diff --git a/app/models/language.rb b/app/models/language.rb
index c014d77dbf..f5250c541b 100644
--- a/app/models/language.rb
+++ b/app/models/language.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,38 @@
 # This is a 1:1 representation of ISO 639-2.
 # It is built on initialization with a rake task, and not further touched.
+# attribute alpha_3_bibliographic always has a distinct 3 character value
+# alpha_2 will have either a 2 character value or and empty string ('')
+# english_name or french_name may be more than one word long
+# (e.g. 'English, Middle (1100-1500)', 'Filipino; Pilipino','Finno-Ugrian languages')
+# and many of the languages have multiple version (e.g. there are 4 variations of German)
 class Language < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   include Housekeeping::Users
 
+  # Scopes
+  scope :eng_name_contains, ->(name) {where('english_name ILIKE ?', "%#{name}%")}  # non-case sensitive comparison
+
+  #Validations
   validates_presence_of :english_name, :alpha_3_bibliographic
+
+  #returns nil or single object
+  def self.exact_abr(abbr)
+    a = where('alpha_3_bibliographic = ?', abbr).to_a
+    if a.count == 0
+      return nil
+    else
+      return a[0]
+    end
+  end
+
+  #returns nil or single object
+  def self.exact_eng(name)
+    a = where('english_name = ?', name).to_a
+    if a.count == 0
+      return nil
+    else
+      return a[0]
+    end
+
+  end
 end
diff --git a/lib/tasks/initialization/languages.rake b/lib/tasks/initialization/languages.rake
index aab8107c4f..199f85a96b 100644
--- a/lib/tasks/initialization/languages.rake
+++ b/lib/tasks/initialization/languages.rake
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ namespace :tw do
   namespace :initialization do
 
     desc 'call like "rake tw:initialization:build_languages[/Users/matt/Downloads/ISO-639-2_utf-8.txt]"'
-    task :build_languages, [:data_directory] => [:environment] do |t, args|
+    task :build_languages, [:data_directory] => [:environment, :user_id, :project_id] do |t, args|
       args.with_defaults(:data_directory => './ISO-639-2_utf-8.txt')
      
       # TODO: check checksums of incoming files?
diff --git a/spec/factories/language_factory.rb b/spec/factories/language_factory.rb
index 24f7d3588b..2b2024d0ee 100644
--- a/spec/factories/language_factory.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/language_factory.rb
@@ -3,8 +3,31 @@
 FactoryGirl.define do
   factory :language, traits: [:creator_and_updater] do
     factory :valid_language do
-      alpha_3_bibliographic "ABC"
-      english_name "English"
+      alpha_3_bibliographic 'ABC'
+      english_name 'English'
     end
+
+    factory :english do
+      alpha_3_bibliographic 'eng'
+      alpha_2 'en'
+      english_name 'English'
+      french_name 'anglais'
+    end
+
+    factory :russian do
+      alpha_3_bibliographic 'rus'
+      alpha_2 'ru'
+      english_name 'Russian'
+      french_name 'russe'
+    end
+
+    factory :creole_eng do
+      alpha_3_bibliographic 'cpe'
+      # alpha_2 nil - no 2 letter abbreviation
+      english_name '"Creoles and pidgins, English based"'
+      french_name 'russe'
+    end
+
   end
+
 end
diff --git a/spec/models/language_spec.rb b/spec/models/language_spec.rb
index f4860efba6..0d867c54ea 100644
--- a/spec/models/language_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/language_spec.rb
@@ -16,4 +16,40 @@
       expect(language.errors.include?(:alpha_3_bibliographic)).to be_true
     end
   end
+
+  context 'find values' do
+    before(:each) do
+      @eng = FactoryGirl.build(:english)
+      @eng.save
+      @rus = FactoryGirl.build(:russian)
+      @rus.save
+      @cre = FactoryGirl.build(:creole_eng)
+      @cre.save
+    end
+
+    specify 'eng_name scope should return a list of matching languages(like)' do
+      lang_a = Language.eng_name_contains('russ')
+      expect(lang_a.count).to eq(1)
+      expect(lang_a[0].id).to eq(@rus.id)
+      lang_a = Language.eng_name_contains('Englis')
+      expect(lang_a.count).to eq(2)
+      expect(lang_a[0].id).to eq(@eng.id)
+      expect(lang_a[1].id).to eq(@cre.id)
+    end
+
+    specify 'exact_abr should return a single object or nil' do
+      result = Language.exact_abr('cpe')
+      expect(result.id).to eq(@cre.id)
+      result = Language.exact_abr('not')
+      expect(result).to be_nil
+    end
+
+    specify 'exact_eng_name should return a single object or nil' do
+      result = Language.exact_eng('English')
+      expect(result.id).to eq(@eng.id)
+      result = Language.exact_eng('English,')
+      expect(result).to be_nil
+    end
+  end
+
 end