PROPOSED REVISION OF(Sanitized) CIA LANGUAGE INCENTIVE PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00780R003700100010-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 3, 2003
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: January 26, 1971
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR003700100010-2
Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR003700100010-2
 . 6 mi9 iit":'CIA-RDPBA'tW7
Approved For Rele 0(1=0100010-2
MEMORANDUM FOR: Executive Director-Comptroller
Deputy Director for Science and Technology
Deputy Director for Plans
Deputy Director for Intelligence
Inspector General
General Counsel
SUBJECT : Proposed Revision of
Program
FOR YOUR CONCURRENCE OR COMMENTS
CIA Language Incentive
The Language Development Committee has recommended that
CIA Language Ince;tive ram dated 12 June 1970 ba rannin an
replaced by a newl A copy of the proposed u is attached.
Experience over the last four months has shown that the wording
of the existing regulation is too general and too cumbersome, and
the regulation overall is difficult to administer. Moreover, the
intent of the existing regulation is to encourage the study of hard
languages when, in fact, Agency managers need to encourage the study
of any language that is in short supply. The proposed regulation
provides for the designation as an incentive language any language
that a Directorate finds necessary to meet its language requirements.
It also provides for the designation of employees as participants
in the Language Incentive Program, with cash awards commensurate
with achievement, in the study of incentive languages.
i N ~iZin~C (ACC
The attached proposal has been concurred inAby the respective
Deputy Directors; for Plans, Science and Technology, Support, and
by the Assistant Deputy Director for Intelligence.
Your concurrence or comments, therefore, are requested within
ten workdays; a concurrence sheet is attached for your convenience.
If you have any questions, please call
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Attachments:
1. Proposed Revision of
2. Concurrence Sheet
cc: D/TR
C/Language School/OTR
SSA-DDS
Chief, Support Services-Staff
0
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 Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR003700100010-2
C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
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GENERAL. The CIA Language Incentive Program (hereafter referred
to as the Program) is intended to encourage achievement of skills
in selected foreign languages.
POLICY
(1) To help upgrade the foreign language capabilities of Agency
employees and to assist each Deputy Director in satisfying
the foreign language requirements of his Directorate,
Language Proficiency Cash Awards will be granted for achieve-
ment of language proficiencies (see attachment 1).
Awards, however, will not be granted solely as a bonus for
possession of foreign language proficiency.
(2) Any language may be designated an incentive language when a
Deputy Director finds it necessary to encourage study in
that language to meet his Directorate's. language requirements.
Each Directorate, in coordination with the' Language Develop-
ment Committee (LDC), will draw up its own list of languages.
These lists will be reviewed annually by the LDC. ;
(3) A Language Proficiency Cash Award (LPCA) will be granted after
a designated participant has been tested and certified by the
Office of Training (OTR) as having achieved for the first
time an awardable level of proficiency in an incentive language
or for having progressed from a previously established and
recorded proficiency base to a higher proficiency level in
the designated language. Awards will be made for achievement
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in the Comprehensive (Reading, Speaking and Understanding)
program or in the Specialized (Reading, Speaking or Under-
standing only) program. An award may be earned only once
for each awardable level of proficiency achieved in the same
foreign language.
(1+) After receiving the award for which he was designated, an
employee must be redesignated as a participant in the Program
to be considered for further awards.
(5) An employee who has been designated as a participant in the
Program and who enters formal language training will be
tested for proficiency to determine eligibility for awards
only at the completion of his training. Other designees to
the Program may be tested when their supervisors believe an
awardable level has been reached. A participant who has
reached two or more levels without receiving an award may
qualify for two or more achievement awards at the same time.
(6) The definitions of proficiency levels and language groupings
developed and published by OTR will be the criteria for
testing and certification.
c. ELIGIBILITY
(1) For an employee to be designated a participant in the Program
there should exist the probability that the employee will be
assigned to a position in which the language will be used.
(2) Staff employees, staff agents, career agents and other con-
tract personnel, with grades through GS-15 or equivalent who are
Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR003700100010-2
C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
 Approved For ReIe8s5 2f 3/95f?7E_pI~_R1Df> I-007808003700100010-2
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selected for participation in the Program, are eligible for
consideration for LPCAs provided they have
(a) been designated as participants before beginning
training or self-study;
(b) a tested or certified proficiency level in the
specified language which is documented in Agency
records at the time of designation as participants;
(c) been certified, as a result of an OTR-administered
test or another test approved by the Director of
Training, as having achieved an awardable level.
(3) Personnel who are studying a language at the time it is
designated as an incentive language are eligible for awards
only for progress they have made after they have been
designated participants in the Program. No awards will be
granted for language skills achieved prior to the designa-
tion of a language as an incentive language or prior to
the designation of an employee as a participant in the
Program.
(4) Personnel who qualify for awards while overseas must await
certification until they return to headquarters and are tested.
(5) Personnel who have participated in the Program for more than
90 days prior to the effective date of this regulation will
receive the benefits provided by
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Only one additional Language Proficiency Step Increase,
however, will be granted under the previous regulation.
Subsequent awards will be made in accordance with this regulation.
~ d. RESPONSIBILITIES
(1)
(3)
Operating Officials will
(a) initiate the Form 3268, Language Incentive Program
Recommendation (see attachment 2) recommending an
employee for participation in the Program;
(b) authorize the granting of an LPCA;
(c) provide funds for awards granted within their components.
Deputy Directors will
(a) identify incentive languages for their Directorates;
(b) approve selection of headquarters and overseas partici-
pants in the Program, basing selection on current and
projected language requirements of their Directorates.
The Director of Training will
(a) establish proficiency criteria for an LPCA;
(b) verify the beginning proficiency level of personnel
designated to the Program;
(c) test and certify the language proficiency of employees
and report the results to the appropriate Directorate.
The Director of Personnel will
(a) authenticate the action authorizing an LPCA and notify
the Heads of Career Services of all such action;
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(5)
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(b) maintain records of participants in the Program and
of cash awards granted;
(c) provide statistical reports on the Program for the LDC.
The Language Development Committee will
(a) assist Deputy Directors in identifying and designating
incentive languages;
(b) review annually the lists of incentive languages.
F I~ S ORU-1
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 Approved For Release Ad'3lb 9112~r TA-l bP &0780R003700100010-2
TRAINING
Schedule of Cash Awards
COMPREHENSIVE (Reading, Speaking and Understanding) PROGRAM
LANGUAGE
SKILL LEVELS
GROUPINGS
I (slight)
2 &Iementar
3-Ontermediate)
4 (High)
GROUP I
---
$400
$600
$800
GROUP II 2
---
$600
$800
$1000
GROUP 111 3
$500
$800
$10'00
$1200
A. Awards for Comprehensive (Reading, Speaking and Understanding) Program
Awards for Ole Colnproh&wsive Program will be daterminod by the level
achieved in speaking regardless of the levels achieved in reading and
understanding.
B. Awards for Specialized (Reading, Speaking or Understanding Only) Program
Awards for the. Specialized Program will be one-half of the Comprehensive
(RSU) Program awards. No award will be made for Understanding when any
other award has been made. in the same language.
C. Language Proficiency Cash Awards are cumulative,! e.g., a participant,
with no language proficiency, designated to achieve la 3 (intermediate)
level of a Group II language could earn $1400.
I THESE LANGUAGES ARE USUALLY EASIER FOR A NATIVE ENGLISH-SPEAKING STUDENT TO LEARN BECAUSE OF
HIGH COGNATE RATIO, OR THE RELATIVELY SIMPLER OR SIMILAR MORPHOLOGY, AND THE LATIN-ALPHABET
WRITING SYSTEM.
2 THESE LANGUAGES ARE USUALLY MORE DIFFICULT FOR NATIVE ENGLISH-SPEAKING STUDENTS TO LEARN,
AND CONSIST OF LANGUAGES WITH (A) A DIFFERENT WRITING SYSTEM BUT ONLY A MODERATELY DIFFICULT
MORPHOLOGY (also Includes some that are tonal), AND (8) A GENERALLY LESS DIFFICULT WRITING
SYSTEM BUT A MORE COMPLEX MORPHOLOGY.
3 THESE LANGUAGES ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT AND ARE CHARACTERIZED BY COMPLEX WRITING SYSTEMS,
DIFFICULT (or greatly different from English) MORPHOLOGY, AND USUALLY DIFFERENT SPOKEN AND
WRITTEN LANGUAGES AS CONCERNS VOCABULARY, MORPHOLOGY AND STYLE.
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Approved For Release- aAW054 % LA.F}DP.L-Q0780R003700100010-2
 Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR003700100010-2
SECRET
(When Filled In)
LANGUAGE INCENTIVE PROGRAM RECOMMENDATION
Chief, Language School
(Deputy Director)
(Senior Training Officer)
COMPONENT
I recommend that the above Subject be considered a participant in the CIA Language
Incentive Program for proficiency achievement in .(language)
DESIRED LEVEL
1 (SLIGHT)
3 (INTERMEDIATE)
4~Il~ll)
DESIRED SKILL
PI ADINO ONLY
UNDERSTAND
ONLY
COMPREHENSIVE
(l.i$U). .
I certify that to the b,-!st of my knowledge, subject's proficiency level in the langu
age shown above is as follows: (Check only that box below which best describes
subject's present competence in the language.)
. HAS NO USABLE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE
IS RECORDED IN AGENCY RECORDS AS HAVING A TESTED COMPETENCE OF R
. , U (specify numerical level)
(I or Field Personnel Only) AS ESTIMAfED BY HIS CHIEF OF STATION AS I;
COMPETENCE OF R-?
S.. U- i (Specify numerical level)
VERIFIED:, CHIEF, LANGUAGE SCHOOL
APPROVED FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE LANGUAGE INCENTIVE PROGRAM:
DEPUTY DIRECTOR DATE
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Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR003700100010-2
FORM
1-71 3268 SECRET
 Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-0078OR003700100010-2
C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
0
CIA LANGUAGE INCENTIVE PROGRAM
GENERAL. The CIA Language Incentive Program (hereafter referred
to as the Program) is intended to encourage achievement of skills
in selected foreign languages.
POLICY
To help upgrade the foreign language capabilities of Agency
employees and to assist each Deputy Director in satisfying
the foreign language requirements of his Directorate,
time an awardable level of proficiency in an incentive language
or for having progressed from a previously established and
recorded proficiency base to a higher proficiency level in
the designated language. Awards will be made for achievement
Approved For ReleasL,e 0R3 5 2A EC 4; C12PR4L0~7 d.d 10m.70 100010-2
d.wn0.dlnp .nd
d..l...fe.lian
Language Proficiency Cash Awards will be granted for achieve-
ment of language proficiencies (see attachment 1).
Awards, however, will not be granted solely as a bonus for
possession of foreign language proficiency.
(2) Any language may be designated an incentive language when a
Deputy Director finds it necessary to encourage study in
that language to meet his Directorate's language requirements.
Each Directorate, in coordination with the Language Develop-
ment Committee (LDC), will draw up its own list of languages.
These lists will be reviewed annually by the LDC.
(3) A Language Proficiency Cash Award (LPCA) will be granted after
a designated participant has been tested and certified by the
Office of Training (OTR) as having achieved for the first
25X1
 Approved For Rele s- 0 3/ 5 2- I D- AP14-00780R003700100010-2
25X1
0
in the Comprehensive (Reading, Speaking and Understanding)
program or in the Specialized (Reading, Speaking or Under-
standing only) program. An award may be earned only once
for each awardable level of proficiency achieved in the same
foreign language.
(1i) After receiving the award for which he was designated, an
employee must be redesignated as a participant in the Program
to be considered for further awards.
(5) An employee who has been designated as a participant in the
Program and who enters formal language training will be
tested for proficiency to determine eligibility for awards
only at the completion of his training. Other designees to
the Program may be tested when their supervisors believe an
awardable level has been reached. A participant who has
reached two or more levels without receiving an award may
qualify for two or more achievement awards at the same time.
(6) The definitions of proficiency levels and language groupings
developed and published by OTR will be the criteria for
testing and certification.
ELIGIBILITY
(1) For an employee to be designated a participant in the Program
there should exist the probability that the employee will be
assigned to a position in which the language will be used.
(.2) Staff employees, staff agents, career agents and other con-
tract personnel, with grades through GS-15 or equivalent who are
2
Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-00780R003700100010-2
C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
 Approved For Relets5 2IPOp3/Q557E_I~_FDE 8L4-007808003700100010-2
New
TRAINING
25X1;
selected for participation in the Program, are eligible for
consideration for LPCAs provided they have
(a) been designated as participants before beginning
training or self-study;
(b) a tested or certified proficiency level in the
specified language which is documented in Agency
records at the time of designation as participants;
(c) been certified, as a result of an OTR-administered
test or another test approved by the Director of
Training, as having achieved an awardable level.
Personnel who are studying a language at the time it is
designated as an incentive language are eligible for awards
only for progress they have made after they have been
designated participants in the Program. No awards will be
granted for language skills achieved prior to the designa-
tion of a language as an incentive language or prior to
the designation of an employee as a participant in the
Program.
Personnel who qualify for awards while overseas must await
certification until they return to headquarters and are tested.
Personnel who have participated in the Program for more than
90 days prior to the effective date of this regulation will
receive the benefits provided by
Approved For Re16h-9& 4 Sb6T6 N--T6WRPB4
dated 12 June 1970. 25Xf i
 Approved For RelcUW 3093/10 2 _NC I e 4-007808003700100010-2
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(l)
~ d. RESPONSIBILITIES
Only one additional Language Proficiency Step Increase,
however, will be granted under the previous regulation.
Subsequent awards will be made in accordance with this regulation.
Operating Officials will
(a) initiate the Form 3268, Language Incentive Program
Recommendation (see attachment 2) recommending an
employee for participation in the Program;
(b) authorize the granting of an LPCA;
(c) provide funds for awards granted within their components.
(2) Deputy Directors will
(a) identify incentive languages for their Directorates;
(b) approve selection of headquarters and overseas partici-
pants in the Program, basing selection on current and
projected language requirements of their Directorates.
(3) The Director of Training will
(a) establish proficiency criteria for an LPCA;
(b) verify the beginning proficiency level of personnel
designated to the Program;
(c) test and certify the language proficiency of employees
and report the results to the appropriate Directorate.
i(4) The Director of Personnel will
(a) authenticate the action authorizing an LPCA and notify
the Heads of Career Services of all such action;
4
Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-00780R003700100010-2
C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
 Approved For ReleLa0~3/105PE4-007808003700100010-2
New
0
(b) maintain records of participants in the Program and
of cash awards granted;
(c) provide statistical reports on the Program for the LDC.
(5) The Language Development Committee will
(a) assist Deputy Directors in identifying and designating
incentive languages;
(b) review annually the lists of incentive languages.
C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A L
Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-Rh L8
25X1
 Approved For Release -&3%b$/~n .:*6T =1ii3P =b0780R003700100010-2
TRAINING
COMPREHENSIVE (Reading, Speaking and Understanding) PROGRAM
LANGUAGE
SKILL LEVELS
GROUPINGS
1 (slight)
2 (Elementary)
'q (intermediate)
4 (High)
GROUP I I
---
$400
$600
$800
GROUP II 2
---
$600
$800
$1000
GROUP III
$500
$800
$1000
$1200
A. Awards for Comprehensive (Reading, Speaking and Understanding) Program
Awards for the Comprehensive Program will be determined by the level
achieved in speaking regardless of the levels achieved in reading and
understanding.
B. Awards for Specialized (Reading, Speaking or Understanding Only) Program
Awards for the Specialized Program will be one-half of the Comprehensive
(RSU) Program awards. No award will be made for Understanding when any
other award has been made. in the same language.
C. Language Proficiency Cash Awards are cumulative,! e.g., a participant,
with no language proficiency, designated to achieve a 3 (intermediate)
level of a Group II language could earn $1400.
I THESE LANGUAGES ARE USUALLY EASIER FOR A NATIVE ENGLISH-SPEAKING STUDENT TO LEARN BECAUSE OF
HIGH COGNATE RATIO, OR THE RELATIVELY SIMPLER OR SIMILAR MORPHOLOGY, AND THE LATIN-ALPHABET
WRITING SYSTEM.
2 THESE LANGUAGES ARE USUALLY MORE DIFFICULT FOR NATIVE ENGLISH-SPEAKING STUDENTS TO LEARN,
AND CONSIST OF LANGUAGES WITH (A) A DIFFERENT WRITING SYSTEM BUT ONLY A MODERATELY DIFFICULT
MORPHOLOGY (also Includes some that are tonal), AND (B) A GENERALLY LESS DIFFICULT WRITING
SYSTEM BUT A MORE COMPLEX MORPHOLOGY.
3 THESE LANGUAGES ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT AND ARE CHARACTERIZED BY COMPLEX WRITING SYSTEMS,
DIFFICULT (or greatly different from English) MORPHOLOGY, AND USUALLY DIFFERENT SPOKEN AND
WRITTEN LANGUAGES AS CONCERNS VOCABULARY, MORPHOLOGY AND STYLE.
25X1
Approved For Release-316&2P".`t-t$i D b0780R003700100010-2
 Approved For Release 2003/05/27 : CIA-RDP84-007808003700100010-2
SECRET
(When Filled In)
LANGUAGE INCENTIVE PROGRAM RECOMMENDATION
Chief, Language School
(Deputy Director
-"T DAT&
(Senior Training Officer)
COMPONENT
I recommend that the above Subject be considered a participant in the CIA Language
Incentive Program for proficiency achievement in .(language)
DESIRED LEVEL DESIRED SKILL
UNDERSTAND
1 (SLIGHT) 3 (INTERMEDIATE) SPEAKING ODTLY ONLY
2? (ELEMENTRY)
!I (HIGH)
READING ONLY
COMPREHENSIVE
I certify that to the best of my knowledge, subject's proficiency level in the langu.
age shown above is as follows: (Check only that box below which best describes
subject's present competence in the language.)
HAS NO USABLE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE
IS RECORDED IN AGENCY RECORDS AS HAVING A TESTED COMPETENCE OF R- ,
S , _U- (specify numerical level)
-(For Field Personnel Only AS ESTIMATED BY HIS CHIE.OF STATION AS RAVING A
J COMPETENCE OP R- , S.. , U- / (Specify numerical level),
VERIFIED:
CHIEF, LANGUAGE SCHOOL
OPERATING OFFICIAL
APPROVED FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE LANGUAGE INCENTIVE PROGRAM:
DEPUTY DIRECTOR DATE
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t?t