Multilingual Support Overview

VivaEdu supports multiple languages for both language learning assessments and accommodating non-native English speakers.

Two Use Cases

1. Language Courses

Assess student proficiency in target language:

• Set viva language to target language (Spanish, French, etc.)
• Questions displayed in that language
• TTS reads in that language
• Students must respond in that language
• You review responses in the target language
• Tests language proficiency authentically

2. Accommodating Non-Native Speakers

Support students in non-language courses:

• Students choose their preferred language
• Questions translated to their language
• TTS reads in their language
• Students respond in their native language
• Responses automatically translated to English for you
• Tests content knowledge, not English proficiency

How It Works

Question Translation

• Questions you write in English (or any language)
• Automatically translated to student's chosen language
• Uses Azure Translator (high-quality machine translation)
• Translation happens in real-time when student starts viva

Text-to-Speech (TTS)

• Questions read aloud using Azure text-to-speech
• Voice matches student's chosen language
• Natural-sounding pronunciation
• Can replay as many times as needed

Response Translation

• Student speaks in their preferred language
• Azure Speech Services transcribes in original language
• Azure Translator converts to English
• You see both original and translated text
• Can toggle between versions during review

Configuration

For Language Courses (Instructor)

In Step 3 of viva wizard:

1. Navigate to "Language Settings"
2. Set "Viva Language" to target language (e.g., Spanish)
3. Leave "Allow student language override" unchecked
4. Students must respond in that language
5. You review in the target language

For Non-Native Speaker Support (Instructor)

In Step 3 of viva wizard:

1. Keep "Viva Language" as English (default)
2. Check "Allow student language override"
3. Enable "Auto-translate to English for review"
4. Students can choose their language
5. You see English translations

For Students

If language override is allowed:

1. On the viva setup screen
2. Click "Change Language"
3. Select your preferred language
4. Questions display in your language
5. TTS reads in your language
6. You respond in your language

Translation Quality

Machine Translation Limitations

Translation is high-quality but not perfect:

• Idiomatic expressions may not translate well
• Technical jargon can be challenging
• Context is sometimes lost
• Nuance may be reduced

Best Practices for Translation

Reviewing Multilingual Responses

For Language Courses

• Review in original language
• Assess pronunciation via audio
• Evaluate grammar and vocabulary
• No translation needed

For Non-Language Courses

• Review English translation
• Can toggle to see original if needed
• Focus on content understanding, not language
• Grade based on ideas, not English fluency

Instructor Language Preference

If you speak the student's language:

• Can view original language response
• Toggle between original and English
• Useful for nuanced understanding

Supported Languages

VivaEdu supports major world languages via Azure Translator and Azure:

• Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese
• Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean
• Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu
• Russian, Polish, Turkish
• Many others - see full list

Best Practices