AILO 2017 Materials
Here you can find all AILO 2017 related materials
AILO 2017/2018 Sample Sets
AILO 2017 Preliminary Round
AILO 2019 Final
The AILO 2019 Final will take place in Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin on Tuesday 26th March 2019. This round will take the top 100 students from the schools preliminary round on Tuesday 29th January 2019.
The final will start at 09.30 in “The Venue” in the U Student Centre and the team competition will take place that afternoon.
For details on how to get to Dublin City University please see here.
AILO 2017 Regional Workshops
The preparations for the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad 2017 (AILO) picked up the pace in January this year with 17 problem-solving workshops held in schools and universities across the country reaching almost 480 students from across the island of Ireland. AILO is a key element of the nationwide Problem-Solving Initiative, supported by Science Foundation Ireland and run by the ADAPT Centre.
These workshops gave students a valuable opportunity to work through linguistics problems with experts from ADAPT and previous AILO competitors by practising their problem solving strategies and linguistics skills.
This year we teamed up with Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Limerick to host workshops for students in the area. Workshops were also held in Cork City, Tralee, Athlone, Athenry, Castlebar, Letterkenny, Dublin, Wicklow and Maynooth among others.
Almost 4,000 students will compete in the first round of AILO 2017 in their schools on 1st February 2017. The top 100 language decoders will qualify for the national final of AILO 2017 on 24th March at Dublin Institute of Technology.
ADAPT Centre teams up with Queen’s University Belfast to offer Free AILO Problem-Solving Workshops
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/
Minister Mitchell O’Connor launches national Problem-Solving Initiative
- 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:
Help foster the next generation of Irish problem solvers
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:
- All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad 2017
- International Linguistics Olympiad 2017
- Family Problem-Solving Festival Day 2017
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.
93% of students say All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad has improved their problem-solving skills
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.
Irish Teen Problem Solvers Win World Bronze in India
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