In addition... choose languages!
You are all given Earth-born (English) to start, unless you were raised elsewhere. But this is the most common human language, and is the language of the UNSC. Others include Colonial (common out-worlders' tongue), Ri (Covenant common tongue), and a whole smattering of other Covie languages (cannot remember all the names of the individual races).
You get a number of bonus languages (other than your starting language) equal to your Intelligence modifier!
I also added a Translator Chip as a helmet attachment. It allows the wearer to understand and speak in any UNSC-known language of the universe.