Language learning never gets old: learning a new language in later life

Is learning a new language when you’re older possible? And if it is, are there health benefits? Late-life language learning (LLLL) has become a hot topic over the last few years. It all started with studies finding cognitive benefits for life-long multilinguals, such as symptoms of Alzheimer’s manifesting up to 5 years later. Researchers then hypothesised that older monolinguals could maybe benefit from similar cognitive advantages by learning a new language later in life. To study this, we set up an online three-month English course for Dutch seniors. We wanted to know if it was possible to learn a new language later in life, what kind of teaching worked best, and if there were additional benefits to language learning. We found older adults to show agency over their language learning process. And to show big individual differences. These are most probably the result of all accumulated life experiences and, together with the language learning agency, make the older language learner unique. It is, however, very much possible for older adults to learn new languages and it is even considered to be a fun activity. Additionally, there are other benefits to LLLL such as cognitive benefits and increased well-being and language attitudes. As most of our results did not show big differences between the two types of language instruction, any form of language learning that is enjoyable for older adults is recommended

The Effects of Language Teaching Pedagogy on Cognitive Functioning in Older Adults

With the field of late-life language learning (LLLL) expanding fast, ample attention has been paid to cognitive benefits ensuing from LLLL. However, these studies have yielded mixed results, which may be partly explained by seniors’ language learning needs not being taken into account, and theoretical insights on effective language teaching have not included seniors. In order to link seniors’ language learning needs to possible cognitive benefits, and to expand the second language acquisition literature, 16 Dutch seniors took part in a three-month English course, with or without explicit grammar instruction, to ascertain the effects of more implicit versus more explicit language teaching pedagogies on cognitive flexibility. More specifically, we used linear mixed effects models to determine these methods’ differential effects on attention, working memory, processing and switching speed, inhibition, and shifting and switching abilities, as subdomains of cognitive flexibility, by using a pretest–post-test–retention test design. On the digit span tasks, the explicitly taught group showed significant improvements compared to the implicitly taught group. For Dutch verbal fluency, participants’ performance significantly improved regardless of condition. On the other measures, no differences between the groups were found. Hence, if the goal is to improve seniors’ working memory, then explicit language instruction appears more fruitful than implicit language instruction.</p

Methodological concerns and their solutions in third-age language learning studies

With the average life expectancy in especially developed countries steadily increasing, healthy ageing is prioritised on the research agenda. Various studies have looked into bilingualism as a possible anti-ageing tool to delay the onset of symptoms of degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, with as perhaps the most promising recent line of work intervention studies that introduce bilingual experiences to seniors in the form of foreign language courses meant to induce a protective effect on cognitive decline. Unfortunately, the scant studies available have not found convincing results, most likely due to several pitfalls in their designs, one of the most important being that method of instruction is rarely specified or controlled for. In this paper, we identify methodological concerns that need to be addressed when conducting experimental work related to third-age language learning, resulting in a research agenda for third-age language learning studies

The influence of alcohol on L1 vs. L2 pronunciation

In this study, we investigated the influence of alcohol intake on pronunciation in both a native and a non-native language. At a Dutch music festival, we recorded the speech of 87 participants in Dutch (native language) and English (non-native language) when reading a few sentences in both languages. The recorded audio samples were judged by 108 sober native Dutch speakers in a perception experiment at the same festival. Participants were asked to judge how clear the Dutch pronunciations of a random selection of speakers were and how native-like the English pronunciations were. The results, analysed using generalized additive modelling (which is able to identify non-linear relationships), indicated a small linear negative relationship between alcohol intake and clarity of Dutch speech. For English there was no effect of alcohol intake on the native-likeness of the English pronunciations

The influence of alcohol on L1 vs. L2 pronunciation

In this study, we investigated the influence of alcohol intake on pronunciation in both a native and a non-native language. At a Dutch music festival, we recorded the speech of 87 participants in Dutch (native language) and English (non-native language) when reading a few sentences in both languages. The recorded audio samples were judged by 108 sober native Dutch speakers in a perception experiment at the same festival. Participants were asked to judge how clear the Dutch pronunciations of a random selection of speakers were and how native-like the English pronunciations were. The results, analysed using generalized additive modelling (which is able to identify non-linear relationships), indicated a small linear negative relationship between alcohol intake and clarity of Dutch speech. For English there was no effect of alcohol intake on the native-likeness of the English pronunciations