Translations for Canvas Discussions

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Feature Preview

Translations for Canvas Discussions is currently a Feature Preview. This means there may be ongoing updates outside of the regular release schedule.

Enabling this feature in your Canvas course(s) will also enable Translations for Canvas Announcements.

Canvas Discussions allow users to view posted messages in another language using IgniteAI. This feature can help non-native English speakers understand your messages at a higher level, providing equal access and opportunity for all learners.

Enabling Translations for Discussions

In order to utilize Translations for Discussions:

  1. Navigate to your Canvas course.
  2. Click on the Settings course navigation link on the bottom left-hand side of your screen.
  3. Click on the Feature Options tab at the top of the screen.
  4. Find the IgniteAI Translations for Discussions & Announcements Feature Option row.
    • Optional: Click on the > icon to expand and read the description.
  5. Click on the red ❌ icon, and select Enabled. A green ✅ checkmark icon will display indicating that the Feature Option has been enabled.
    • There is no Save button on this screen. Any Feature Options you enable or disable here are updated immediately.
A screenshot of the Canvas LMS Feature Options settings screen with the "IgniteAI Translations for Discussions & Announcements" option expanded and highlighted by purple instructional arrows. Its description reads, "AI translation controls for courses, currently limited to discussions and announcements," alongside a "Feature Preview" badge. On the far right, a dropdown menu is open, indicating the current status is "Disabled" (marked with a checkmark), with the option to choose "Enabled." Directly below this expanded section, a collapsed row for the "Moderated Grading" feature option is visible.

Viewing Translated Discussions

These instructions assume that you have at least one discussion topic posted in your Canvas course and have replies from your students. If you do not have any discussion topics posted in your course, refer to How do I create a discussion as an instructor? or How do I create a graded discussion?.

  1. In your Canvas course, click on the Discussions course navigation link on the left-hand side of your screen.
  2. Click on a discussion topic in your course.

There are two places where an announcement can be translated:

  • ✨ Enable Translation button
  • ✨ Translate Text option within the Options (three vertical dots) menu
A screenshot of a Canvas course announcement titled "Upcoming Due Date: Creative Art Project" posted by a teacher on Jan 20 at 2:16 pm. The body of the announcement reminds students that the Creative Art Project is due at 6:00 p.m. and provides instructions on where to find details. A dark purple arrow points to an "Enable Translation" button at the top right of the announcement list. Another dark purple arrow points to a "Translate Text" option within an expanded three-dot menu for the specific announcement post, which also contains options like "Mark All as Read," "Edit," "Delete," and "Send To."

Enable Translation

Clicking on the ✨ Enable Translation button reveals the Translate Announcement interface above the announcement.

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AI Accuracy

Keep in mind the translation is generated by AI. Please note that the output may not always be accurate.

A screenshot of the "Translate Announcement" interface within Canvas. The title "Translate Announcement" is at the top, followed by a disclaimer stating that the AI-generated translation may not always be accurate. Below this is a "Translate to" dropdown menu, labeled "A," with "Catalan" selected. To the right is a purple and blue gradient "Translate" button, labeled "B," and a "Reset" button, labeled "C".

  1. From the Translate to drop-down list, select a language from the available choices.
  2. Click the ✨ Translate button after selecting a language.
  3. Click the Reset button to clear the translation and select a different language.

The translation of your discussion prompt and any replies will appear immediately below the original text. In the below example, the announcement has been translated to Swedish.

A screenshot of a Canvas course announcement showing the original English text and its Swedish translation below it. The English announcement, titled "Upcoming Due Date: Creative Art Project," was posted by a teacher and reminds students that the project is due on January 15, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.. A label reading "Translated to Swedish" with a star icon separates the two versions. Directly below this label is the Swedish translation, titled "Kommande förfallodatum: Kreativt konstprojekt," followed by the full translated body of the announcement.

To translate your announcement into another language, use the Translate to drop-down list as described above (Enable Translation).

Translate Text

Alternatively, if you would like to translate only your discussion prompt or a specific reply to your discussion prompt, select the Options (three vertical dots) icon next to any response, and then select ✨ Translate Text.

A close-up of the expanded options menu for a Canvas announcement. A dark purple arrow points to the three-dot menu icon at the top right. The drop-down list includes options such as "Mark All as Read," "Edit," and "Delete." The last option, "Translate Text," is highlighted with a dark purple background and includes a sparkle icon.

If this is your first time selecting a language for translation, the Select a Language for Translation pop-up window will appear. Select a language from the Translate to drop-down list, and click the ✨ Translate button.

If you’ve used this pop-up window before, IgniteAI will translate your announcement using the most recent language that was selected. This is indicated by the last sentence, “Once set, this prompt won’t appear again automatically.”

A pop-up window titled "Select a Language for Translation" within the Canvas LMS. The window contains text explaining that the selected language will be the default for future translations and can be changed later. Below the text is a "Translate to" dropdown menu with "Catalan" currently selected. At the bottom right of the window are two buttons: a "Cancel" button and a purple and blue gradient "Translate" button with a sparkle icon. A close "X" button is in the top right corner.

Change and Hide Translation

If you used the Translate Text option (above), users can Change translation language and Hide translation links below the translated announcement to switch and remove translations respectively.

A screenshot showing a Canvas course announcement that has been translated into Swedish, indicated by the header "Translated to Swedish". The body of the announcement is presented in Swedish text. Below the announcement text, two dark purple arrows point to options for managing the translation: a link to "Change translation language" and a link to "Hide translation".

Additional Resources

Translate an Announcement Using IgniteAI Translations
Related Link

IgniteAI Translations for Discussions, Announcements, and Inbox | Product Overview