Dear All,

Now that the competition is over, it's time for marking. As you know, you're responsible for marking your own Foundation and Intermediate scripts, while we mark the Advanced ones. We've prepared a detailed list of solutions plus a detailed marking scheme. Those of you who did UKLO last year will remember the complexity of the marking scheme, so you'll be pleased to know that we've learned from our mistakes and I hope you'll find it less painful; but of course I'll be pleased to hear how it could have been even better.

The solutions and marking schemes that you need are in a single document covering both Foundation and Intermediate - i.e. questions 1 to 7 (Questions 8 and 9 are just for the Advanced markers). You can find it on our website at http://www.uklo.org/?page_id=1765, where it now sits just below the Foundation and Intermediate test papers. The password is the same as before. (If you can't remember it and can't find my email message, think of a word which has a rather unexpected etymological link to one of the major areas of linguistics; and if even that doesn't help, email me!).

What next?

• Certificates: 
• The participation certificate for Foundation and Advanced competitors is available now, from the same password-protected webpage. You personalize it as you want, print it and distribute it. Some schools distribute participation certificates during general assembly, which raises the profile of the competition; but we've heard of schools where competitors are embarrassed to be shown up as 'swats'. It's up to you.
• For all Advanced candidates, we will send schools printed and personalized certificates , including Gold, Silver and Bronze awards as well as participation certificates. Please bear in mind that the names we enter on these certificates will be copied automatically from the spreadsheet you supplied, so you may want to double-check the spreadsheet and tell Martin if you spot a mistake. These will go out by 15 March.
• Results:
• Advanced: We will announce the winners of the Advanced competition - i.e. the 16 selected for Round 2 - on February 25th (NOT March 25th, as in my last email to you - a deliberate mistake that no-one seems to have spotted!). 
• On that day we'll also aim to return all your Advanced marksheets (with our marks added) and to announce the thresholds for the awards.
• Foundation/Intermediate: We ask you to send Martin your marks for the Foundation and Intermediate levels by 18 March so that we can produce an overall (and anonymized) statistical analysis which will allow you to decide how your school's results compare with the national average. We will issue this report soon after that deadline.

I hope the competition was a positive experience both for you and for your pupils. We always welcome feedback, whether on the students' experience or yours. When it's negative, we try to learn from it; and when it's positive we can sometimes use it in publicity or dealing with sponsors. We're especially keen to hear of any evidence that the Linguistics Olympiad has a positive impact on the uptake of Foreign Languages.

With best wishes,  Richard

-- 
Richard Hudson (dickhudson.com)