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thedrifter
09-17-09, 08:19 AM
Speaking Foreign Languages, Gaining Cash
1st Marine Logistic Group Public Affairs
Story by Pfc. Khoa Pelczar
Date: 09.03.2009
Posted: 09.11.2009 02:31

The Defense Language Proficiency Test is used by the United States Department of Defense to test the foreign language skills of service members.

Service members joined together at the Joint Education Center Sept. 3 to take the DLPT. Service members take the test to earn Foreign Language Proficiency Pay, which raises the income they receive monthly.

On top of that, service members are also awarded college credit for their DLPT scores and are listed on their Sailor/ Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript.

To qualify for the FLPP bonus, one must pass the DLPT at a certain level, and bonuses vary depending on the level of proficiency and how critical the language is to the military. Marines can test on more than 100 languages, but most of the critical languages are from the Middle East and Asia, such as Arabic and Korean.

There are five levels on the understanding of a language, 1-5. Depending on how many languages the service member knows, how well they understand it and how critical the language is, they're eligible to receive $100 to $1,000 extra per month.

"I can't wait for the bonus," said Lance Cpl. Hai A. Bui, an assault gunner with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 21, from Da Lat, Vietnam. "It's a nice little free money for just knowing my native language."

Bui said he has known about the program since boot camp, but didn't know that he would get such a good bonus until his friend told him.

Languages are separated into different FLPP payment schedules. Some languages are more common around the world, which make those service members who know them receive more money than service members who speak other languages. Some languages, like Spanish, are too commonly known and are subject to pay restrictions.

To maintain this bonus, service members must retest once a year in the skills of reading and listening. This process is to make sure that they maintain the skill in the language and not just do it once for the bonus. They're required to maintain a level two in both skills in order to receive the extra pay.

To learn more about the DLPT, call the Joint Education Center at 725-6660.

Ellie