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IOL 2019 Yongin, South Korea

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Ireland’s Top Young Problem-Solvers to Take on World’s Best Decoders at International Linguistics Olympiad

Ireland’s top four secondary school decoders earn the chance to represent their country at the International Linguistics Olympiad in South Korea

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25 March 2019, Ireland: Four secondary school students from across the island of Ireland have been selected to test their language decoding skills against the world’s best at the International Linguistics Olympiad in Yongin, South Korea 29th July – 2nd August. The students, from Cork, Belfast, Dublin and Monaghan, came from an initial line up of 4000 students.  The four students were selected from the National Final of the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) which was recently held at Dublin City University. Run by ADAPT, a SFI research centre, the contest challenges secondary school students to apply logic and reasoning skills to solve complex puzzles in unfamiliar languages.

 

The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) challenges students to use their lateral thinking skills to solve puzzles in languages from all over the globe. Students must analyse the data they are given to work out the ‘rules’ of this new language. These transferable skills are very important in other subjects such as Maths, Coding and learning new languages. 

AILO helps students to develop a powerful blend of problem-solving expertise and language competency, which are vital skills in today’s global economy. 

 

Laura Cosgrave from Midleton College Cork, who is the AILO National Champion, is looking forward to pitting her wits against winners of other National Linguistics Olympiads from around the world in Yongin. She said: “My experience in AILO has allowed me to stretch my mind by solving fascinating, challenging problems and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I am really excited to represent Ireland in South Korea.” Laura was also on the Irish Maths Olympiad team this year and earned an honourable mention. 

Joining Laura on the team are Keelan James Daye of Sandford Park School, Ranelagh, Dublin, Flynn Ryan from Rathmore Grammar School, Belfast and Páidí Walsh from Ballybay Community College, Monaghan. The week in Korea includes a tough six-hour individual round, a three-hour team round and a fun schedule of cultural activities. 

The team will be accompanied by team leaders Prof Harold Somers and Dr Cara Greene of ADAPT who have been helping the team train for the step up to international level. Dr Greene said, “The students who have qualified to represent Ireland are talented problem-solvers who will hold their own in South Korea. We are looking forward to competing against over 50 teams from 37 countries from all over the World.” The team has been doing regular online training and are at a training camp in ADAPT at Dublin City University currently prior to travelling to Korea.

AILO is run by the ADAPT Centre, a research centre that is revolutionising how digital content is adapted, personalised and delivered for the needs of global users.  ADAPT brings together more than 200 researchers at Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, University College Dublin, and Technological University Dublin as well as industry leaders in global digital content.  ADAPT if funded by Science Foundation Ireland and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

 

The results of the International Linguistics Olympiad will be announced on Friday 2nd August. Sample puzzles from Irish Olympiad can be downloaded at http://tempailo.adaptcentre.ie/puzzles/. 

 

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Irish Teens Have Home Advantage as Dublin Hosts the 2017 International Linguistics Olympiad

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Today forty-four teams consisting of 176 students aged between 14-19 years, representing 29 countries, will compete in the International Linguistics Olympiad 2017 in Dublin. The International Linguistics Olympiad 2017 (IOL 2017) is being hosted by the Science Foundation Ireland-funded ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology and it will run from 31 July to 4 August in Dublin City University. Competitors will attempt over the 5 days to win a gold medal for their country and/or an individual medal for their problem solving skills.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of the ADAPT Centre, Professor Vincent Wade said, “The ADAPT Centre is delighted to host the 15th International Linguistics Olympiad and to welcome over 350 people – contestants, jury members, team leaders and observers – from over 30 nations to Dublin. These top young problem solvers break boundaries as the competition tests not just linguistic skills but hones their lateral-thinking skills. The IOL inspires students to consider the fascinating range of careers that combine computing, linguistics and languages. I would like to wish Team Ireland the very best of luck this week and hope they encourage you to attend the Family Problem Solving Festival taking place in September

The IOL is an annual international competition that challenges young people to decode unfamiliar languages, many of them little-known or expired languages.  It encourages students to develop their own strategies for solving problems in fascinating languages from around the globe. Students must use their ingenuity to solve puzzles such as deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics, decoding numerical spy codes, and interpreting ancient Mayan poetry. No prior knowledge of linguistics or a second language is required, as even the hardest problems require only logical ability and lateral thinking. The aim of the competition is to develop students’ problem-solving skills and to inspire them to consider the range of careers at the intersection of computing, linguistics and language.

Speaking today Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Strategy and Communications at Science Foundation Ireland, welcomed participants saying “The IOL brings together some of the best young problem solvers and creative thinkers from across the globe. Science Foundation Ireland are delighted to welcome the competitors and their families to Dublin. Problem solving and lateral thinking are vital skills for a wide range of careers, especially in science and technology. Competitions such as the IOL allow young people to learn these skills in a fun, interactive manner, fostering the next generation of problem solvers and innovators. I wish all the competitors the best of luck and hope they will inspire other students to participate in the national competition, the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad, next year.”

Team Ireland comprises Ireland’s top eight second-level students who competed against over 4,000 students nationwide in the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) in order to qualify for the team. Team Ireland members are:

Philip Krause (17), Ashton Blackrock, Cork

Eimer Kyle (16), St. Finian’s College, Mullingar, Westmeath

Marco Stango (19), Newtown School, Waterford

Tom McAlinden (17), Aquinas Grammar, Belfast, Antrim

Padraig Sheehy (17), Gonzaga College SJ, Dublin

Tristan l’Anson-Sparks (15), Methodist College, Belfast, Antrim

Cian O’Hara (17), Holy Family Community School, Rathcoole, Dublin

Daniel Quingley (17), Belfast Royal Academy, Belfast, Antrim.

Speaking today Team Ireland member Eimer Kyle said, “The emphasis that the IOL places on logic and reasoning was certainly its selling point for me. Most of the languages we have to deal with I’ve never even heard of before so it’s really exciting trying to figure out the puzzles. I’m looking forward to cracking puzzles this week, especially in the group challenge. I know it’ll really force us to think creatively and to stretch our minds. I’m also excited to meet the many other young people from around the world who share the same passion and interest I have in problem solving.”

The IOL is an annual competition that challenges students to decode unfamiliar languages – many of them little-known or expired languages.  In past years, students have worked on everything from sign language used by monks to Sanskrit poetry.  They have translated Jaqaru, a language once spoken among indigenous tribes in the Andes, and Iatmül, a language with only 8,400 native speakers.

Team members are selected on the basis of their strong performances in their national contests.  Last year’s IOL 2016 brought more than 180 students from 29 countries to India.  There, Team Ireland participant Pádraig Sheehy secured an Honorable Mention award and he is joining the Irish team again for IOL 2017 to continue his interests in decoding and problem solving.  Last year’s Irish winners also include Claire O’Connor from St. Louis High School with a Bronze Medal, and Dónal Farren from St. Eunan’s College, Letterkenny with an Honourable Mention award.

Speaking about his return to the Irish team this year, Páraig Sheehy said. “I first got involved with the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad and the IOL last year when I heard about it in my school, Gonzaga College. It was recommended to me by former IOL contestant and now team leader Luke Gardiner. I quickly developed a love for this form of problem solving. I enjoyed the experience and so was eager to participate in AILO again this year, despite having a Leaving Cert to study for! I am delighted and honored to have made the Irish team again this year, especially now that we are the host nation. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with some of my friends from last year and challenging myself with some of this year’s problems, as well as getting to know my new teammates. Wish us luck!”

The competition is one of twelve International Science Olympiads.  IOL is designed to challenge secondary-school children, and has been growing since 2003.  Curious readers and aspiring students are encouraged to head over to problemsolving.ie, to give some of the past problems a try.

The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad and Ireland’s participation in and hosting of the International Linguistics Olympiad are key elements of the Problem-Solving Initiative. This two-year nationwide initiative, run by ADAPT and funded by Science Foundation Ireland, aims to foster a new generation of skilled problem solvers for Ireland and to prepare the future leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The initiative will culminate in a free Family Problem Solving Festival in Trinity College Dublin on the 30th September.

Award-winning Mountrath Community School students pictured at the AILO national final 2017

Mountrath Community School Team Announced as Winners of All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad Team Competition

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Award-winning Mountrath Community School students pictured at the AILO national final 2017 Mountrath_Presentation2

Four secondary school students from Mountrath Community School have been announced as winners of the team competition at the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) final in Dublin. The team consisted of Alex Moore, Domhnall O’Farrell, Aisling Page and Christopher Carew.

The Mountrath students beat off competition from 42 other schools around Ireland to take the team trophy.  The AILO competition has been run by the ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology since 2009 and challenges students to use their ingenuity, creativity and skill to decipher languages with examples of translations.

The AILO final saw the top 100 students out of a starting line up of over 4,000 opponents compete.  Competitors are challenged to engage in ‘code-breaking’ tests to unlock information in unfamiliar languages.  No prior knowledge of a second language is needed with competitors required to use logical reasoning and out-of-the-box thinking to solve the problems presented.

Speaking about the competition, Professor Vincent Wade, Director of the ADAPT Centre said: “The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad puzzles are a mix of maths, science and humanities.  The increasing popularity of the competition highlights the Irish public’s interest and appreciation for the imporance and applicability of problem-solving skills across science, the economy and society.  We are looking forward to hosting and running a free, family-friendly problem-solving festival in Dublin Castle on 5th August which is open to all.”

Run by the Science Foundation Ireland funded ADAPT Centre, AILO aims to inspire the next generation of multilingual technology graduates, who possess a combination of language competency and problem-solving expertise.  Participants in AILO 2017 received tuition from experts at the ADAPT Centre to assist them in how to approach the puzzles.

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ADAPT Centre teams up with Queen’s University Belfast to offer Free AILO Problem-Solving Workshops

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The ADAPT Centre has announced that it is to team up with the Northern Ireland Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research at Queen’s University Belfast to offer free problem-solving workshops for Northern Irish participants in the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad 2017.

The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) is a competition for post-primary pupils to test their ability to solve complex problems in languages from around the world. No prior knowledge of the language is required and the competition is a test of logic, patience and the ability to think outside the box!

The Olympiad is open to participants in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Students can enter one of two categories: Junior (up to 16 years of age) and Senior (over 16 years of age).

Queen’s University Belfast will host workshops on 13th January 2017 to help students hone their problem-solving strategies ahead of competing in the qualifying round of AILO 2017 in February. ADAPT tutors will guide students through sample puzzles during a 2-hour workshop.

Spaces in the workshops are limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information and to register, see https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/nicilt/EventsOpportunities/AllIrelandLinguisticsOlympiad/

 

Adapt Pic Paul Sharp/SHARPPIX

Minister Mitchell O’Connor launches national Problem-Solving Initiative

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  • The Problem-Solving Initiative will foster the next generation of problem solvers for Ireland
  • Search is on for Ireland’s top young problem solver
On 7th November 2017 Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, TD, launched a major nationwide initiative aimed at fostering the next generation of skilled problem solvers for Ireland. The Problem-Solving Initiative (PSI) will encourage Irish youngsters to hone their lateral-thinking skills, and will create enthusiasm within the Irish public for problem-solving by engaging people directly with mind-bending puzzles and challenges. It will also promote career pathways in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for those who enjoy solving problems. The two-year initiative is delivered by the ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology, led out of Trinity College Dublin, and funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI).

 

Speaking about the initiative, ADAPT Director Professor Vincent Wade said: “Creative problem-solving and lateral thinking is at the heart of STEM. The PSI will empower the youth of Ireland to hone these transferable skills, which are a critical requirement for the future leaders in STEM fields. It will also raise public awareness of the importance of problem-solving skills across science, the economy and society.”

 

The programme of events will include expansion of the ADAPT Centre’s highly-successful All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO). AILO challenges secondary school students to develop their own problem-solving strategies to decode the world’s toughest puzzles in language, logic and linguistics. The contest, which has attracted 14,000 participants to date, aims to discover Ireland’s top young problem solver. Schools can register now at www.adaptcentre.ie/ailo

 

Welcoming the Problem Solving Initiative, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, TD, said: “I would like to congratulate Team Ireland on their recent success at the 2016 International Linguistics Olympiad, and would encourage all schools to take part in this wonderful Problem Solving Initiative run by the ADAPT Research Centre.  I am keen to raise people’s awareness of the importance of problem solving skills across science, the economy and society as a whole and I would also like to invite people of all ages to try out the various brain teasers to hone their problem solving skills; skills that are at the very heart of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths advancement in our world.”

 

Minster of State for Training, Skills and Innovation, John Halligan said: “The Problem Solving Initiative builds on the success of ADAPT’s AILO Competition which encourages secondary school students to perfect their analytical skills. Problem solving skills are crucial not only for STEM related careers but across society. The Problem Solving Initiative provides the opportunity to develop analytical skills in a fun engaging way. I strongly encourage everyone to put their skills to the test and challenge your friends and colleagues to try the brain teasers.”

 

Other key elements of the Problem-Solving Initiative include:
  • Problem-solving workshops at public festival events during Science Week, 13th to 20th November 2016.
  • The International Linguistics Olympiad 2017, which will see the top 180 problem solvers from more than 30 countries compete at Dublin City University from 31st July to 4th August 2017.
  • Problem-solving puzzle packs for primary schools.
  • A family Problem-Solving Festival in Dublin Castle on 5th August 2017.
  • Mind-bending puzzles available to the public through www.problemsolving.ie and via social media.
The impact of the initiative is already reflected in the strong performance of Team Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad 2016 in Mysore, India in July 2016. Claire O’Connor (17) from St. Louis High School, Rathmines beat 180 contestants from 30 countries to secure a bronze medal. Dónal Farren (17) of St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny and Pádraig Sheehy (16) of Gonzaga College, Ranelagh won Honourable Mention awards.

 

Speaking about her experience student Claire O’Connor said: “Since taking part in AILO and IOL I’ve learned that keeping an open mind and trusting your instincts prevents you from ruling out valuable ideas that may seem implausible at first. I now know not to always keep my focus linear when faced with problems“.

 

Secondary school students are encouraged to sign up for the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad 2017 now at www.adaptcentre.ie/ailo 

 

View the Photo Gallery from the Launch:

Find out more by viewing the Problem-Solving Initiative Video:

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Help foster the next generation of Irish problem solvers

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The ADAPT Centre is seeking partners and sponsors for the Problem-Solving Initiative (PSI) to help ensure the wide reach and deep impact of this ambitious initiative.

The PSI incorporates:

Why Sponsor the Problem-Solving Initiative?

  • Associate your brand with an exciting nationwide initiative designed to foster vital skills in the Irish population
  • Align your brand with the best up-and-coming problem solvers and STEM leaders from Ireland and across the globe
  • Get your brand in front of 100,000+ members of the public

Get on Board!

Is your organisation passionate about fostering the next generation of great Irish problem solvers?

Download the Problem-Solving Initiative sponsorship brochure (pdf).

Get in touch to find out how you can support this ambitious initiative.

Want to know more? View our video introduction below.

AILO Participants

93% of students say All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad has improved their problem-solving skills

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93% of students say All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad has improved their problem-solving skills

93% of participants in the final of All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad 2016 report that the contest has helped them to enhance their problem-solving skills. These results were revealed in a survey of contestants at the national final of the contest, which was held in March 2016 at Trinity College Dublin.

The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) is a key element of the ADAPT Centre’s Problem-Solving Initiative. It challenges students to develop their own stratiges for solving complex problems in unfamiliar languages, thus enhancing the lateral thinking skills necessary for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

The survey also revealed that AILO is increasing students’ propensity to consider careers combining computing and language. After participating in the Olympiad, 81% of students say they would consider studying computing and language at third level – up from only 47% of students before the contest.

A huge 98% of AILO 2016 finalists said they would recommend the Olympiad to a friend.

Among the reasons cited for this were:
“AILO helps young people to discover their skills.”
“This competition has improved my confidence when solving even maths problems because it’s so challenging.”
“Huge sense of satisfaction from figuring something out.”

It is clear that students find the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad hugely beneficial, challenging and fun.

Test your mind against the world’s toughest puzzles in logic, language and linguistics! Check out AILO puzzles now and register for the contest from mid-September 2016.

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Irish Teen Problem Solvers Win World Bronze in India

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Team Ireland secures a bronze medal and two honourable mention awards at the International Linguistics Olympiad in Mysore, India

 

2 August 2016, Dublin, Ireland: As Team Ireland departs Ireland for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Brazil, four young Irish language code-breakers have proved themselves among the world’s best problem solvers at the Linguistics Olympiad in Mysore, India. The Irish secondary school students, sponsored and tutored by the Science Foundation Ireland funded ADAPT Centre, have won a bronze medal and two Honourable Mention awards at the event, which concluded on 29 July 2016.

 

Claire O’Connor (17) of St Louis High School, Rathmines, Dublin beat off competition from 180 competitors from 30 countries to secure a bronze medal. Dónal Farren (17) of St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny, Co Donegal and Pádraig Sheehy (16) of Gonzaga College, Ranelagh, Dublin won Honourable Mention awards. Just outside the awards was Richard Neville (18) of St Andrew’s College, Booterstown, Dublin.

 

The International Linguistics Olympiad challenges students to apply logic, computational thinking and problem-solving skills to solve some of the world’s most complex problems in linguistics and language. This year’s contest saw the Irish team members find their way around maps written in the Aralle-Tabulahan language of Indonesia, decipher Luwian Hieroglyphics, and decode expressions in the Iatmül language of Papua New Guinea.

 

The Irish team representatives were selected on the basis of their strong performances at the ADAPT All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) in March 2016 at Trinity College Dublin. More than 4,000 students from secondary schools in 29 counties competed in this year’s Irish finals. AILO is a key element of ADAPT’s Problem-Solving Initiative (www.problemsolving.ie), a nationwide initiative which aims to enhance the Irish public’s problem-solving skills.

 

It was revealed in India on Friday (29 July 2016) that the ADAPT Centre has bid successfully to host the International Linguistics Olympiad 2017 at Dublin City University from 31 July to 4 August 2017.

 

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Olympiad in India, Laura Grehan, Irish team leader and Education and Public Engagement Manager at ADAPT said:

“The strong performance of the Irish team at the International Linguistics Olympiad 2016 is evidence of how the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad is helping to hone Irish students’ lateral thinking and problem-solving skills. The ADAPT Centre looks forward to hosting more than 350 people – contestants, jury members, team leaders and observers – from over 30 nations at the International Linguistics Olympiad 2017 in Dublin next summer.”

 

Registration for the 2017 season of the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad will open in September 2016 at www.adaptcentre.ie/ailo

..Ends..

For media queries contact Olivia Waters, Marketing and Communications Manager at the ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology. Tel: 0879153599.  Email: olivia.waters@adaptcentre.ie.  

For more information on the Problem Solving Initiative contact Ms Laura Grehan, Education and Public Engagement Manager. Tel: 087 2046518 Email: laura.grehan@adaptcentre.ie

 

Notes for the Editor

The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (www.adaptcentre.ie/ailo)

Run by the ADAPT Centre, the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) is a contest in which secondary school students are challenged to develop their own strategies for solving problems in fascinating languages from around the globe. Students must use their ingenuity to solve puzzles such as deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics, decoding numerical spy codes, and interpreting ancient Mayan poetry. No prior knowledge of linguistics or a second language is required, as even the hardest problems require only logical ability, patient work, and a willingness to think around corners. AILO introduces students to linguistics (i.e. the study of human language) and to the application of logic to problems of language understanding and translation. The goal is to develop students’ problem-solving skills and to inspire them to consider the fascinating range of careers at the intersection of computing, linguistics and language. More than 14,000 Irish students have participated in the Olympiad to date. The top four contestants each year are selected to represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad, where they pit their wits against 180 language decoders from 30 countries.

The Problem-Solving Initiative (www.problemsolving.ie)
The Problem-Solving Initiative aims to foster the next generation of skilled problem solvers for Ireland. The two year (2016-2017) initiative is run by the ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology and is funded by Science Foundation Ireland. It aims to help: raise the Irish public’s awareness of and appreciation for the importance and applicability of problem-solving skills across science, the economy and society; promote STEM career pathways for those who enjoy solving problem; encourage people of all ages to hone their lateral-thinking skills; and create enthusiasm within the Irish public for problem solving by engaging people directly with exciting puzzles and mind-bending challenges. Key elements of the initiative include the expansion of the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad, Dublin’s hosting of the International Linguistics Olympiad 2017, and a family-friendly problem-solving festival in Dublin Castle in August 2017. These events will be supplemented by a public awareness campaign to highlight and provide examples of the economic and social benefit of a strong problem-solving workforce, and exemplify careers requiring problem-solving skills. Mind-bending puzzles made available to the public and shared via social media

About ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology

ADAPT, the Centre for Digital Content Technology, provides a partnership between academia and industry in the field of digital content technology, leading on ground-breaking innovations in areas such as localization, social media analysis, multimodal interaction, intelligent content and media, and informal and formal learning.  Funded by Science Foundation Ireland, the centre is led out of Trinity College Dublin and combines the world-class expertise of researchers at Dublin City University, University College Dublin and Dublin Institute of Technology.

 

ADAPT has significant commercial expertise, having generated 7 spinout companies, multiple licenses and a large number of applied research collaborations.  ADAPT’s unique Design & Innovation Lab works with companies to bridge research and technology to enhance commercial success. www.adaptcentre.ie 

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