I'm considering, after reading through this thread (http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=149&efcid=3&efidt=298250) and wondering myself how to address everyone using Universal Translators in the game, the following house rules for languages.

PCs (and NPCs if you so choose) can speak a number of languages based on their INT:

• 1-2: speak 1 language
• 3-4: speak 2 languages
• 5-6: speak 3 languages (note, current rules cap for PC stat is 6)
• 7-8: speak 4 languages
• 9-10: speak 5 languages

In addition, the following skills/specialties allow for literacy and expanded language understanding:

• Educated: Literate in any language the PC knows based on their INT
• Linguist (Educated specialization): Make a Skill check to converse in any unknown language (boons/banes chart to follow)
• Specific specializiation: 1 point to speak specific language, +1 point to gain literacy in it

An optional optional rule is a player who wants to be literate in their 'native language' can spend two of their INT language slots to buy speaking and reading/writing in that language.

For example, a PC with an INT 3 wants to be able to speak and read/write Reikspiel without buying Educated. Instead of taking a second spoken language, the PC could use that second language slot and 'buy' literacy with Reikspiel.

Note, after character creation the PCs will have to find appropriate tutors to teach them additional languages as they raise their INT. Based on the above table any character can teach a spoken language they know, but they would need either the Educated skill or at least INT 3 to teach the written skill.

Your comments and thoughts welcome.

In my game, I enjoy the fact that only Burghers and most of the academic careers have easy access to literacy.

The way I see it, it is really difficult (read: expensive xp-wise) for common folk to aquire education without serious dedication (read: career change), and I like it that way.
Especially for humans a temporary career change is easy enough, at least point-wise, so if e.g. a Roadwarden really wants to be literate, he might have to travel to a town and find a Scribe to teach him. This will effectively put him into the Scribe career for a while.
Of course he can still go the hard way and spend a higher amount of experience points if he wants to aquire it all by himself while keeping the Roadwarden career.
While that means most careers can never start the game literate even if they are exceptionally intelligent, that's fine with me.

For additional languages it is a similar situation. Cosmopolitan people usually live in towns or cities and are often intellectuals or tradespeople.
A farmer (even one with above-average intelligence) who speaks foreign languages would be hard to find.
A farmer that doesn't live in his native country is a different matter, of course, but that would be really uncommon.

The Education skill lists "language skills" as a specialisation option, so this is the way to go to pick up additional languages during play.
Just like you wrote above, I also read this as "every time you pick this specialisation, you may add one additional language to your list".
Certain in-game situations might justify picking up a language without being educated, but those will be rare.

An Elf or a Dwarf should always be able to speak his racial tongue, plus a language of humans.
While this might seem a slight advantage, it is usually easier for a non-academic human to become educated in the long run using temporary career changes, so I can live with it.
While you could make it more difficult for the non-human races, not being able to spek to your party members is not really fun in my book.

So, to keep things simple, I use the following house rules:

- If your race is human, you start with your native language for free. If your native language is not Reikspiel, you are allowed to spend one of your Creation Points to add Reikspiel to your list.

- If your race is not human, you start with your racial native language and Reikspiel.

- Acquiring Education grants literacy for all spoken languages.

- Each "language skills" specialisation adds one additional language to your list.

- Certain extreme situations (like living in a foreign country for an extended period of time) might allow you to spend 1 advance to pick up the language without being educated, but this will always be a non-career advance. You will not be literate in this case until you acquire Education.

- If you change your career, you have to spend at least one advance in the new career before you are allowed to change your career again. In the case of a career change cost of 0, you stay in your old career until you spend the advance in the new career.