Language Explorer Competition
Registration Closed
Competition Date: 18 October 2026

Language Explorer
Competition

“Conquer the world with the power of language.”

An annual online national competition in language, linguistics and computational linguistics — open to primary, secondary and pre-university students in Malaysia.

Registration Closed Infopack

5Subjective Questions
1h 30mDuration
OnlineMode
EN / BMBilingual
Why Join

Introduction

The Language Explorer Competition is an annual, online national competition for primary, secondary and pre-university students in Malaysia. It introduces students to language, linguistics and computational linguistics, and serves as an early platform to nurture interest and talent in the field. Winners in the secondary category may progress to the Malaysian Computational Linguistics Olympiad (MyCLO) and the Asia Pacific Linguistics Olympiad (APLO), with the opportunity to represent Malaysia at the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL), and achieve the following objectives:

Our objectives

  1. To develop students’ analytical thinking and problem-solving skills through linguistics-based challenges.

  2. To introduce young learners to language and computational linguistics at an early stage.

  3. To identify and nurture talented students for national and international linguistics competitions.

Track Record

Previous Competition

79
Schools
268
Participants
Timeline

Important Dates

The 2026 competition cycle, from the early-bird window to results.

  1. Early-bird Registration

    11 May – 11 June 2026

  2. Normal Registration

    12 June – 27 August 2026

  3. Competition Day (Online)

    18 October 2026

  4. Results Announcement

    November 2026

Exclusive

Language Explorer Preparatory Workshop 2026/2027

Language Explorer Preparatory Workshop 2026/2027

Prepare confidently for the Language Explorer Competition 2026/2027 through a structured workshop designed to strengthen students’ language knowledge, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Why join?

  • Strengthen understanding of language, linguistics and computational linguistics concepts
  • Develop analytical thinking and logical reasoning skills
  • Improve the ability to identify language patterns and structures
  • Gain exposure to linguistics competition-style questions and answering techniques
  • Build confidence and familiarity with the competition format

Date

Wednesday, 23 September 2026

Time

8.00 PM – 10.00 PM

Venue

Online via Zoom Meeting

The Zoom meeting link will be provided one week before the workshop session.

Participant entitlements

  • Module Booklet
  • Printed Certificate
  • Exclusive Merchandise
  • Access to Workshop Recording

Note: The booklet, certificate, and merchandise will be couriered to participants’ or schools’ addresses before the workshop.

Eligibility

Categories

Primary

  • Public School Year 4–6
  • International School Year 4–6

Secondary

  • Public School Form 1–5
  • International School Year 7–12
  • Pre-University
The Journey

The Five Stages

The Language Explorer Competition programme in Malaysia comprises five stages:

  1. Language Explorer Competition

    Everyone
    • An annual, online national school-level competition
    • Introduces language and linguistics to primary, secondary and pre-university students in Malaysia

  2. Malaysian Computational Linguistics Olympiad (MyCLO)

    Top 10%
    • The top 10% of students from the secondary category
    • Five subjective questions over three hours, online

  3. Asia Pacific Linguistics Olympiad (APLO)

    15
    • The top 15 participants from MyCLO
    • A regional olympiad, sat in each contestant’s home country on the same day

  4. National Training Camps

    4
    • The top 4 students from APLO
    • Further training and evaluation through online and offline camps and homework assignments

  5. International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL)

    4
    • Four students from the National Training Camps represent Malaysia
How It Works

Competition Format

Method
Online
Answering Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Questions
5 subjective questions
Requirements
Stable internet connection and scientific calculator
Languages
English and Bahasa Melayu
What to Expect

Syllabus

  • All the data you need to crack the whole puzzle is in the question itself, so you are expected to sharpen your logical thinking skills.

  • Questions can usually be answered using creative and critical thinking skills, so participants do not need to be multilingual.

  • A computational linguistics competition can be described as a set of interesting puzzles built out of languages.

  • No explanation is required in the first round. Students answer on the answer script provided by the secretariat.

Recognition

Awards and Certificates

Every participant will receive a certificate of participation. Awards will be given to the top scorers according to the percentages shown below. The awards are symbolic and not actual medals.

Highest award

Top 10%

will receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze Award Certificate

Next 40%

will receive an Honorable Mention Certificate

Remaining 50%

will receive a Certificate of Participation

Registration

Pricing

The Explorer Competition is open for school registrations only.

Early-bird Registration

Ended

RM40

per participant

  • School Registration
  • 11 May – 11 June 2026

Normal Registration

Ended

RM45

per participant

  • School Registration
  • 12 June – 27 August 2026

Registration is made through your school, by a teacher-in-charge, at ContestHub.

Registration Closed

You can also explore and purchase our past year papers and exclusive merchandise at our online shop.

Visit the shop

First time registering a school, or unsure which button is which?

Registration procedure

Sample Questions — See the shape of the paper before the day: a full sample set, with the data each puzzle gives you.

Download the sample paper

Read about the Malaysian Computational Linguistics Olympiad

Read Full Write-up

Prepare with the study guide and sample problems

Study Guide

Get the past year papers and merchandise

Shop Here

Register for the Language Explorer Competition to stand a chance to represent Malaysia at the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL).

Registration Closed