Eight students from the Isle of Man will represent the Island at the International Linguistics Olympiad in Dublin this summer.

The competition is the world’s largest for young linguists and it’s the fifth time the Island has been represented – and the first time it has entered two teams of four.

Sixth formers Hassan Sulthan and Catriona Dorrian (Ballakermeen High School), Alice Lowdon, Harriet Godby, Emily Gray and Georgina Coates (Ramsey Grammar School), Michael Bonham (St Ninian’s High School) and Seth Aycock (King William’s College), will fly the Manx flag from July 30th to August 5th.

They will pit their wits against students from the world’s biggest countries, solving complex problems in some of the hardest to grasp languages.

Rob Teare heads the Department of Education and Children’s Manx Language Service and organises the Island’s participation in the Olympiad voluntarily.

He said: ‘The Programme for Government outlines our need to have an education system that matches skill requirements, both now and in the future.

‘This competition encourages pupils to develop analytical and problem-solving skills and respond to challenges – skills that are valued by employers.

‘Our participation in the Olympiad promotes the Island as having an ambitious and competitive education system.’

Mr Teare said sponsorship from the Gough Ritchie Trust would be valuable in getting the students together in their spare time to train for the competition.

The eight students travelling to Dublin were among 89 from all six of the Island’s secondary schools who took part in the fifth Isle of Man Linguistics Olympiad.

They were asked to solve five code-breaking problems within two and a half hours.

Mr Teare said: ‘The level of participation and standard of results in the local competition improves year on year and it is pleasing that the proximity of the event means we can take two teams to Dublin, ready to do their best.’