Maltese students shine at Linguistics Olympiad in Brazil

A team of four Maltese students participated in the International Linguistics Olympiad, held in Brazil in July, making it the first time ever participation of Malta in any International Science Olympiad.

The team was made up of Shanel Cassar and Carlo Rossi of St Aloysius College, Sixth Form, Ariana McCarthy from Junior College, and Jade Xuereb from De La Salle College.

Led by Prof. Alexandra Vella of the Institute of Linguistics and Language Technology (ILLT), and accompanied by Michela Vella and Ayrton-Didier Brincat, the group travelled to Brasília to participate in IOL Brasília 2024 alongside their counterparts from close to 40 other countries.

The Linguistic Olympiad-type puzzles which feature in the competition require little-to-no knowledge of linguistics although an interest in languages and the ability to use linguistic intuition, reasoning and world knowledge to solve the puzzles is necessary.

Students need to practise in order to acquire the ability to apply different problem-solving skills in such a way as to recognise and systematise patterns and break the code: puzzles can be quite challenging.

“We are all fired up to build on the experience we have acquired in the course of organising and preparing Sixth Form students to take part in the local LOM competition and, this year, in the prestigious IOL contest, a first for Malta,” said Prof. Vella.

“We can only go so far without financial support – special thanks this year goes to the ministry of education. We are impressed by the way in which our students have engaged with the Linguistics Olympiad ethos. Here’s hoping that we at the ILLT will continue to get the support we need to take this initiative to new heights in the interest of Maltese students.”

A local competition, a prerequisite for participation in the international event, was launched by the ILLT in 2023, which also led to a second edition of the LOM Olympiad Event – 2024 edition.

The ILLT gave plenary talks in the Sixth Forms at St Aloysius College, Verdala International School, St Martin’s College, and De La Salle, after which, a two-round local competition was organised.

Obtaining funding from the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, MEYR, this year, meant that the ILLT could offer participants the possibility of proceeding to the international competition.

After the two-round local competition, Malta’s IOL Brasília 2024 adventure started for real, with the four students who scored highest in the individual competition forming the team to to Brasília.

The week-long programme was jam-packed with activities of different sorts, such as a Wikidata IOLab, a city tour, a Juline Party, and excursion to Salto do Itiquira, a meeting with indigenous leaders, lectures on the languages of Brazil and Brazilian Sign Language, an IOL Jeopardy-style Quiz and a farewell party.

Individual – six hours to work out four puzzles – and team contests – four hours to work on a long and extremely challenging problem – took place on days 3 and 6. One of the highlights came in the form of an honorary mention for Rossi in the individual contest, whilst the Maltese team broke through the intricacies of the Lexicostatistical team problem, an incredible achievement indeed for them as first-time participants.

Malta’s ambassador to Brazil, John Aquilina, was present at the closing ceremony of the IOL.