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! Not a citizen? Click Here.

At present, the list includes Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Mandarin Chinese, Marshallese, Russian, Somali, Swahili, Thai and Vietnamese.

Membership in the pilot program is limited to speakers of the languages listed above. However, you may still apply. We will keep your information on file, and if your language is added to the list after the pilot is complete, we can consider your application then. Don’t speak one of our pilot program languages? Click Here.

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.

Yes, but only when you are called to service to support a language need. You will be compensated based on pay scales used by the Federal Government.

For now and after the pilot, we will not be an organization that hires for full-time or part-time language-related positions. During the pilot, we will be seeking individuals willing to become Charter Members to help test our procedures, and serve when and if called by the NLSC to use their language skills. Please revisit the web site for updates.

The NLSC does not currently offer internships.

Charter Members are the first 1,000 individuals who apply and are accepted to participate in the pilot program that tests our policies and procedures.

• The opportunity to become part of a service-oriented network of like-minded Americans with skills in multiple languages who are interested in serving a greater good
• Access to language maintenance programs and Member engagement activities

During our pilot phase, Charter Members will help us test our policies and procedures and may participate in exercises, focus groups and other activities. When the organization is fully active, NLSC Members may serve in any area of the U.S. or 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.

Membership is free. There is no cost to join.

All Charter Members offer their time voluntarily and most of the interactions take place via email and telephone. Charter Members may be asked to voluntarily complete feedback forms in order to improve the usability of NLSC operations. For example, Charter Members’ feedback can help the NLSC improve the website in an effort to make the organization more dynamic. Charter Members may contribute by offering their opinions on selected NLSC tools and procedures. Others may be asked questions regarding the practicality of certain NLSC business rules or practices. A small portion of the 1000 Charter Members (anticipated to be 20 to 30 Charter Members) will actually travel on assignment as temporary federal employees in order to participate in live scenarios supporting federal agencies. These Charter Members will be compensated for their time and expenses.

The NLSC estimates a very small time commitment during the pilot program. In most cases, less than one hour is required to complete the application package. Charter Members can expect less than an hour of their time will be needed each month for interaction with the NLSC. Those Charter Members who accept an assignment will travel to a specific location; assignments can range in duration from one day to two weeks.

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 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 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).