Have you ever heard about Foreign Language Incentive Pay (FLIP)? If the answer is \u201cno\u201d and you are bilingual, you could be missing out on a fantastic way to earn a higher income using your language skills.<\/p>\n
Certify Your Language Skills Here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A recent national survey<\/a> commissioned by ACTFL revealed that the demand for foreign language skills in the workplace today in the United States is greater than ever before, and on a constant rise. One in five people in the U.S. speaks a language other than English and one in ten has limited English proficiency. As the country becomes more diverse, it is vital for employers to hire bilingual and multilingual employees to better serve customers in their preferred language.<\/p>\n In this context, government agencies need to work to eliminate linguistic barriers, anticipate future challenges, and comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law requires that people with limited English proficiency have meaningful access to federally funded government programs, services, activities, and resources.<\/p>\n In order to attract and retain bilingual employees and to avoid violating this federally mandated law, some employers in the government sector<\/a> are offering Foreign Language Incentive Pay, or FLIP, to current and prospective employees. For example, in the U.S. military and across all its branches, FLIP is a standard practice.<\/p>\n \u201cThe government\u2019s largest program of this kind is the Defense Department\u2019s foreign language proficiency pay program, which pays up to $500 per pay period for eligible Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees performing intelligence duties and up to 5 percent of salary for civilians assigned to non-intelligence duties requiring language proficiency,\u201d (FEDweek).<\/p>\n The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) equally recognizes the value of having employees with language abilities that allow them to handle national security issues. According to its website, their Foreign Language Incentive Program provides various monetary incentives. The agency compensates their employees\u2019 language skills if they meet and maintain the required proficiency in foreign language. The agency has a list of different FLIP-qualifying languages, which include Arabic<\/a>, Chinese<\/a>, French<\/a>, German<\/a>, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Japanese<\/a>, Portuguese, Spanish<\/a>, Vietnamese, and many more.<\/p>\n Organizations may pay out the monetary incentive<\/a> as a one-time bonus or in the form of a higher salary. The bilingual and multilingual employees need to demonstrate professional working language skills by taking a valid language proficiency test to be eligible, and the terms of the programs vary depending on the governmental agency.<\/p>\n \u201cThe purpose of testing our employees applying for this additional pay is to verify that they actually have the proficiency that they say they have,\u201d said Katie Hedrick, Community Inclusion Coordinator of the City of Roanoke in Virginia. Hedrick, who works in the Department of Community Engagement is responsible for developing and implementing their Bilingual Employee Incentive Pay Program. She expressed that the process of looking for a language testing provider was initially very overwhelming. However, she found the support she needed in Language Testing International (LTI). \u00a0\u201cI had a completely opposite experience with LTI. I essentially sent one email and that was all I had to do. Everything has been straightforward, very easy to manage, and all the languages that we would need are offered through LTI,\u201d she emphasized.<\/p>\n Public facing positions that require bilingual professionals to enable non-English speaking individuals to gain access to essential services, such as police officers, 9-1-1 operators, firefighters, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), community relations staff and healthcare personnel, are also fantastic job opportunities to receive extra compensation via FLIP. In addition, bilingual and multilingual public servants in a diverse community make a significant impact on society.<\/p>\n Read more <\/strong>–><\/strong> Certified Language Skills : A Pathway to Foreign Language Incentive Pay<\/a><\/p>\n Contact LTI today<\/a><\/strong> if you want to accurately assess your foreign language proficiency skills and position yourself as a candidate that qualifies to receive FLIP. As the exclusive licensee of ACTFL<\/a>, LTI is a leader in the delivery of language proficiency testing in over 40 countries and 120 languages through remotely proctored tests that can be conveniently taken from the privacy of your home.<\/p>\n Sources<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n 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. <\/em>(2019). \u201cMaking Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers.\u201d https:\/\/www.leadwithlanguages.org\/report<\/a><\/p>\n CIA.gov Foreign Language Incentive Program. https:\/\/www.cia.gov\/careers\/language-opportunities\/foreign-language-incentive-program\/<\/a><\/p>\nDemand for Bilingual Skills Is Growing<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The Importance of Equal Language Access<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Foreign Language Incentive Pay (FLIP)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Certify Your Language Skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n