Senior Education: Now is The Time to Learn a Foreign Language

I have wanted to learn a foreign language for a very long time, but have never had the time or the courage to give it a try.  I took Latin in High School and French in college but because both were “required studies” they never really gelled. I think the problem might have been that I was shy about speaking up in class and afraid of making a fool out of myself.  At any rate, I neither enjoyed the process nor exhibited any natural proclivity for the subjects. Needless to say that was quite a turn-off, but maybe that is why it still remains a challenge to me.   Still, I am hopeful and I’ve decided to take the bull by the horns and enroll in a Spanish Language class at my local Senior Center.  I am thinking that taking a class at the Senior Center will be as close to a no pressure situation as I am likely to find anywhere.

 

I love researching things and have been reading articles about other people’s experiences along these lines.  An article featured in the Chicago Tribune (October 19, 2005) by Clair Alschuler called “Finally, there’s time for that language,” caught my eye and served to spur me on.  The gentleman interviewed felt that a lack of time could very well be all that is keeping people from pursing lifelong interests, such a foreign language.  At 73, he started taking classes and has since progressed from beginner to intermediate in less than a year.  If he could do it, why can’t I?

 

This gentleman is not unusual among retirees and older Americans.  An AARP survey indicated that a large number of people over 50 were either very interested or extremely interested in mastering advanced skills, such as speaking a foreign language.

 

The reasons people gave for having an interest in languages included:  frequent travels, more free time to devote to learning, an interest in one’s ethnic background, and of course the Baby Boomer’s desire for further mental stimulation.

 

People who have retired and have finished raising their own families have more time on their hands.  Many use this time to pursue hobbies or learn new skills.  When they were working they were too busy to pursue language studies or learn other new skills because they were working full time and were just plain too tired.

 

Baby Boomers want to stay healthy as they age, and many are taking language or other studies to ward off the mental decline that is often associated with aging.  They are very much interested in staying sharp.  There is evidence that learning a second language is one way to help retain mental sharpness.  Older people who learn and do a variety of activities seem to retain their mental acuity better than those who do no.

 

Foreign language study requires the brain to pay attention in order to remember and process new information.  Those who attend classes (versus home study) also benefit from the social interaction.

 

It is generally accepted that it is much easier for children to acquire new language skills, but that doesn’t mean that others can’t learn as well.  Older students may have more trouble memorizing words and learning new syntax, but their maturity offers other advantages.  Older students have intellectual qualities that help them understand analogies and generalizations betters, and this can help them in learning grammar and vocabulary.  So, what do you think?  Is there something that you have always wanted to do, but felt you couldn’t because you didn’t have time?