How to Add Live Translation to Slides in PowerPoint

Quick Tips

• Microsoft PowerPoint includes the option to translate text and spoken word into different languages.
• Learning how to add live translation to slides in PowerPoint is simple and can be done at any point during a presentation.
• Microsoft offers over 50 languages for live subtitles with more added all the time.

If you’re asked to give a live presentation using PowerPoint, there’s a good chance that not everyone in the audience will have English as their first language. You can make your presentation more impactful and accessible by adding live translation as you present. This guide shows you how to add live translation to slides in PowerPoint so that no one misses any slide, comment, or explanation. And, you can add these subtitles at any point because it only takes a few minutes to set up.

Step by Step: How to Add Live Translation to Slides in PowerPoint

Step 1: Open a PowerPoint presentation and click the Slide Show tab.

Step 2: Look for Subtitles Settings and check the default Spoken Language is correct.

Step 3: Choose a language you want to translate into in the Subtitle Language, for example, Spanish.

Step 4: Check that there’s a Microphone available and select the correct one if there’s more than one option.

Step 5: Decide where you want your subtitles to be and choose that option in the same Subtitles Settings menu.

Step 6: Find and click the From Beginning button at the very left of the Slide Show tab.

Step 7: Look for the Subtitles icon at the bottom left which looks like a small keyboard.

Step 8: Speak into your microphone and the live translation should appear in your chosen position.

Step 9: As you click through your slides, your subtitles will continue to translate whatever you say.

Bonus Tips: Getting the Most Out of Live Presentation Translation

Now that you know how to add live translation to slides in PowerPoint, you can improve your presentation technique further with these tips:

1. Use a high-quality microphone to ensure correct translation and avoid words being missed.
2. Avoid relying on the built-in microphones of PCs or mobile devices as these may cause mistranslation issues — they’re often not sensitive enough to pick up every word.
3. A headset mic is helpful if you plan to move around a lot during the presentation.
4. If you’re using a hand-held microphone, remember to keep it close to your mouth but not so close it distorts words.
5. Test your microphone and other audio devices before any presentation to avoid embarrassment.
6. Give your whole presentation a run-through to ensure the translation works for every slide. If possible, get a native language speaker to check it for you.
7. You can also use the above steps to add English captions to make your presentation more accessible for deaf or hearing-impaired people. This is also helpful for anyone with auditory processing disorders.