http://www.uklo.org/round-2-arrangements
The UK Linguistics Olympiad is looking for a host university! Every year, thousands of students sit the first round paper in their schools, and the top 17 scorers are invited to a training weekend in March. From their performance over the weekend and in the final test on the last day, we pick the eight competitors (two teams of four) to represent the UK at the international Olympiad; in 2018, the contest will be in Prague.
If you're interested in hosting this three-day weekend for picking the national team, contact me at oliver.sayeed@gmail.com.
Ollie Sayeed
Details on what a host university would need to provide:
- Guests: 16 teenagers (mostly 16-18 years old, both male and female, but including a scattering of younger pupils) plus three experienced tutors.
- Timing: from early Friday evening (about 5 pm) to early afternoon on Sunday (about 2 pm).
- Accommodation and domestic arrangements:
- separate bedrooms for teenagers if possible, and certainly for the tutors.
- a meeting room for 20, with separable tables and chairs – i.e. not a lecture room – within a few minutes walk from the bedrooms.
- meals within a few minutes walk:
- Friday, Saturday dinner
- Saturday, Sunday breakfast and lunch
- Finances:
- The package typically costs £3-4,000.
- The host institution meets as much of the costs as possible.
- UKLO can offer a subsidy of up to £1,000.
- Guests pay nothing.
- Services provided for guests:
- Student volunteers to meet the guests at the local railway station.
- A talk from a local linguist for the Friday evening.
- Transport (typically taxis) to and from the station.
- Light refreshments for the middle of Saturday morning and afternoon.
- Timetable:
- Friday: 5-6 arrivals and settling in before supper, followed by a lecture and general discussion.
- Saturday: intensive all-day training sessions till bedtime, with breaks just for meals and refreshments.
- Sunday: breakfast followed by the 3-hour round 2 test, then lunch and farewells.
