Presentation College students recently competed for the title of ‘Ireland’s Top Young Problem Solver’ when the talented decoders tested their minds in the All-Ireland Linguistics Olympiad 2018.
Nineteen clever problem-solvers from Presentation College tested their minds against the world’s toughest problems in language and logic during the qualifying round of the CNGL (Centre for Next Generation Localisation) All-Ireland Linguistics Olympiad 2018. The contest challenges secondary school students to solve complex puzzles in unfamiliar languages. It aims to inspire students to pursue careers combining computing, linguistics and languages. 
The students from Presentation College were among 1,306 students from the thirty-two counties who competed in the qualifying round of the competition. The top one hundred decoders will go to participate in the national finals in Dublin in March. The winners there will win the opportunity to represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad in Prague in July 2018. 
The All-Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) challenges students to engage in ‘code-breaking’ to unlock information in unfamiliar languages – be it decoding, Swedish Metro maps, deciphering ancient oriental scripts, or interpreting Aboriginal poetry. No prior knowledge of a second language is required; even the hardest problems require only reasoning skills, logic and patience. 
AILO is run by the Science Foundation Ireland-funded CNGL Centre for Global Intelligent Content, which is hosted by Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University. CNGL is a €58 million academia-industry research centre that adapts and personalises digital content to the needs of global users. Students who reach the national final of this year’s contest will be tutored by experts from CNGL.
A recent study revealed that 94% of employers consider the capacity to think critically, communicate clearly and solve complex problems to be vital in the 21st century global workforce. AILO aims to inspire the next generation of multilingual technology graduates who possess a powerful combination of computing, language and skills. 
For AILO competition updates and to try out the puzzles for yourself, visit www.cngl.ie/ailo