NEST™ · STUDENT HOW-TO
Read, speak, and share.
Help everyone participate.
Use Google’s language and accessibility features to understand information, express your ideas, and work with teammates who communicate in different ways.
These features do not need a separate paid subscription. Availability depends on your device, supported language, and district settings. Check in with Mr. Penalver before beginning a Finished List activity.
HOW-TO 1 · PARTNER
Google Translate bilingual teamwork
Use on: Chrome on a computer; speech features depend on the language and browser.
- Open Google Translate and choose the language you are writing or speaking and the language your partner needs.
- Enter a short project instruction. Compare the translation with the original; ask your partner to explain its meaning in their own words.
- For supported languages, use the microphone to translate speech or the speaker button to hear the result. Allow microphone access only when you want to use speech input.
- Revise unclear wording together. Keep the original and final versions so you can explain what improved.
Language support varies. A translation is a draft to check with your partner, especially for technical terms.
Your Finished List challenge
Practice communicating across languages by creating bilingual project instructions with a partner using Google Translate. Compare the original and translated messages, check important terms together, and revise wording that causes confusion. Submit both versions, record each partner’s contribution, and explain how you checked understanding and changed your instructions to help another learner participate.
Skills: Work Effectively in Diverse Teams · Interact Effectively · Communicate Clearly · Apply Technology
HOW-TO 2 · TEAM
Chrome Read Aloud team research
Use on: Chrome on a computer, on a webpage with readable text.
- Open a text-based research page in Chrome. Right-click the page and choose Open in reading mode, or use More → More tools → Reading mode.
- Select Play in Reading Mode to hear the text. Use its settings to adjust text size, spacing, voice, or playback speed.
- Let each teammate choose a useful reading or listening setup. Take turns explaining an important point from the source.
- Write a shared summary and record an adjustment that made the information easier for the team to use.
Reading Mode does not work on every page. If it misses the passage, select the text first or try another text-based source. It reads text aloud; it does not automatically translate it.
Your Finished List challenge
Practice inclusive teamwork by researching a project topic in a team of three or more using Chrome Reading Mode and Read Aloud. Let teammates choose reading or listening, adjust the presentation, and compare what each person understood. Submit a shared summary, document everyone’s contribution, and explain one adjustment that helped the team understand the information.
Skills: Work Effectively in Diverse Teams · Interact Effectively · Communicate Clearly · Apply Technology
HOW-TO 3 · PARTNER
Google Docs speech-to-text collaboration
Use on: Google Docs on a computer in a supported browser, with a working microphone.
- Open a Google Doc. Choose Tools → Voice typing and select the language you will speak.
- When ready, select the microphone and allow microphone access if prompted. Speak your project explanation clearly, then select the microphone again to stop.
- Review the text with your partner. Correct recognition mistakes while preserving what the speaker intended to say.
- Switch roles and submit your revised explanation with a short note about how the process supported both partners.
Voice Typing turns live speech into text; it does not translate languages or transcribe an uploaded recording. If the option is unavailable, your school administrator may have disabled it.
Your Finished List challenge
Practice accessible communication by creating a project explanation with a partner using Google Docs Voice Typing. Choose a supported speaking language, dictate a short draft, and review transcription errors together without taking over the speaker’s ideas. Submit the corrected explanation, record each contribution, and describe an adjustment that helped both partners express and understand the message.
Skills: Work Effectively in Diverse Teams · Interact Effectively · Collaborate with Others · Communicate Clearly · Apply Technology
HOW-TO 4 · PARTNER
Google Docs multilingual project guide
Use on: Google Docs on a computer; open the file as a Google document.
- With a partner, write a short guide for a class project in Google Docs. Use clear steps and explain technical words.
- Choose Tools → Translate document. Give the translated copy a name, choose its language, and select Translate.
- Review the new document alongside the original. Ask someone who understands the target language to check key terms and explain a step back to you.
- Revise confusing passages and save both versions with a record of each partner’s contribution.
If Translate document is missing while editing a Word file, convert the file to Google Docs first. Check the meaning of translated instructions rather than assuming every term is correct.
Your Finished List challenge
Practice creative collaboration across languages by writing a short project guide with a partner in Google Docs. Create a translated copy, compare important terms, and ask a reader to explain the instructions before revising them. Submit the original and translated guides, record both contributions, and explain one change that made the project more accessible to others.
Skills: Work Effectively in Diverse Teams · Work Creatively with Others · Interact Effectively · Communicate Clearly · Apply Technology
HOW-TO 5 · TEAM
Chrome captions for accessible media
Use on: Chrome on a computer. Caption languages and translation options vary by device.
- In Chrome on Windows or Mac, open More → Settings → Accessibility and turn on Live Caption. On Linux, look under Accessibility → Captions.
- On a Chromebook, open Settings → Accessibility → Audio and captions and enable Live Caption. Play the research audio or video and check that captions appear.
- On supported devices, enable Live Translate and choose the desired caption language if needed. On Chromebooks, this translation feature requires Chromebook Plus.
- Compare captions with the source, check unclear technical words together, and write a shared summary with contributions from every teammate.
Live Caption displays browser audio as text; it does not save a transcript. Standard Chromebooks can use Live Caption, but translated captions require Chromebook Plus. Google Meet translated captions have separate license requirements and are not required for this activity.
Your Finished List challenge
Practice inclusive media research in a team of three or more by using Chrome Live Caption with project audio or video. Compare captions with what you hear, clarify uncertain words, and let teammates choose a useful listening or reading approach. Submit a shared summary, document everyone’s contribution, and explain one adjustment that helped the team participate.
Skills: Work Effectively in Diverse Teams · Interact Effectively · Communicate Clearly · Apply Technology
HOW-TO 6 · SOLO
Chromebook Select-to-Speak reading practice
Use on: A Chromebook with Select-to-Speak available in its accessibility settings.
- On your Chromebook, select the time at the bottom right, then Settings → Accessibility.
- Under Text-to-Speech, turn on Select-to-speak.
- Highlight a passage and press Search + S or Launcher + S to hear it. You can also hold Search or Launcher and drag over text.
- Follow the highlighted words as you listen. Pause or stop using the reading controls; revise your writing or record what you learned from a research passage.
This is a Chromebook feature. On other computers, use Chrome Reading Mode and Read Aloud. Ask your teacher for help if a managed-device setting is unavailable.
Your Finished List challenge
Practice independent reading and revision by using Chromebook Select-to-Speak with a project passage or your own writing. Listen while following the highlighted text, adjust the reading setup, and identify wording that is difficult to understand. Submit a revised passage or research note, explain what you changed, and describe how listening helped you evaluate the message.
Skills: Work Independently · Communicate Clearly · Apply Technology
Instructions checked against Google’s help pages on October 19, 2026.