Approaching the Invitational Round
Listed Round Format
The second round of the contest, the Invitational Round, usually contains 8-12 (usually harder) problems and is 4 hours long. It is taken at the times listed below:
| Timezone | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian-Aleutian | 9:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| Alaskan | 9:00 AM | 1:00 PM |
| Pacific | 9:00 AM | 1:00 PM |
| Mountain | 9:00 AM | 1:00 PM |
| Central | 9:00 AM | 1:00 PM |
| Eastern | 9:00 AM | 1:00 PM |
| Atlantic | 10:00 AM | 2:00 PM |
This information is taken from the NACLO Student Handbook.
The top 8 students in the USA and the top 4 students in Canada make up the USA and Anglophone Canada teams, respectively, at the International Linguistics Olympiad.
Based on recent contests, however, this round usually has 8 or 9 problems. Similarly to the open round, traditionally, the contest has problems worth 5, 10, 15, or 20 points, for a total of 100. Recently, however, problems with 20 points have not appeared as much, and most of the problems are either 15 or 10 points.
All the points from the Open Round apply here too, but there is one additional difference.
Writing Explanations
The major difference between Open Round and the Invitational Round is that the latter features explanations. This means that for some problems, you need to not only answer the questions presented but also explain your observations. Often times, this is phrased in the form "describe your observations of X".
Often times, these explanations are worth a significant portion of the problem's score, and it is the best way to get partial credit: even if you can't do the tasks the problem gives you, writing out a solution can show the grader how much partial progress you've made.
When writing explanations, it is important to remember that you should not describe the entire logical process of how you arrived at the answer. Instead, focus on writing down your observations. This means that you should provide a brief summary of the key features or patterns that you noticed in the data presented.
In general, you do not need to provide a full dictionary of every word and its translation, unless the problem specifically asks you to do so, with one exception: if the problem is about numbers, it is reasonable to expect you to make a table of all the number words (that you can find out) and their translations.
You can use common acronyms (S (subject), O (object), etc.) to make your explanations more concise; however, try to avoid using formal linguistic terminology unless it is necessary to explain your observations. Instead, focus on explaining what you mean in simple, straightforward language.
Tables can be very helpful in organizing your observations, and you should use them whenever possible. There will be more specific instructions in later sections on how to write up each type of problem, but in general, it is easier to digest tables of information rather than one long paragraph.
Keep in mind that your solution can also be awarded points for style, in addition to its content. Even if you have a completely correct solution, the way it is presented can often give it a slightly higher score and make it easier for the grader to understand.
Finally, it is worth noting that there are Best Solutions awards for several problems, which can be awarded to multiple people. So even if you don't get the highest score on a problem, if you have a particularly elegant or insightful solution, you may still be recognized for your work.