How well do Senior Citizens learn foreign languages?
Bridge asked:
I have learned Spanish and I want to continue to learn more languages. But I’m 53 and I wonder how much more time I have for effective learning. Do you know Seniors who have effectively learned languages?
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I have learned Spanish and I want to continue to learn more languages. But I’m 53 and I wonder how much more time I have for effective learning. Do you know Seniors who have effectively learned languages?
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August 6th, 2011 at 9:12 pm
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I think if they were exposed to a second language when they were young (preschool especially) they have a much better chance of learning other languages later in life. I lived in a rural area all my young years so it is harder for me to learn, and hearing loss will make it harder (I am tone-deaf). I can pick up words and phrases but probably will never be fluent in any other language.
August 6th, 2011 at 11:42 pm
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my future husband is from the Philippines and when he comes here and we get married, he is going to teach me his language and I am looking forward to it
August 7th, 2011 at 3:05 am
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I’m thinking of trying this myself. I’d like to learn Spanish. I have a couple of friend’s who are willing to help me practice. I’m considering buying that Rosetta Stone program.
I don’t know how well I’ll do but there’s only one way to find out. Go for it.
I don’t know of any older person studying a foreign language. I agree it’s easier when you are younger but my understanding is that learning a foreign is one of the best things those of us over 50 can do to build connections in our brains.
August 8th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
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If you’re asking me I would have to say lots of luck. I took Spanish in high school for two years and all I learned back then was to say hello, goodbye, and how to count to twenty .. and that’s when I was much sharper intellectually (I think). But seriously, if you want to learn a language badly enough and the years haven’t ‘dulled’ your senses then I don’t see why you couldn’t learn. Maybe you have an advantage at 53 because this is something you want to do and you’ll find it will be a much easier path to learning another language than when you were younger. Go for it and Good Luck!!!
August 9th, 2011 at 1:11 pm
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If you put your mind to it, you can do anything you so desire, and that includes learning a new language.
August 10th, 2011 at 10:59 pm
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Very slowly.
August 12th, 2011 at 6:32 pm
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Language teachers will tell you that it is easier to teach foreign languages to people under the age of 16 than to people 16 years or older, but from 16 to 60 there is little difference. If you want to learn another language, you can do it. It will also benefit your mental function and help your memory for the rest of your life.
Enjoy the process of learning a new language. Sign up for a class with a good teacher and arrange to spend time in a country where that language is spoken.
August 13th, 2011 at 3:22 pm
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I think it really depends on many factors.
The desire to practice, the need to know the language and the language itself.
I am now living in Hungary and my husband is a native speaker of Hungarian.
I have been exposed to the language for 35 years but never really had to put my mind into learning it seriously.Everyone just thought me the bad words and a few expressions, people seem to find it amusing if a foreigner uses slang words.
It is a fact that Hungarian is one of the hardest of the European languages to learn. It is related to Finnish although they cannot understand each other these days, languages are always changing.
Hungarian has 44 letters in their alphabet and many cannot even be pronounced with the western tongue without much practice. It is a free form style of language where it is up to the speaker to decide where to use the verbs etc. according to how they want to express themselves.
Every verb has 6 ways of using and it is up to the speaker to decide where to use inflection as how they wish to put importance on the subject. The grammer alone is going to take years to get straight.
My husband is a city boy and uses different Hungarian words then a person from the countryside would use. It is a form of snobery and a way to show off your intelligence, a whole different world over here.
Anyways, there was a university professor on the tv here in Hungary speaking, he was not a native Hungarian speaker but trying after studying Hungarian for over 10 years. My husband said his accent was h0rrible and he could hardly understand what he was talking about.
I don’t have the tim eor energy to go through that. I will get by on my broken Hungarian and at least I know how to tell the rip off shopkeepers where to go.
My husband was 23 when he arrived in the US and only knew about 5 words of English. After 40 years in the states, he understands and speaks well but still makes some mistakes, not easy when you are not a child learning.He will not usually speak on the phone when in the states because he is embarrassed by his slight mistakes when using English. They don’t cut much slack over here if you make a grammer mistake like we cut slack when someone butchers English.
August 14th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
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easiest way to learn Spanish is to follow the Spanish Rocket program
August 14th, 2011 at 9:36 pm
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I think as long as you keep your brain in practice, you can keep learning until you are WAY old!!
Although they are not heavily funded these days, the Senior Citizens centers in my city are so welcoming appreciative of volunteers…both young and old….that they are able to attract a lot of them with the result that there are always really interesting, useful activities scheduled year round.
The most heavily attended are the foreign language classes. I have been trying to add to my very primitive Spanish skills by listening to a CD, but have signed up for the next Spanish class and am looking forward to it.
The Senior Citizen centers are a great place for a senior to volunteer, many retired CPA’s, businessmen, bookkeepers volunteer this time of year to help with taxes….they don’t actually prepare the returns, but help seniors get everything together to take to someone who keeps their licenses current. One of the centers DOES provide a spot for licensed CPA’s to actually prepare returns.
Other seniors teach lots of other things….from teaching those with little or no reading skills to read….to teaching how to use a computer, how to use Photo Shop on a computer, how to dance, how to do yoga.
Politicians will come to talk about their views on things, and will answer questions. Police come to hold protect yourself seminars. Government agency workers come to talk about changes in programs, things that are available that no one even dreamed were there for the asking for a senior US citizen.
Some of the people in the classes are 55…some are 95. Unless you have some real physical woe that turns your brain to mush….no reason you can’t learn your whole life.