Language classes help employers get last word with their workers.

In an already tight job market, companies in Kansas City, and throughout the country, are struggling to entice job applicants with foreign language skills, offering bonuses and higher hourly wages for those who are bilingual and offering free classes to help employees brush up on Spanish.

And it isn't just the globe-trotting account executives whom companies want to be bilingual. These days, the crew chief at McDonald's has an edge if he or she speaks another language.

"Hiring people with language ability is a major initiative for us, from our corporate headquarters to our local offices," said Kevin Mobley, director of international and multicultural marketing at …