Bilingual or multilingual professionals play a pivotal role in ensuring equal access for people from diverse communities, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds to the resources they need. Regardless of the additional language you command, your linguistic skills can make a positive impact in society while at the same time contributing to your employer’s business success. Therefore, consider seeking employment with companies, government agencies, educational institutions, or nonprofit organizations that integrate social responsibility goals into their initiatives and reward employees monetarily for using their linguistic skills at work to bring about meaningful social change.

Exploring Companies with Language Incentive Pay Programs

A language incentive pay program aligns with your passion for your community but also enhances your job satisfaction. So, if you have yet to explore the possibility of securing a job that offers language incentive pay, it’s never too late. It is important to note that not all employers offer it. The good news is that according to a survey conducted for ACTFL, employers in the United States are increasingly more likely to operate a business in a language other than English, and the growing trend is not expected to abate. This suggests that the establishment of language incentive pay programs is likely to increase.

Language Incentive Pay in the Government Sector

Government agencies, particularly in the defense and intelligence sectors, often provide extra foreign language pay to bilingual employees. Keep in mind that the availability of language bonuses or incentives varies among organizations and may be subject to change, as indicated by the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and the Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus (FLPB). “The Department of Defense policy no longer requires payment of FLPB for languages on the DoD Strategic Language List (SLL), allowing the services to better tailor payments based on requirements. Under the new DAF policy, only Airmen and Guardians in the language communities specified in the revised policy will be eligible for FLPB,” (Secretary Air Force Public Affairs). For other branches in the U.S. military, “entitlement to Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus (FLPB) is for officers and enlisted members certified by their branch to be proficient in a specific foreign language or dialect,” (Absher).

Language-Related Benefits in Other Industries

You can explore possibilities in industries such as airlines, healthcare, nonprofits, or government health agencies since they serve and provide support to multilingual and multicultural communities. For example, foreign language support in healthcare settings is crucial for breaking language barriers between patients and healthcare professionals, ensuring informed decision-making regarding health-related matters. Legal aid and social services organizations are also in constant need of language support, especially in advocating for the rights of individuals with limited or no English proficiency.

If you are interested in working for organizations in these industries, you might contact them directly to get details on any language-related benefits or incentives they offer and what their requirements for language pay may be. For example, “employees are eligible for foreign language pay if certified as fluent in certain foreign languages and are in positions where foreign language proficiency is considered an important skill,” (FEDweek).

Start the new year by being proactive, and arming yourself with a language proficiency test to become eligible for job opportunities that offer language-incentive pay. Contact Language Testing International (LTI), a leader in language proficiency testing in over 40 countries, offering reliable and valid certifications in over 120 languages. LTI provides secure remotely proctored ACTFL assessments for your convenience, ensuring you have your language proficiency certification in hand to demonstrate to a prospective new employer that you have the linguistic skills to warrant the extra pay.

Sources

Absher, Jim. “Foreign Language Proficiency Pay / Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus.” Military.com. Published July 12, 2022. https://www.military.com/benefits/military-pay/special-pay/foreign-language-proficiency-and-proficiency-bonus.html

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Lead with Languages Campaign commissioned Ipsos Public Affairs, with the support of Pearson LLC and Language Testing International. (2019). “Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers.” https://www.actfl.org/uploads/files/general/MakingLanguagesOurBusiness_FullReport.pdf

FEDweek. Federal Government Foreign Language Proficiency Pay. January 16th, 2024. https://www.fedweek.com/ask/federal-pay/foreign-language-pay/

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs. “DAF updates Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus policy.”  Air Force. July 27, 2023. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3473917/daf-updates-foreign-language-proficiency-bonus-policy/

Madeline Martínez is a Multicultural Navigator Specialist at URBANDER, a Woman and Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE) specializing in transforming businesses to advance humanity. URBANDER’s role is to serve as an extension of Marketing, Diversity, Human Resources, Procurement, Community Relations, and Social Responsibility teams, providing innovative approaches in the areas of strategic marketing, content development, workforce development, community outreach and IDEAS (inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility, and sustainability). Madeline holds a both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Communications from the University of Puerto Rico and is an experienced copywriter and content developer dedicated to amplifying the voices of URBANDER’s clients. From blogs and articles to social media posts and interviews, Madeline is a skilled writer across diverse topics integrating her marketing, business and academic acumen. Though her earlier work as a Publications Officer at the Inter American University in Puerto Rico, and her most recent performance as a Spanish Interpreter, Substitute Teacher, and Instructional Assistant for English-language learning elementary school students, Madeline has impacted countless families as they have navigated migrating to the U.S. from Spanish-speaking countries. As a bilingual professional, Madeline is also proficient in translating written documents from English to Spanish, and vice versa. She has received LTI issued ACTFL Language Proficiency Certificates in Spanish as follows: Advanced Writing, Advanced Listening, Advanced Reading and Superior Speaking. During her downtime, Madeline loves spending time with her family, and enjoys dancing, movies, photography, and coffee. She considers herself a continuous learner. “A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers”- Helen Keller

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