Four students are representing Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL), taking place remotely this week, from Dublin City University (DCU). The Irish team is made up of the top four students from the 2021 All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) which is run by ADAPT, the SFI Research Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology, at the School of Computing, DCU.
Justin Cunningham from Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, clinched top spot in the National Final. Justin also made the team last year when the internationals were unfortunately cancelled, and is a previous Junior Champion. Joining him on the IOL team are Oscar Despard (Sandford Park School, Ranelagh, Dublin), Natalia Timulakova (Holy Faith Clontarf, Dublin) and David Wright (Lucan Community College, Dublin).
The students have taken part in online training with Prof Harold Somers and Dr Cara Greene of ADAPT in the School of Computing. The International Olympiad will see the students come up against approximately 200 top linguistic problem-solvers, from 30 countries, to tackle some of the toughest puzzles in logic and linguistics in little-known languages from all over the globe. The students are facing a 6-hour individual round paper today and a 4-hour team round on Wednesday. Results will be announced on Saturday.
Students from Kildare and Dublin clinch the four team spots out of 100 of Ireland’s top young problem-solvers at the National Final of the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad.
Four students have qualified to represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) this Summer. Making up the team are Justin Cunningham from Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge, Co. Kildare who is the 2021 ADAPT All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) National Champion. Justin also made the team last year when the internationals were unfortunately cancelled, and is a previous Junior Champion. Joining him on the IOL team are Oscar Despard (Sandford Park School, Ranelagh, Dublin) who got second place, Natalia Timulakova (Holy Faith Clontarf, Dublin) who came third and David Wright (Lucan Community College, Dublin) who placed fourth. Natalia’s twin sister, Dominika, also did exceptionally well in the competition, getting fifth place overall.
AILO also runs a Junior (under 16s) category to encourage younger students to take part. Megan Boland from Ursuline Secondary School Thurles, Tipperary is the Junior Champion this year as well as placing 7th overall. Hannah Clune and Emer Phelan, from Coláiste Muire Ennis, in Clare got second and fourth respectively, while Cormac Hannon, from Gonzaga College in Dublin got second place to round out the Junior Category.
The National Final saw the students tackle some of the toughest puzzles in logic and linguistics in little-known languages from all over the globe.The final, and the Preliminary Round in January, were both held online remotely due to the pandemic. Depending on government restrictions etc., AILO is aiming to run the International competition papers remotely from Dublin City University during the week 19-23 July.
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About AILO
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.
In 2020, AILO was awarded the prestigious European Language Label (ELL) for the “very successful transition to online AILO”. The current 2020/1 AILO season has moved fully online to continue to engage with students at home with ADAPT tutors running 25 free online workshops and the preliminary round running fully online from home. AILO teacher, Olivia Moore of Methodist College Belfast, said of the preliminary round, “for our AILO candidates this year, for 2.5 hours on a Monday morning in January, the world seemed almost normal!”
Justin Cunningham from Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge, Co. Kildare is the 2021 AILO National Champion. Justin also made the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) team last year (but the IOL as cancelled) and was a previous Junior champion. Joining him on the IOL team are Oscar Despard (Sandford Park School, Ranelagh, Dublin) who got second place, Natalia Timulakova (Holy Faith Clontarf, Dublin) who came third and David Wright (Lucan Community College, Dublin) who placed fourth. Megan Boland from Ursuline Secondary School Thurles, Tipperary is the Junior Champion as well as placing 7th overall.
An online awards event will take place in April to celebrate the team and the top four Junior Winners.
Depending on government restrictions etc., AILO is aiming to run the International competition papers remotely from Dublin City University during the week 19-23 July. Ahead of this, ADAPT will provide the team with online evening training from May/June.
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Talented problem-solvers from all over Ireland tackled the world’s toughest puzzles in logic, language and linguistics in the National Final of the 13th ADAPT All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) on Wednesday. The competition was held remotely from home, with Zoom invigilation, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Run by ADAPT, an SFI research centre, the contest challenges secondary school students to apply logic and reasoning skills to solve complex puzzles in unfamiliar languages.
The national finalists qualified after coming through the Online Preliminary Round of AILO at the end of January. Students from forty-eight schools from fifteen counties on the island of Ireland qualified for the National Final. Four winners of the national final will have the opportunity to represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad, from 19-23 July, which is likely to be held remotely in participating countries around the world.
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.
In 2020, AILO was awarded the prestigious European Language Label (ELL) for the “very successful transition to online AILO”. The current 2020/1 AILO season has moved fully online to continue to engage with students at home with ADAPT tutors running 25 free online workshops and the preliminary round running fully online from home. AILO teacher, Olivia Moore of Methodist College Belfast, said of the preliminary round, “for our AILO candidates this year, for 2.5 hours on a Monday morning in January, the world seemed almost normal!”
100 of Ireland’s top young problem-solvers, from 48 secondary schools all over the island, competed in the National Final of the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad on Wednesday 10th March.
11 March 2021, Ireland: Talented problem-solvers from all over Ireland tackled the world’s toughest puzzles in logic, language and linguistics in the National Final of the 13th ADAPT All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) on Wednesday. The competition was held remotely from home, with Zoom invigilation, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Run by ADAPT, an SFI research centre, the contest challenges secondary school students to apply logic and reasoning skills to solve complex puzzles in unfamiliar languages.
The national finalists qualified after coming through the Online Preliminary Round of AILO at the end of January. Students from forty-eight schools from fifteen counties on the island of Ireland qualified for the National Final. Four winners of the national final will have the opportunity to represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad, from 19-23 July, which is likely to be held remotely in participating countries around the world.
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.
In 2020, AILO was awarded the prestigious European Language Label (ELL) for the “very successful transition to online AILO”. The current 2020/1 AILO season has moved fully online to continue to engage with students at home with ADAPT tutors running 25 free online workshops and the preliminary round running fully online from home. AILO teacher, Olivia Moore of Methodist College Belfast, said of the preliminary round, “for our AILO candidates this year, for 2.5 hours on a Monday morning in January, the world seemed almost normal!”
The results of the National Final of the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad will be released next week. Sample puzzles from the Olympiad can be downloaded at http://tempailo.adaptcentre.ie/sample-puzzles/
The ADAPT All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) has been awarded the prestigious 2020 European Language Label (ELL) for the “AILO at Home” project. The ELL award was presented by Léargas at an online awards ceremony today.
AILO at Home, which is led by Dr Cara Greene of the ADAPT EPE team, provides bite-size information on a little-known language on social media and links to a related linguistic problem-solving puzzle. The initiative was devised just after secondary schools closed in March in order to continue to communicate with AILO students, their parents and engage with the public. The initiative scored highly, with 14 points out of 15. The jury considered the project “in a class of its own” and commended AILO at Home for its “quantum leap” over the last few months. Referring to AILO’s “very successful transition to online AILO”, the award highlights how AILO successfully ran the Preliminary round online and pivoted to running remotely just ahead the Covid-19 lockdown with students doing the National Final from their schools for the first time.
Building on Online AILO in the new school year, ADAPT Centre researchers will run free online problem-solving workshops from November to January to help students and teachers with problem-solving strategy and help prepare them for AILO 2021. The season will be able to run fully online if necessary, with students able to take part in all parts of the competition from their own school.
In view of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the possible progression of the Coronavirus risk in Ireland, we have decided to run the National Final of All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad remotely in schools this year. The on-site event would have brought students from 60 schools together and it is considered a precautionary response. All teacher contacts have already been emailed with these details.
How it will work on Wed 11th March for Students who have Qualified
Like the Preliminary Round, teachers of qualified students will receive a PDF paper and answer booklet on Wednesday 11th March by 8am.
The 2.5 hour printed paper can be taken in school by qualified students on the 11th March under exam conditions with a teacher present.
Teachers are asked to scan / photograph answer booklets and email them to us on Wednesday please. With the event in DCU cancelled, we will not run the team round.
We understand that qualifiers may be disappointed to be missing out on the on-site event and regret the need for this decision.
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
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/.
Over 550 students from around the island have attended ADAPT Centre Problem solving workshops in November and December 2017. The workshops took place in Antrim, Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Limerick, Louth, Roscommon, Waterford and Westmeath. There is one further workshop to take place in Donegal next week.
The workshops covered problem solving strategies and prepared secondary schools students to try their hand at ADAPT’s problem solving competition the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO). A huge thank you to all our AILO tutors for travelling and running these workshops and to all the schools, LERO in the University of Limerick and NICILT in Queens University for hosting us.
Students and teachers can still sign up at http://tempailo.adaptcentre.ie/enter/ until the 19th of January 2018. The first round will take place in schools around the country on 29th January 2018. The top 100 can then qualify for the final in Dublin on 13th March 2018 with the top 4 going on to represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL http://www.ioling.org/) in Prague 26-30 July 2018.