2026

“Linguistics is not just one thing but composed of many. This variety and expanse allows you to dive into other areas too, such as combing computer science and programming for computational linguistics, and learning more about history and anthropology through historical linguistics.  And there is a community out there.  You are not alone!  The complexity of languages and this distinct form of communication has so much to teach us about ourselves and the world.”

“I made new friends, learned more about linguistics and definitely set my eyes on linguistics as a future career path.”

“I got some weak spots in my knowledge of linguistics reinforced, I got a better idea of the scope of the field of linguistics there is and the real-world application it has in jobs/professions/careers, and I felt less self-conscious about my interest in linguistics and got a better idea of how many other people like me there are in the world!”

“A bunch of new knowledge and a bunch of new friends.”

“I knew next to nothing before participating in SLIYS, as my only engagement with linguistics previously was from NACLO.  I learned so much from all the amazing lecturers, and I think SLIYS made me really interested in linguistics.  I thought the elicitation was such a unique and fun experience!”

“I got to engage with other peers that also have great interest in linguistics and managed to gain the experience of working together to understand all of the basic concepts of linguistics not as how we interpret them but for what they really are.”

“I learned more about what specifically within linguistics I enjoy, and it really helped to have some basic concepts laid out plainly so I could better understand how they connected to other subjects.  SLIYS helped me gain, along with new information, a better understanding of what I already knew and had interest in.”

“I learned a lot about linguistics and its many subfields.  It helped me understand more what it would be like to pursue a linguistic pathway in life (i.e., majoring in linguistics in university) as well as taught me interesting and engaging things about the field in general!”

2025

“Prior to SLIYS, my linguistic knowledge was limited to whatever I found on social media and the internet, since I had never received proper instruction.  SLIYS taught me a lot about phonology, morphology, and many more concepts which I had not formally learned about before, and was overall an extremely enjoyable experience.”

“I knew most of the general concepts, but SLIYS helped me hone in on linguistic ideas and apply them to real world languages rather than just an abstract analysis tool.”

“I was a great experience for me to try language elicitation, since that was something I had heard about but was not sure if I could actually do.  I found that, although sometimes elicitation were awkward and challenging, I enjoyed discovering new things about the language and was sad when the last elicitation was over.  By spending so much time on studying linguistics, I realized that it is complex and challenging, but also that I enjoy it enough to consider continuing to study it.”

“I got a better idea of what linguists actually do, through the guest speaker and panelists as well as the elicitation.  I also appreciated being able to talk to like-minded individuals about language.”

“I learned a lot about the general state of Linguistics!  My interest in it went from a general moderate interest to intense interest in certain areas (namely semantics, syntax, and pragmatics).  I have a LOT of ideas of where to go next, and I definitely think that this has informed my whole path greatly.”

“I had the opportunity to connect with other people my age who are interested in linguistics.  This is my first experience like that.  I also learned a lot about linguistics from the lectures.”

2024

“I’ve been interested in linguistics for a while, but it has honestly been too confusing/overwhelming for me to engage in online communities and attempt to grasp the technical jargon of forums dominated by graduate students or even professors. SLIYS has helped make concepts that were previously confusing to me so much more understandable and accessible. I think it’s a fantastic access point for high schoolers interested in linguistics but intimidated by the technicalities of the field. I’m so happy I did it.”

“Overall, I think that SLIYS was a meaningful, one-of-a-kind linguistics rare-find that explored the basics of linguistics and helped me understand the field of linguistics a lot better. I understood and solidified a lot of the predeveloped notions I had already had about linguistics and languages.”

“I learned WAY more about linguistics in general. I loved listening to the speakers and panelists about how they use linguistics in their lives. This was such an interesting topic for me and opened my eyes to this incredible field. Overall, SLIYS was a great intro level program for me to explore and learn more about linguistics.”

“I got a great overall picture of linguistics and was able to delve deeper into a field I had initial interest in but no prior knowledge of. I felt I learned a lot and hopefully will be able to explore it further or apply some of this knowledge to things like computational linguistics or NACLO.”

“Before SLIYS, I had never studied linguistic concepts like phonology, syntax, etc. After SLIYS, I have learned a lot about these foundational topics and acquired skills from our language elicitation sessions and the workshops. SLIYS has made me want to continue my exploration of linguistics in college and I am so grateful for all the instructors and the students who made it such a fun experience!”

“SLIYS gave me a really great introduction to linguistics, especially in a more academic setting, and confirmed my love for linguistics. I liked getting an introduction into various areas of linguistics and learned SO MUCH, as basically everything I learned was new information. I liked working in groups and would never have gotten a chance to do something like an elicitation session. I am now a lot more certain that I want to major in linguistics in university!”

“I’ve had a fascination with language since the sixth grade, and SLIYS has further fueled that interest and turned linguistics into a field I definitely wish to pursue. My understandings of the different subfields of linguistics have been improved, and I have been introduced to some subfields of linguistics I have never been exposed to prior to SLIYS. For me, SLIYS has resulted in a much deeper grasp of language as a whole and in that it changes over time to fit the needs of speakers, as a reflection of their culture, and reflexively, that language shapes culture and the minds of its speakers as well. Overall, my experience with SLIYS has gifted me a greater love for language.”

“I took this knowing very little about linguistics and came out confident enough to explain multiple topics to other people.”

2023

“I think I got a better understanding of what linguistics is, what linguists do, and more about language than I thought existed. I’m quite happy with the comprehensiveness of SLIYS, and I wished there were other programs in other subjects that did as good of a job as it did at teaching linguistics.”

“I learned basic Linguistic concepts and feel like I have a foundation to learn more about this field. Before the program, I knew I was interested in Linguistics but not much about the field itself. SLIYS was a great experience for me to actually gain linguistic knowledge and then apply that linguistic knowledge in the form of elicitation sessions. The elicitation sessions were definitely the most fun!”

“Before SLIYS, I didn’t realize how little I actually knew about linguistics. I knew I enjoyed the subject, and thought I might want to study it in the future, but I wasn’t positive. But after doing SLIYS, I know for sure that I want to study and have a career in linguistics. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity, I learned so much and had such a good time!”

“It was nice to be introduced to a new field of study, and to be able to learn about linguistics with great teachers and helpful peers. I definitely learned a lot about IPA and other languages, especially about how they differed from English.”

“I loved the elicitation sessions as I was able to learn about different linguistical phenomenon and try to ‘apply them in the field.’ I got to meet a lot of new people and get insight into a wide variety of linguistical topics.”

“I learned the names for the different subfields of linguistics and how they work. By doing this camp, I learned which subfields I’m more interested in, which will help me in the future with picking classes in college or even looking for jobs.”

“I learned more about IPA, syntax, pragmatics, semantics, and the elicitation process. I also made new friends that were passionate about linguistics.”