Ireland’s top four secondary school Linguistic problem-solvers win the chance to represent their country at the International Linguistics Olympiad in India in July
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 Mysore, India in July. The students, from Dublin and Donegal, finished ahead of 100 opponents in the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) Finals, which were recently held at Trinity College Dublin.
Prof. Vincent Wade (CEO, ADAPT) pictured with Pádraig Sheehy, Richard Neville, Claire O’Connor, Dónal Farren and Dr. Cara Greene (National Coordinator AILO, ADAPT)
Run by the Science Foundation Ireland funded ADAPT Centre, the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) aims to inspire the next generation of multilingual technology graduates, who possess a combination of language competency and problem solving expertise.
Pádraig Sheehy of Gonzaga College, Ranelagh (Dublin) is the Senior Champion. He will be joined in India by fellow team members Claire O’Connor of St. Louis Rathmines (Dublin), Richard Neville of St. Andrews College, Booterstown (Dublin) and Dónal Farren of St. Eunan’s College (Donegal) who finished second, third and fourth respectively in the Senior competition.
The Junior competition was won by Alexander Harding of Maynooth Post Primary School (Kildare). Tristan l’Ansen Sparks of Methodist College (Belfast), Aleksandr Gusev of Royal School (Cavan) and Ross Beatty of St. Andrew’s College, Booterstown (Dublin) clinched the 2nd, 3rd anad 4th place spots.
Olympiad National Coordinator Dr. Cara Greene of ADAPT said, “Pádraig, Claire, Richard and Dónal will do Ireland proud in India. They will be challenged with some of the toughest linguistic puzzles in the world during the individual and team competitions at the international Olympiad.”
Finalists have received tuition from experts at the ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology, a €110 million academia-industry research centre developing advanced technology to adapt and personalise digital content and services to the needs of global users. They will receive further tuition before they leave to represent Ireland in the Finals in India later this year.
Dublin, 16th March 2016: The 8th annualAll Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) competition final was held at Trinity College Dublinyesterday (15th March 2016). 100 students from 51 schools coming from 23 counties raced to solve linguistic problems and decipher numerical spy codes in the quest to become Ireland’s top young problem solver. The students now await the announcement of the national final results next week when four students will be selected to represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad in India in July 2016.
Speaking about the competition, Professor of Computer Science at Trinity and Director of the ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology, the organisers of the AILO competition said: “The next generation of leaders and problem solvers are here. The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad hones students’ problem solving, lateral thinking and language skills – key requirements in today’s globalised world. The combination of computational thinking and linguistics in a fun way inspires students to pursue third level studies at the intersection of computing, linguistics and language.”
The secondary school students from across Ireland took part in a face-to-face competition for the AILO final in Trinity. Using their ingenuity, creativity and skill to solve language-related problems, the students competed to decide who would become Ireland’s top young problem solver and who would go on to test their language decoding skills against the world’s best in India.
In preparation for the AILO final, researchers from the ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology visited schools earlier in 2016 to deliver training for students. A total of 437 students from 36 schools across Ireland attended 17 problem solving initiative workshops. The national competition has been met with enthusiasm by students and teachers alike and the success of the competition in Ireland is highlighted by Ireland’s hosting, by the ADAPT Centre, of the International Linguistics Olympiad in 2017 when 180 of the world’s top young linguistic problem-solvers will descend on Dublin City University.
In addition, a new Problem-Solving Initiative (PSI) aimed at enhancing the problem-solving ability of young people and raising awareness of these skills for society, the economy and science will take place in 2016 and culminate in a weeklong problem-solving festival in Dublin in July 2017 (http://adaptcentre.ie/ailo/problem-solving-initiative/)
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For media queries please contact Olivia Waters, Marketing and Communications Manager at ADAPT, olivia.waters@adaptcentre.ie Tel: 087 9153599, or Dr Cara Greene, national coordinator of the AILO competition, cara.greene@adaptcentre.ie or Tel: 086 8646476
About ADAPT
The ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology provides a partnership between academia and industry. 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.
Coming to a school near you in early 2016, the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) problem-solving workshops will help you to hone your problem-solving skills and prepare you for Round 1 of the contest.
You will receive free tuition by experts in linguistics and problem-solving strategies.
82% of AILO 2015 participants report having improved their problem-solving skills by taking part in the contest. Don’t miss out! Register for AILO 2016.
Note that teachers must register to get an invitation email to apply for places at a workshop.
Workshops
All workshops will take place on dates between 11th – 22nd January 2016. Dates for each location will be updated here once they are confirmed.
Methodist College, Belfast City, Antrim [Wednesday 27th January]
Royal School Cavan, Cavan Town, Cavan [Monday 11th January]
St. Caimin’s Community School, Shannon, Clare [Thursday 21st January]
St. Francis College Rochestown, Cork [Wednesday 20th January]
Douglas Community School, Douglas, Cork [Friday 15th January]
Students from Tallaght Community School, Adam Nolan (2nd Year age 14) and Aishling Whelan (6th Year age 17) joined Minister for Education, Jan O’Sullivan, to launch the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) competition.
Secondary school students are being urged to test their creative problem-solving skills in the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad Competition.
The search is on for Ireland’s best young problem solvers! Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, today launched the 2015/6 season of the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO), an innovative competition in which secondary school students develop their own strategies for solving problems in fascinating languages from around the globe. The prize for the top four decoders is the opportunity to represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad in Mysore, India in July 2016. Schools can sign up for the contest at http://www.adaptcentre.ie/ailo.
In 2014 the AILO evaluation report highlighted that 82% of students reported better problem-solving skills as well as increased propensity to take up courses in STEM topics. Already 3,000 students have signed up for AILO 2015/6 and it is hoped that the 2014/5 number of 4000 participants will be exceeded before the application deadline of 25th January 2016.
Speaking about AILO, Minister O’Sullivan said: “AILO continues to go from strength-to-strength. It’s a great competition that challenges second-level students in a fun and engaging way. The analytical skills students develop are not only vital for careers at the cross-section of computing and linguistics, but are transferable skills that are critical for a range of STEM careers. I encourage students to take part in AILO 2015/6 and test their minds against the world’s languages.”
Established in 2009, AILO’s primary aim is to enhance students’ problem solving skills in order to prepare them for high-tech careers in Ireland’s multi-billion euro digital content sector. The competition challenges secondary school students to engage in code-breaking to decipher complex puzzles in unfamiliar languages. Students use their ingenuity to solve puzzles such as deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics, decoding numerical spy codes, and interpreting Mayan poetry.
This year a new pre-Round One training programme has been launched with ADAPT hosting a number of regional AILO problem-solving workshops in hubs all over the island between 11th-22nd January 2016. Round one will take place in secondary schools on 1st February 2016.
Director of ADAPT and Professor in Computer Science at Trinity College Dublin, Vincent Wade, added: “The AILO competition is helping Ireland push the boundaries of modern science by challenging the next generation of scientists, innovators and problem-solvers. This initiative helps students develop the skills necessary to ensure Ireland is a world leader in STEM education and related industries. With over 13,000 participants to date, we at ADAPT are committed to developing problem-solving techniques in secondary school students in Ireland through the AILO competition.”
The top 100 students from the qualifying round will progress to the national final, which will be held at Trinity College Dublin on 15th March 2016. The overall top four performers will go on to represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad in India in July 2016. Schools can register online until the end of January at http://www.adaptcentre.ie/ailo.
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Media Contact:
Dr. Cara Greene, National Coordinator, All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad and Research Outreach Coordinator, ADAPT @ Dublin City University, at cara.greene@adaptcentre.ie or Tel: +353-1-700-6704 / +353-86-864-6476
ADDITONAL NOTES for EDITORS
The International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL):
The International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) is one of 12 International Science Olympiads, and has been held annually since 2003. Each year, teams of young problem-solvers from around the world gather and test their minds against the world’s toughest puzzles in language, logic and linguistics. No prior knowledge of linguistics or languages is required; even the hardest problems require only logical ability, patient work, and willingness to think around corners. 35 countries have competed in the first eleven International Linguistics Olympiads.
Ireland has entered a team each year since 2009, and the team members are selected on the basis of their strong performance in the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO). AILO is run by the Science Foundation Ireland and industry-funded ADAPT centre for global digital content and media innovation. More than 13,000 secondary school students have participated in the Irish contest to date.
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. The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad, the problem-solvers’ challenge, is a key element of the ADAPT Education and Outreach Programme.
ADAPT’s cutting-edge technologies enable businesses in all sectors to harness global digital content and media technologies to achieve unprecedented engagement among customers, companies and communities.
Dubliner Luke Gardiner among world’s top problem solvers in Bulgaria
Nineteen year old Luke Gardiner from Gonzaga College, Dublin, clinched a bronze medal at the International Linguistics Olympaid in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria in July 2015.
The international problem-solving contest, which ran from 20th to 24th July, challenges students to test lateral thinking skills by decoding some of the world’s toughest problems in logic, language and linguistics. Gardiner beat off competition from 180 students from 29 countries to bring home a bronze medal.
The top four teenagers from the national All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad, run by the Science Foundation Ireland ADAPT Centre, attended a two-day problem-solving training camp at Dublin City University prior to their departure for Bulgaria.
Gardiner was joined on the team by Shmuel Barron (17) of Sutton Park School, Dublin, Ethan Hamman (18) of Newpark Comprehensive, Dublin, and Niamh Lynch (18) of Loreto College Letterkenny, Donegal.
Dr. Cara Greene of the ADAPT Centre, who led the Irish delegation, said: “I am very proud and excited that Luke Gardiner has won a bronze medal in the International Linguistics Olympiad. This is Ireland’s first medal in seven years competing in the contest. The standard of competition is incredibly high and nations with a long tradition in the Linguistics Olympiad tend to sweep the medals. This makes Luke’s performance very noteworthy. In fact, all four members of the Irish team performed exceptionally well.“
The students decoded numerals in the Nahuatl language of the Aztec Empire; deciphered Soundex, a phonetic algorithm for indexing names by sound; interpreted ancient Somali poetry; and decrypted sentences from the Wambali language of Australia (spoken by only 89 people worldwide). Knowledge of a second language is not required, as the puzzles are designed to test contestants’ reasoning skills, logic and patience.
Gardiner is studying Mathematics at university this year. He has joined a long line of All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad past participants who are now putting their problem solving ability to good use in STEM-related careers.
We are delighted to announce the 2015/2016 season launch of the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad!
The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) challenges secondary school students to test their minds against the world’s toughest problems in logic, language and linguistics. Students must develop their own strategies for solving complex problems in unfamiliar languages — making AILO a fabulous way to hone problem-solving and lateral thinking skills!
Junior Category
All second level students from schools in Ireland, both North and South, are eligible to participate. We will have Junior (under 16) and Senior (aged 16 and over) categories. Both Junior and Senior Category students will take the same puzzles and be marked in the same way. However, we will award prizes and trophies to the winners of each category.
Register Now to Receive Sample Puzzles
Registration closes on 25th January 2016, but it is important to register ASAP to receive monthly sample puzzles for your students: www.adaptcentre.ie/ailo
Timeline
The first round will take place in your own school on 1st February 2016. The top 100 students from the first round will qualify to compete in the national final on 15th March 2016 at Trinity College Dublin.
Represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad
As well as trophies and prizes for the winners of the Junior and Senior categories, the overall top four students from the individual round will win a trip to represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad from 25th–29th July 2016 in Mysore, India. There, students from 30 countries will enjoy a week of puzzles, sightseeing and cultural experiences.
Register now!
www.adaptcentre.ie/ailo
AILO is part of Education and Outreach programme of The ADAPT Centre for Digital Content Technology. The ADAPT Centre is funded under the SFI Research Centres Programme and is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund.
