Training Guide for Let'sTalk/LinguistLink

LAS Poster - Informing families about linguistic services

Español | Tiếng Việt | 中文 | Русский | Soomaal

This summer, Portland Public Schools educators, central office leaders, public health professionals and community leaders, came together to build a comprehensive plan to ensure that in this time of distance learning our PPS students and families have the resources and supports they need to learn.

In the pages that follow you will learn more about all of the internal and external resources we are providing to students and families listed by school. This catalog shows what we are currently offering and establishes new ways that our PPS students and families can access supports during this season of comprehensive distance learning.

To see a snapshot of the current offerings, with descriptions of the services and a school-by-school list of where they are offered, please click on the image to the right. It will be updated regularly to keep students and families up to date on available supports.

The Multilingual Special Education Family Toolkit is a set of cards that show the Special Education process, eligibility categories, and placement/services options in PPS. These procedures and concepts are often complex and create barriers for families that prevent their meaningful participation which is critical to positive outcomes for their students.

The Toolkit currently consists of 4 main components: a Special Education overview, A Roadmap for the evaluation/IEP process, Eligibility cards that describe all of the Disability Categories in PPS and a Placement/Services card.

The cards represent these important ideas in a visual way using universal graphics along with the implementation of language access principles, including: family-friendly terms, plain language and translations.

The cards are available in the six supported languages at PPS: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Russian, and Somali.

English/Español | English/Tiếng Việt | English/中文 | English/Soomaali | Русский

Here are some helpful tips to make every student feel welcome.

Language Access Training is now on Pepper!

We created two courses (about 15 minutes each) to help you submit requests successfully for (oral communications) interpreters or for (written documents) translation.

Course Name: Submitting interpretation requests

Course Name: Submitting translation requests

Both courses are ready in Pepper. Please use the instructions below.

• Login into Pepper (pepper.pps.net)
• Click on the “Course Library” on the top menu
• Click on the “Subject” filter
• Scroll until you see “Communications” and select
• Click the course title and then "Access Course"

If you are in need of telephonic intrepretation, please call 503-916-3427 or email languageaccess@pps.net.

Because interpreters are the vehicle of communication, not the source of information. You are a central part of the interpretation process. The role of the over-the-phone language interpreters is that of an impartial participant who interprets the words they hear, passing that information in the appropriate language between two parties to ensure that both parties are provided with the specific information offered by the other party in the appropriate language.

This also offers you the opportunity to engage your classroom families in alignment with the district’s vision. By calling a family directly, you support an increase in their sense of belonging as they seldom interact with their students’ schools.

Use this method for questions to families or to schedule an appointment for an e-meeting, IEPs, etc.

If needed, discuss preferred mode of accessing interpretation with families (phone interpretation or video interpretation).

Please submit a Simultaneous-interpretation request via LinguistLink.

Here are some instructions to make this process as smooth as possible:

1. Your request should include the live streaming link or main meeting link.
2. Create six meetings for the support languages via Google Meet or Zoom and name them as following: (Language Access Services needs phone number and pin).

                -Spanish Focus Group (needs phone number and pin)

                -Cantonese Focus Group (needs phone number and pin)

                -Mandarin Focus Group (needs phone number and pin)

                -Somali Focus Group (needs phone number and pin)

                -Russian Focus Group (needs phone number and pin)

                -Vietnamese Focus Group (needs phone number and pin)

The interpreters will watch the meeting via “Live streaming link or main meeting link” and will call their respective line to do simultaneous interpretation.

Families will call the line pf their language to listen to the interpretation and watch the meeting in English via video. 

3. Go to Language Access website (/Page/534) and submit a Simultaneous Interpretation request. On the request be sure to add the "join meeting viaphone" information from the five Google Meets/Hangouts or Zoom (we need the phone number and pin only) and the general ( English ) meeting Link on the "Description". Please select the following language for this request: Chinese Mandarin, Somali, Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese. Be sure to add the account code.

4. Include in your request 15 minutes to meet with interpreters before your meeting so that you could go over agenda and expectations with interpreters.  

First, make sure your camera is functional.

Are you able to use/activate the attached camera with a basic app such as Camera (Windows) or Photo Booth (macOS)?

If these OS provided applications cannot activate the attached camera, then a video call will not be possible until the camera issue is resolved. Contact IT helpdesk.

My camera is functional, what is next?

Assuming your test of the camera worked, the following links should be helpful getting either a Google Hangouts or Google Meet video call started.

Google Meet is best for scheduling appointments with larger groups of people, and offers a live captioning service (currently in English only). 

 Google Hangouts

• Starting a Google Hangouts Video Call
• Requirements
• Google Hangouts (Main page)

Google Meet

• Starting a Google Meet Video Call
• Requirements
• Changing the View option
• Enabling Captions

If the interpreter must remain visible, the host may be able to configure the spotlight. Alternatively, the interpreter can act as the host and put themselves in the spotlight.

Note: End users can (inadvertently) set the "Spotlight" on an arbitrary member of their chat/video session.  This means that they will see the participant they selected, not the presenter. In this case, the interpreter will not be visible to that specific participant.  This is a per user setting, so other participants will not be affected.

Please note that the Special Education Department is legally required to translate Prior Written Notices. To learn more, refer to the SpEd FAQ.

Voice-Over Instructions:

When a requesters ask for a voiceover, they need to follow these steps:

• Email Terry Proctor AND Marifer to discuss the project/timeline.
• Share the video and/or script with Terry.
• Terry will created a numbered script for translation.
• The requester will submit a translation request (example): VOICE-OVER Information night (the title should include the words: VOICEOVER)
• The LAS team will add these instructions: Hi Team, this is a request for a voiceover. Please submit your written translation and the voiceover via LinguistLink.
• The LAS team will add Terry Proctor to the request. He will received directly the translation and the voice-over files.

Please use our user guide.

Please contact Marifer at msager@pps.net to schedule a virtual training session for your team.

Pre-Scheduled Telephonic interpreters 
Staff will need to submit a request via our scheduling system LinguistLink using this link. We need 72 hours notice for our supported languages and at least two-weeks notice for languages of lesser diffusion to secure these services.

Video Remote Interpreters 
Staff will need to submit a request via our scheduling system LinguistLink using this link. Please submit a request with at least one-week notice to allow us to find the right video-interpreter. At this time, we will not have urgent services available.

VRI - Video remote interpreters
After submitting a request, you will receive a confirmation in the system with a link to the Gmeet, this will be shared with the family as a link and phone for them to join. Our vendor, Passport to Languages, will provide this service. Their interpreters operate from a HIPPA complaint room to ensure privacy. Services are available for spoken and signed languages.

Please contact LinguistLink

Phone: 360-254-7711
Email: support@linguistlink.net

Please contact us at languageaccess@pps.net

The costs for these services vary depending on who provides the service and the conditions of the request. Schools/departments are responsible for the cost of their requests (if applicable). See our menu of services for more information.

Please follow the instructions below:

Open Linguistlink ----> dashboard ---->ID number ----->search ----->Click on the request ---->On the target language ----> click on details----> on the bottom --- Est quantity or fixed rate (where you will find payment for project)

We are always happy to support language access across the district. However, we are not always aware of all the documents generated at PPS schools and departments. We need to know the author of the document and receive a request on LinguistLink to translate. You can help us by connecting us over an email with the author and asking them to submit a request for translation. Schools and departments are responsible for any cost associated with their requests (if applicable) and for submitting a request for translation.