# Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars

A one-week online institute run by Ohio State's linguistics faculty that teaches high schoolers phonetics, morphology, syntax and language fieldwork, with an advanced second week for returning scholars.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Organization | Ohio State University Department of Linguistics |
| Category | other |
| Cost | $550 |
| Deadline | Rolling / check official site |
| Eligibility | Grades 9–12 |
| Format | Online / virtual |
| Location | Various |
| Time commitment | ~25 hours/week |
| Apply | https://linguistics.osu.edu/sliys/sliys-how-apply |

## About this program

# Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars

SLIYS is the Ohio State University Department of Linguistics' summer program introducing high school students to linguistics, the scientific study of human language. Sessions run five hours a day for five weekdays and are taught live online by department faculty and graduate students. Unlike a survey course, SLIYS puts students into the working methods of the field: they analyze unfamiliar languages, meet native-speaker consultants and observe how language experiments are designed.

## What You'll Do

- Attend daily live sessions on phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and language documentation
- Practice analyzing language data at several levels of structure using real problem sets
- Take part in a fieldwork component, working with a speaker of a language you do not know
- Observe or participate in an experimental component drawn from current linguistics research
- Return for SLIYS 2, an advanced week open to students who have completed SLIYS 1

## Who Should Apply

"SLIYS is open to high school students who are entering grades 9-12 in the upcoming school year," typically ages 13-18. There is no strict GPA requirement, though a 3.0 or better is recommended. Applications ask for a short form and, for SLIYS 1, a teacher recommendation. Need-based financial aid is available and requested directly on the application.

## Outcomes

Participants leave able to read and produce basic linguistic analysis, with direct exposure to a university linguistics department. SLIYS is common preparation for the North American Computational Linguistics Open competition and for students considering linguistics, cognitive science or language study in college.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars cost?

Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars costs $550. Many paid programs offer need-based financial aid or fee waivers — check the official site before ruling it out.

### Who is eligible for Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars?

Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars is open to high school students in grades 9–12. Some programs have additional requirements (GPA, coursework, essays, or recommendations) — the full criteria are on the official site.

### Is Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars online or in person?

Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars is fully online — students can participate from anywhere with an internet connection. Expect a time commitment of roughly 25 hours per week.

### How do I apply to Summer Linguistic Institute for Youth Scholars?

Apply directly through Ohio State University Department of Linguistics's official website. ExtracurricularHub links to the official application — we list and verify programs but don't process applications.

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Last updated: 2026-07-28.
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