The UK Linguistics Olympiad (UKLO) is a problem-solving competition for school children, just like the Maths Olympiad, the Physics Olympiad and so on, except that all the problems are about language. The problem paper provides a table of raw language data – typically ten or twenty sentences or words from a foreign language and their English translation – and the challenge is to crack the code well enough to guess the meaning of other sentences.
For example, take Abma, which is the language of Vanuatu, in the South Pacific. We start with some Abma sentences and their English translations (note that there is no separate word for ‘the’ or ‘he’ in these Abma sentences).
• Mwamni sileng - He drinks water
• Nutsu mwatbo mwamni sileng - The child keeps drinking water
• Nutsu mwegau - The child grows
• Nutsu mwatbo mwegalgal - The child keeps crawling
• Mworob mwabma - He runs here
• Mwerava Mabontare mwisib - He pulls Mabontare down
• Mabontare mwisib - Mabontare goes down
• Mweselkani tela mwesak - He carries the axe up
• Mwelebte sileng mwabma - He brings water
• Mabontare mworob mwesak - Mabontare runs up
• Sileng mworob - The water runs
Now, here are some new words in Abma: sesesrakan (teacher), mwegani (eat), bwet (taro, a kind of sweet potato), muhural (walk) and butsukul (palm-tree).
Having worked through these examples, you should know enough Abma to go further. What is the Abma for ‘The teacher carries the water down’? And what does ‘ Sesesrakan mweselkani bwet mwabma’ mean?
UKLO problems can be easier than this, or they can be much harder. With four levels of difficulty, there’s something to suit every age and ability level, from KS2 to KS5. The main aim of the competition is to engage as many children as possible and to open their eyes to the fascination of language structure. At every level of difficulty, they meet something surprising and exotic and learn to think hard and analytically.
How does the competition work?
For foreign language teachers the attraction of the Olympiad is the focus on language structure – grammar, vocabulary, meaning, phonology and writing systems. This focus combines the appeal of sudoku, crossword puzzles and jigsaws, and attracts boys as much as girls, so the Olympiad helps to promote the value of modern languages and science to both genders.
There are several levels of competition, which roughly correspond to:
• Breakthrough level for KS2
• Foundation level for KS3
• Intermediate level for KS4
• Advanced level for KS5
Any pupil may be entered at any level, and you may make entries at as many different levels as you want. Round 1 competitions are held at the registered school and teachers must mark breakthrough, foundation and intermediate level scripts.
The Advanced level competition also qualifies for Round 2, a residential weekend where the UK team for the International Linguistics Olympiad is selected.
In 2014, the International Linguistics Olympiad was held in Beijing, where the UK team won our first gold medal, and in 2015 it will be in Bulgaria.
How do I get involved?
The UKLO is completely free to both competitors and schools, and there’s a great deal of information, including a reservoir of sample problems, available at www.uklo.org.
If you have any questions about the UKLO, registration, or how to get involved, please send them to: uk.linguistics.olympiad@gmail.com.
