature in Zoom

The host of a zoom meeting can activate automatic live transcription. Currently, the auto transcription is only possible in standard English. Despite that limitation, instructors can use it to view and document any participant speaking in class in standard English. ESL instructors and hosts with meeting participants who are hard of hearing may find this feature particularly useful. A special "thank you" goes to ESL instructor Eric Nelson for inspiring this tip.

1. During a meeting, click on “Live Transcript” on the toolbar.

2. Next, click on “Enable Auto-transcription”.

3. As people speak, the live transcript will appear near the bottom of the video feed. Each caption will disappear after a few seconds.

4. In order to see the full written transcript, click the carat next to “Live Transcript”. In the resulting menu, select “View Full Transcript”.

5. The full transcript will appear in a window on the right (where the chat window is normally found).




While the accuracy of the transcripts is certainly not perfect, this feature can be useful in providing written documentation of the meeting.

For those teaching English as a second language, the transcription might be a handy check on pronunciation and provide a way for students to compare their speech with how it is perceived by Zoom.