What are the language requirements to serve virtually?

Professional collaborations require strong communication skills. This is especially true in a virtual setting as any Participant in Peace Corps' Virtual Service Pilot (VSP) could tell you. Participants collaborate online with host country partner organizations to complete short-term projects.

Some of these virtual engagements only require English. Others, based on the specific engagement or the partner’s needs, require intermediate or advanced proficiency in the host country partner’s primary language.

When you browse through virtual service opportunities, you can filter them based on the language requirements. In this blog, we’ve answered the most common questions around language requirements for virtual service.

Why do some virtual service opportunities require language skills?

Partner organizations, especially those looking to improve their English language skills through virtual engagement, may request support from someone who can easily translate key terms or phrases into the host country’s primary language for improved comprehension and collaboration.

Virtual engagements are brief. They range from 3 to 6 months, and the first few weeks are reserved for orienting individuals involved in the VSP on the partner’s needs, project objectives, and local challenges. This makes it even more important for individuals to hit the ground running and complete tasks alongside their counterpart in the allotted time.

Will I be assessed on my language proficiency level?

Partner organizations may request online support from an individual with basic, intermediate, or advanced language skills. While there is no official exam to confirm your proficiency, it’s important that you carefully assess your own competency as the collaboration may prove difficult if your language skills do not meet the level requested by the partner.

Will there be opportunities to learn the local language?

Virtual Service Pilot Participants and their counterparts are encouraged to meet Peace Corps’ goals 2 and 3 by exchanging an appreciation for one another’s culture throughout the engagement. That can translate to sharing photos of holiday celebrations, a playlist of popular music, or vocabulary and key phrases. However, there are no formal language lessons during most engagements.

Some Participants choose to start each virtual session with an icebreaker activity to strengthen and expand language knowledge, and to demonstrate that learning can go both ways!

At orientation, you may ask the in-country Peace Corps staff for available language resources. You can also download free language-learning applications or visit your local library for helpful guides—the extra effort will mean a lot to your counterpart and strengthen your relationship.