If you are 18 years of age, a United States citizen, highly skilled in a foreign
language, and have a desire to use that language in the service of others, you are
eligible to become a NLSC member!
We are initially looking at eight languages that will test the methods used to market
and recruit participants from a range of language communities in the U.S. At present,
the list includes Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Swahili, Hindi,
Hausa, and Somali, but stay tuned for two more languages to be included.
If you meet the initial membership requirements (18 years of age, a United States
citizen, highly skilled in a foreign language), but you do not speak Mandarin Chinese,
Russian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Swahili, Hindi, Hausa, or Somali, you can still
submit an application; however, membership in the pilot program is limited to speakers
of the listed languages. Your application will be filed and matched against languages
added during the pilot program for future membership opportunities.
Certain members may choose to work with specific agencies that have requirements
for special expertise, professional skills, or clearances. General members in the
NLSC will meet standard eligibility requirements for Federal employment. For the
pilot program, security clearances are not required; however, background checks
may be conducted on a case-by-case basis.
Under unique, exceptional circumstances, the NLSC may be able to secure authorization
for you to join if you possess a unique skill in an extremely rare and/or critical
language, but you may not be currently working in a military/government position
that relies on or utilizes that language skill.
We recommend that you discuss your desire to serve in the NLSC with your employer
as you begin the application process. In your discussions, you should ensure that
your employer is aware you may, as a NLSC member, be contacted on short notice and
called to serve for two weeks or longer. You need to arrange with your employer
any relevant aspects of your service with NLSC, keeping in mind that since the NLSC
is a volunteer organization, participation is not mandatory.
The NLSC does not currently offer internships.
Use of NLSC services is driven by Federal, state, and local agencies who request
our assistance to meet their language requirements. If we are asked to provide language
services, we will find the most appropriate fit, and if you are that person, we
will contact you promptly.
NLSC members may serve in any area of the world depending on the needs of agencies
with which the NLSC works. These will be areas in need of language skills other
than English. NLSC service is voluntary; therefore, it is not mandatory to accept
overseas assignments.
A NLSC Charter Member will serve for about two weeks, but specific circumstances
may necessitate longer or shorter assignments.
You will receive information from the NLSC by e-mail, and you can also always find
up-to-date information by visiting our website at:
www.NLSCorps.org.
The NLSC does not require you to wear a uniform.
The National Security Education Program is the Department of Defense sponsor for
the NLSC pilot program. NSEP was established by the David L. Boren National Security
Education Act (NSEA) in 1991 to offer: (1) scholarships to U.S. undergraduate students
to study abroad in areas critical to U.S. national security; (2) fellowships to
U.S. graduate students to study languages and world regions critical to U.S. national
security; and (3) grants to U.S. institutions of higher education to develop programs
of study in and about countries, language, and international fields critical to
national security and under-represented in U.S. study. For more information go to
www.nsep.gov.
In 2003, Congress tasked NSEP with exploring the feasibility of establishing an
organization of Americans with skills in critical languages that would serve in
times of emergency or national need. NSEP prepared a feasibility study and follow-up
planning that led to the Congressional action in 2006. In the 2006 Defense Authorization
Act, the U.S. Congress included language directing the Secretary of Defense to initiate
a pilot program that established a Civilian Linguist Reserve Corps. The government
has since renamed that organization as the National Language Service Corps (NLSC).
The NLSC offers individuals with certified language expertise the opportunity to
support government efforts, particularly in times of emergency or crises when their
expertise can truly make a difference. There is a greater good, a human good, and
the National Language Service Corps is working to honor and serve it. The NLSC is
an integral component of the Department of Defense Language Transformation Plan
and the President’s National Security Language Initiative.
The NLSC uses the Federal Interagency Language Roundtable Proficiency Guidelines
(
http://govtilr.org/Skills/ILRscale1.htm)
(the “ILR Scale”) in speaking, reading, and listening as a basis for determining
eligibility for Charter Membership. The NLSC requirement is 3/3/3 proficiency (speaking/reading/listening)
in your foreign language and in English.
Foreign language proficiency is assessed by asking all NLSC applicants to complete
a series of self-assessments to provide an indication of where they fall on the
ILR scale. A number of Charter Members of the NLSC will be asked to undergo formal
proficiency testing to verify the self-assessments. A number of factors may require
formal proficiency testing, including the need of the NLSC and its partner agencies
to have formally tested members available for activation exercises, as well as quality
assurance of the language proficiency certification process.
English language assessment will be waived for applicants who graduated from an
accredited high school or college in the US. If you did not do so, you will be asked
to undergo the same self-assessment process as for your foreign language skills.
Finally, a number of Charter Members may be asked to undergo formal proficiency
testing in English.
You may, at your own expense, seek language testing from vendors such as the Educational
Testing Service, which offers the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL),
Language Testing International (
http://www.languagetesting.com/),
or the center for Applied Linguistics (
www.cal.org).
