About
The Linguistics Olympiad Malta (LOM) is a problem solvers’ challenge in the spirit of the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL).
Test your ability to solve puzzles in logic, language & linguistics whilst having fun!
Click the link below for more information!
Have you ever thought about your own ability to untangle the codes embedded in the languages you know?
It may surprise you – and thrill you – to find that the very same skillset can be applied to languages you don’t!
The LOM was organised for the first time in 2023 (see LOM In The News) by the Institute of Linguistics and Language Technology (ILLT). Thanks to financial support from the Ministry for Education, Sports, Youth, Research and Innovation (see Special Thanks below), it will be possible for a Malta team to participate in the IOL to be held in Brazil in July 2024.
Eligibility Requirements
- Participation in the local LOM Competition is open to pre-University students attending local Sixth Forms who will normally be representing their school. (Independent participation is also possible but please get in touch with Alexandra Vella.)
- Round 1 is a Team Competition. (Individual participation will be exceptionally possible, but please get in touch with Alexandra Vella.)
- Teams will consist of two or three students.
- Each individual on the winning team will receive a €50 voucher. Token prizes will also be awarded to the Schools which organised Linguistics Olympiad Clubs of some sort.
- Round 2 is an Individual Competition.
- Participation in both Rounds of the local LOM Competition is free.
- A team of 4 students from amongst those who place best in the Individual competition will represent Malta at the ILO to be held in Brazil in July 2024.
- Thanks to funding for the 2024 edition from the Ministry of Education, Sports, Youth, Research and Innovation (see Special Thanks below), a Malta team of 4 students will travel to Brazil, all expenses paid apart from a non-reimbursable processing fee of €80. The team of 4 will be composed of students from amongst those who place best in Round 2. This team will participate in the IOL competition alongside teams from other countries.
- The LOM is governed by the general regulations of the IOL (see below).
Timeline
Round 1 – Team Competition: Register Here
16 February 2024 14:30 – 18:00
The competition will take place at the University of Malta. More details about meeting place and exact venue will be communicated in due course.
Round 2 – Individual Competition: Register Here
12 April 2024 14:30 – 18:00
The competition will take place at the University of Malta. More details about meeting place and exact venue will be communicated in due course.
Round 1 – Awards Ceremony
12 April 2024 18:00 – 19:00
Winner will reap their reward and all competitors will receive a Certificate of Participation. Further details, such as the ceremony’s venue, will be communicated at a later stage.
Round 2 – Results Announced
3 May 2024 23:59
Sample Puzzles
Puzzle Booklet from the 2023 LOM
Practice Booklet 1
Practice Booklet 2
More Olympiad Puzzles
To start off, flip through this quick slideshow, and find out how you would engage with our Phoenician challenge!
Linguistics Olympiad Malta In The News
Are You Smarter Than A Sixth Former? Students Test Their Puzzling Skills In First Ever Linguistics Olympiad Malta
“Malta is a great place to be an aspiring linguist. Step aboard any bus and you’re sure to encounter a symphony of intermingling languages.
Whether you know it or not, if you’ve ever found yourself entranced by the mysterious sounds making up language, you’ve been sucked in by the lure of linguistics.“
Linguistics Olympiad Malta 2023
“18 students from three Sixth Forms (GCHSS, JC, VIS) took part in the competition which was held at the University of Malta last Thursday 20 April, efficiently run by our Admin staff. A student from the Association of Linguistics and Language Technology welcomed the participants. The concentration in the room throughout the 2½h-long competition was palpable.
Prizes for the winning individual or team/School have been organised through University funding. With the extremely positive experience of this LOM 2023 – Launch Edition under our belt, we hope next year to be in a position to take this initiative a step forward by securing funding which will allow our participation in the International Linguistics Olympiad, which, incidentally, will be held in Rio de Janiero.”
Code-Breaking Students Who Won First Ever Linguistics Olympiad Malta Celebrated
“An award ceremony for the winners and participants of this year’s first ever Linguistics Olympiad Malta was held on the 26th June – celebrating the success of Giulia Muscat, Liliana Francalanza and Oskar Lutterbeck, Junior College’s winning team, who received a voucher worth €150.
“All the participants did really well,” said Alexandra Vella to Lovin Malta. Vella is a professor of linguistics at the Institute of Linguistics and Language Technology, who helped organise the LOM.“
Contact Us
Any aspiring Olympians left with burning questions or queries, feel free to drop us a line!
Get in touch with:
Special Thanks
Overall Co-ordination:
Contributing ILLT Members:
Prof. Stavros Assimakopoulos (Director)
Dr Paul Marty
Dr Ben Matthews
Dr Marc Tanti
Aytron-Didier Brincat
Michela Vella Pawlu Caruana
Association of Linguistics and Language Technology (ALLT)
Jessica Formosa
Victoria Sciberras Herrera
Participating Schools:
De La Salle College
Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary
Junior College
St Aloysius College
St Edward’s College
St Martin’s College
Verdala International
Funding from the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation has ensured that in July 2024, four students forming a Malta team will be able to participate at the International Linguistics Olympiad – to be held in Brasilia, Brazil!
Linguistics Olympiad Malta 