7 reasons you’re never too old to learn a language

Поделиться
HTML-код
  • Опубликовано: 23 дек 2024

Комментарии • 119

  • @chokrihamouda9114
    @chokrihamouda9114 4 года назад +96

    I am 58 years old and I started learning Spanish and within less than a year reached the B1 level. By the way Spanish is my forth language.

    • @alwaysuseless
      @alwaysuseless 4 года назад +10

      58 is the new middle-aged. :-) You can't qualify for Medicare in the U.S. until you're 65. Getting to B1 in a year is excellent progress! A lot of people get to B1, and a year later they're still at B1. There seems to be a big gap between B1 and B2 and between B2 and C1. Without getting officially tested, I've thought of myself as B2 in German for quite a while, but now I think I may actually still be B1. Finally, I have to tease you about your typo. Spanish is your *fourth* language, so go *forth* and speak Spanish. Salga y hable en español. And congratulations! It's a beautiful language, isn't it? And unlike English, it's phonetic.

    • @chokrihamouda9114
      @chokrihamouda9114 4 года назад +4

      @@propofol-98 Hi,
      I don't use lingq. I started with duelingo, with just one month. Then I moved to listening to videos in RUclips. Focus on the ones that have a compelling comprehensible content. Example : Spanish con Juan.

    • @chokrihamouda9114
      @chokrihamouda9114 4 года назад +5

      @@alwaysuseless Hi
      Thanks for your encouraging words. As far as I know the most difficult part is moving from B2 to C1, that means from the intermediate level to the proficiency one. I fully agree with you about going ahead with enjoying using the language. The most important key of an efficient way to learn a language is to know when to stop learning a language and just focus on using it.

    • @alwaysuseless
      @alwaysuseless 4 года назад +3

      @@chokrihamouda9114 Ah, but when I'm using a language, including English, my radar is automatically on, detecting unidentified spoken or written objects.

    • @ayi3455
      @ayi3455 3 года назад +4

      @@chokrihamouda9114
      I'm 6 years younger than you, sir...
      I learned German 1990-1994, and been in Munich 1993.
      I learned French 1994-95 and been to Reims.
      Both with EF.
      My German level once reached B2 or almost C1, but now it's more or less deteriorated.
      My French level once reached B1, but now the same way with German.
      I speak German still better than French, because I had a lot of opportunities to speak German when I was young...
      I can still speak German pretty well, and French as well, though not as fluently as my English.
      I started to learn Mandarin 2017 and in October 2019 I got Hsk-3.
      My mandarin level is around A2 and B1..

  • @o_felipe_reis
    @o_felipe_reis 4 года назад +32

    You are so right man! I learned my first foreign language when I was 27. Today I speak 5 languages. Best regards from Brazil!

    • @chokrihamouda9114
      @chokrihamouda9114 4 года назад +5

      Congrats for your 5 languages, would you mind listing them, just for inspiration. Thanks.

    • @o_felipe_reis
      @o_felipe_reis 4 года назад +9

      @@chokrihamouda9114 Hi there! Sure. Portuguese (mother tongue), English (C1), Spanish (C1), German (between B2 and C1- target language) and French (B1) ;-)

    • @chokrihamouda9114
      @chokrihamouda9114 4 года назад +3

      @@o_felipe_reis thanks for your prompt reply.

  • @kimerswell7643
    @kimerswell7643 4 года назад +37

    I'm in my mid-sixties and at present making good progress at french. Started learning Welsh at 56 and am now to a standard where I've spoken on radio and television in Wales...Advanced years are definitely not a hiderance.

    • @Tehui1974
      @Tehui1974 3 года назад

      Good job bro, I support the revitalisation of the Welsh language. Are you Welsh?

    • @kimerswell7643
      @kimerswell7643 3 года назад +1

      @@Tehui1974 I'm English, but lived and holiday in South Gwynedd.

  • @AmericanEnglishBrent
    @AmericanEnglishBrent 4 года назад +25

    I turn 45 next week. I’ve been studying Italian for 18 months and had my first lesson with an Italian tutor today. I use LingQ everyday, and I have three of Olly’s books.

  • @RaphaPortoRP
    @RaphaPortoRP Год назад +5

    My mom started to learn french at 60 years old, she is 62 now and is so good to see her happiness when she understands music and radio news in french.

  • @catlady715
    @catlady715 4 года назад +10

    I started to learn Spanish 4 years ago at age 44. One is never too old to learn anything new. Learning something new, including a language, as an adult gives your life more excitement and opportunities.

  • @85sharifa55
    @85sharifa55 4 года назад +29

    I am 74 years old and my best foreign language is German, second is English an now I am retired and started to learn Italian! My mother tongue is Finnish!

    • @ayi3455
      @ayi3455 3 года назад

      Ich.spreche auch Deutsch und ein bißchen Französisch....

    • @braninacore
      @braninacore 2 года назад

      Come sta andando? :D

  • @arielle2745
    @arielle2745 3 года назад +8

    I’m 65. Learning a language now has been WAY easier and more enjoyable than it was when I was a teenager.

  • @jordoc100
    @jordoc100 4 года назад +14

    You are exactly right Olly. Learning a language is rewarding . I am 73 , still working full time and try to find time to learn Russian, French and Spanish. I get rewarded when i can read some of language, practice speaking, and sentence building. I would get discouraged if I was expected to "be fluent ". Not being afraid to make mistakes when I speak a little to a native speaker is a part of learning. Many of them appreciate the effort. I am enjoying your uncovered French and Spanish course as well as Conversations course . It takes time to go thru these but has helped my vocabulary because of sentence structure.

  • @ABetterYouEm
    @ABetterYouEm 4 года назад +15

    I HATED languages when I learned in school but I've fallen on love with them as an 33 year old, because of the benefits they provide when travelling.

  • @bijl56
    @bijl56 Год назад +2

    I’m Dutch, 67 and started learning Norwegian because I love the country and going on holiday there. I use the app Mesmerise on my phone. This app works for me. Everyday I practice. Often more than once a day and I love it! Looking forward to my next holiday!

  • @joannarigby1989
    @joannarigby1989 3 года назад +11

    I needed this video. I’m 34 and learning another language for the first time. I’d been watching lots of polyglot and language learning videos on RUclips and lots of them are from young people, I feel very old! As a mum of two toddlers and working in a busy stressful career, it’s been a challenge finding time and (more importantly!) energy to study and fit it in around all my other commitments.

    • @storylearning
      @storylearning  3 года назад +4

      Don’t be discouraged! There are plenty of older people around the world learning
      languages... they’re just not making RUclips videos! 🤗

    • @Tehui1974
      @Tehui1974 3 года назад

      Keep going Joanna. I'm 46 and also learning another language for the first time. I'm currently at B1 level and getting closer to B2 level every month. I get a thrill reading & listening to content in my target language and understanding most of it.

  • @colinlyne8688
    @colinlyne8688 4 года назад +7

    Thanks Ollie. I’m 74 and plodding with Russian!

  • @jazzyeric21
    @jazzyeric21 4 года назад +13

    I'm American. At age 50 I met the 35 year old Brazilian girl on Facebook. I had never tried nor was even interested in learning another lauguage. Google translate was our tool. Today, five years later, I speak Portuguese and I'm marrying the girl in January.

    • @markharris3487
      @markharris3487 4 года назад +4

      Oh dear. My condolences. Better have a prenupt otherwise you'll be in danger of a grey divorce and have 50% of your finances taken away from you and given to her by the state! #bluepill #simpery #bluepillcuckoldry

    • @chokrihamouda9114
      @chokrihamouda9114 4 года назад

      @@markharris3487 😂😂😂

    • @sabbe_satta_bhavantu_sukhi7226
      @sabbe_satta_bhavantu_sukhi7226 4 года назад

      press X to doubt.

    • @jazzyeric21
      @jazzyeric21 4 года назад +1

      @@markharris3487 Thanks. I hear you lol. But, actually Brazilian marriages have prenup options built in - 3 different types of marriages (ownership/asset rules) to choose from. Or of course you can hire a lawyer for a prenup if you need something specific. But, after over 5 years with her, 14 trips to Brazil and love and acceptance from her entire family I feel really good about it. But, I'll still be protected lol.

    • @Jamie-kt3jw
      @Jamie-kt3jw 4 года назад

      Congratulations! Emotion provokes the strongest motivation :)

  • @susycasteya8145
    @susycasteya8145 4 года назад +3

    Hi!!! I' m 71 years old. Y knew a bit of. English but now I' ve decided to prove ypur method which seems to me very original, new concept of learning. Thanks Richard for encouraging me.

  • @AA-kf4jp
    @AA-kf4jp Год назад +3

    Olly is exactly right! At 78 the most important thing I have learned is how to learn. And for me the next is your personal motivation. In my middle age, I lived for years in India and attended an immersive course in Hindi. My advantage was that I knew how I learned languages - just like Olly says. Plus I was motivated. I became fully literate and kept practicing even when back in America.
    And Olly’s guidance is so right about the resources of online apps. Flash cards and apps are so much more efficient. And now if you’ll pardon me, I need to get back to learning Croatian for an upcoming trip. You’re never too old to learn!

    • @flashgordon6510
      @flashgordon6510 Год назад

      I'm 59 and have been learning Japanese for a year - it was always a life goal, from when I saw Shogun on TV as a kid. But I'm finally at the time in my life when the kids are grown and I can devote the time to learning. It's fun! The online resources now are amazing.

    • @fredkylam
      @fredkylam Год назад +1

      I am 78 and learning Japanese.

    • @AA-kf4jp
      @AA-kf4jp Год назад

      @@fredkylam Fantastic!!!

    • @helenlouiseadams
      @helenlouiseadams Год назад

      That’s awesome! I’ve just started Croatian 3 days ago. How are you finding it?

  • @roydevries4258
    @roydevries4258 11 месяцев назад

    I'll be 77 this year and I've been improving my acquisition of Italian as my 5th language after my native Dutch and I found your overview on this topic encouraging. Luckily I enjoy practicing it with friends who speak Italian either as a first or second language. Thank you for the exposition.

  • @stuartlong6217
    @stuartlong6217 4 года назад +6

    Good inspirational stuff Olly!! I'm 60 and revisiting my schoolboy French and German plus Italian. Probably up to B1 with each. How far do I want to go? Who cares - the journey's the thing as you said. The only thing in life I'm scared of is dementia or similar, so glad you gave that a mention. Nothing however prepared me for the shock of learning you're 39 though!!

  • @josephr.gainey2079
    @josephr.gainey2079 Год назад +1

    I'm 64 and, being adopted I know nothing about my heredity or possible risk for Alzheimer's, so, last year I started learning Arabic. I am usually a quick learner, including languages, but this is absolutely the most difficult thing I have EVER studied. (Vocabulary retention is especially difficult for me.) It is slowly sinking in and being retained! I'm not giving up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • @ceciliagalli920
    @ceciliagalli920 2 года назад +1

    Olly ,
    OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH for doing this video . It truly put me in a better mind frame for learning a new language I want to learn Finnish but I don't see any books.
    😃 cheers

  • @jaclineheto8615
    @jaclineheto8615 7 месяцев назад

    👏 I'm a grandma of over 80 and always learning languages. Now the 9th. For me it's a game. Thanks to RUclips I can study at home! 👏 The same day I can practice 4 languages with people (on the phone or outside).
    ❤ I have friends from different cultures ❤, most of them speak many languages. ❤

  • @artiesolomon3292
    @artiesolomon3292 4 года назад +5

    I am 73 and am trying to learn Russian. Only language I studied was French. It is slow going but I am picking up speed the more days I study it and I study every day.

  • @chezsante
    @chezsante 4 года назад +3

    I agree Olly. I am a native English speaker and by age eleven I was introduced to Spanish in high school. Although not fluent when I travel I am able to help myself. During my adult life I attempted to learn French on and off and It so happened that my job required having a knowledge of French. I realized that there are similarities between the two languages. Two years ago I signed up with an Online tutor and the rest is history. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and now seek out opportunities to use the languages.

  • @yourfirstsecondlanguage4782
    @yourfirstsecondlanguage4782 4 года назад +2

    Thank you! The most destructive myth of all is that small kids learn languages better than adults and I’ve heard so many language teachers perpetuate this too!

  • @williamjayaraj9257
    @williamjayaraj9257 Год назад +1

    I am 80 years old and learning the Japanese language just to know how much memory power is left in me out of curiosity. Hope this will help others.

  • @donutdunkin7799
    @donutdunkin7799 Год назад

    I'm 59 and have been learning Russian every day for 4 months. Approaching 2000 words (as in instant recall and correct pronunciation). I use Russian while you sleep, not that I sleep, I just find the sleeping sounds relaxing. I wear headphones out walking through the countryside for an hour each day. Repeating words out loud. Sometimes I speak Russian to the cows (no one notices this, lol)
    I also watch a lot of Russian movies with subtitles. And occasionally, I'll listen to someone explaining grammar online. This method suits me. I don't try too hard but I'm consistent.
    I can feel my brain cells getting stronger.

  • @Patrick-xc4ul
    @Patrick-xc4ul 2 года назад

    That was good.
    I have used my memory (for Irish)
    As if it was better than I thought and lo and behold it got better.
    Inspiration from unexpected places. Thank you.

  • @nurlaniskakov2878
    @nurlaniskakov2878 4 года назад +1

    Thanks a lot,Olly
    For sharing your thoughts

  • @alwaysuseless
    @alwaysuseless 4 года назад +2

    I agree there are many benefits from learning a language even if you don't achieve a high degree of fluency, but... For me the goal of fluency helps me to keep learning. And by the way, one good definition of happiness is experiencing yourself making progress in something you really care about. That's very energizing! I'm finally at the point where it makes sense to start reading serious literature in the original German, and I'm psyched to use the methods you outline in your video or one of your videos on reading. Viel Spaß, Leute!

  • @EireDiplomat2024
    @EireDiplomat2024 4 года назад +2

    Really liking these types of videos Olly! Keep them coming :)

  • @monkeytime9851
    @monkeytime9851 Год назад

    I agree with him that the key is being actually interested, nay fascinated by language. You will learn fast if you really enjoy and get curious about why people use the mouth noises to mean this or that.

  • @robertfletcher6298
    @robertfletcher6298 Год назад

    I am 73 and as a language learner I seem to get better and better.

  • @jovanlopez5284
    @jovanlopez5284 Год назад

    I'm 24 and learning Japanese. Started learnings 4 months at age 23, and began with phrases, now i want to improve my language skills.

  • @sheila8052
    @sheila8052 4 года назад +6

    Olly Richards, I love you! Thanks for this episode about never being too old to learn a language. When I was in high school I did my level best to learn Spanish. But after 3 years (with great grades, no less) I couldn't carry on a conversation. I felt so defeated, and figured that I just couldn't learn a language. Fast forward 50 years, and here I am at 70 and I'm learning German. And I'm having a blast! I can, too, learn a language!!! My progress is a little slow because I own 3 companies that I need to run, and I'm currently commuting over 3 states while I also do 2 massive renovations. So my time is limited but hey, Deutsch und ich haben Spass zusammen. Thanks a million for the encouragement!!!!

    • @solea59
      @solea59 4 года назад

      Sheila, you're an inspiration ! Olly is one person that I follow regularly. But also have a look at Robin Macpherson, Luca Lampariello, and Steve Kaufman. All give great free advice !

    • @sheila8052
      @sheila8052 4 года назад

      @@solea59 Brian, thank you SO much! I have been listening to Luca, but I will also look up Robin and Steve. I REALLY appreciate your kind words and good advice.

    • @solea59
      @solea59 4 года назад

      @@sheila8052 Thank you Sheila. It's great that us ( oldies ) still have energy and the interest to carry on. I'm currently learning Italian ( early days ) since last September when we went to Rome. Loved the place and fell in love with the language too. I had been stuck on spanish at about B1 or B2 for a long time , but watching these lads gave me the boost to reach further. Best of luck with your studies !

    • @sheila8052
      @sheila8052 4 года назад +1

      @@solea59 Brian, best of luck to YOU. (Or should I say "Buona fortuna"?!) And yes, I agree with you. Those of us (oldies) who are still well and energetic enough to study a language seriously are very lucky souls. I hope you do smashingly well with Italian. I love that language...so melodic, so passionate...besides now you'll be able to understand what they're singing at the opera!

    • @solea59
      @solea59 4 года назад

      Hello Sheila , have you joined Robin's JOURNALY platform yet ? I strongly advise it, we could communicate there. It's brilliant .

  • @SilentJaguar68
    @SilentJaguar68 4 года назад +1

    I'm 24, and I don't consider that old at all, and I have a lot of friends who are much older than me who are also learning languages, so that gives me motivation for the future.))
    I've also noticed that I've been pulling back towards more oldskool methods of study to try and keep myself on track. Instead of reading and marking articles on my phone, I do it on my Kindle, which is solely for reading)) or even just taking notes with a pen and paper, I honestly find it a lot more enjoyable!

    • @annamariereverie2920
      @annamariereverie2920 4 года назад +1

      Twenty-four years old as well, attempting to learn three languages this year.

  • @larrydugan1441
    @larrydugan1441 Год назад +1

    I once read that the onset of dementia is on average 5 years later for those that speak more than one language than those that are unilingual.

  • @chrispulford3197
    @chrispulford3197 4 года назад +1

    Excellent advice and highly motivational, Ollie! You don't look a day over 25...

  • @yourfirstsecondlanguage4782
    @yourfirstsecondlanguage4782 4 года назад +2

    I wanted to make a video to debunk the ‘I’m too old’ excuse which loads of people I know give, but this i’ll share this with them instead :)

  • @jonathanspilhaus3165
    @jonathanspilhaus3165 Год назад

    I scraped through my Polish B1 exam for citizenship at the age of 69. Polish is my third language. I am sufficiently fluent to enjoy social conversations

  • @MartinKovshov
    @MartinKovshov Год назад

    The memory deteriorates with time - that's a fact (and I know this now from my own experience). If we regard language learning just like a process, than there's more rewarding hobbies in the world, which produce more tangible results - from fly fishing to learning to play piano to woodworking. And yes, there's a chance you'll never become fluent even if investing time and efforts.
    Having said that, I'm a 55 y o Russian dude, got a working command of English (passed the C1 exam), now studying Spanish as I moved to Spain. Have plans to revive my used-to-be B1 German and French.

  • @SEFR7337
    @SEFR7337 Год назад

    My experience trying to learn Mandarin at age 66 is slow. When I was learning Spanish in high school, I'd study my lesson each day of 20 new Spanish words. The next day I remembered 15 or more easily. Now I will forget more than half of each new set of Mandarin words by the next day. It is sometimes quite disappointing that words I thought I owned I will forget by next week.

  • @andersonalejandroalbacubil4066
    @andersonalejandroalbacubil4066 4 года назад

    This video and these comments are inspiring 🤗🤗🤗

  • @oldtimeoutlaw
    @oldtimeoutlaw Год назад +1

    Illy I’m 65 trying to learn German just because I want to. What can I do to help speed up my progress? Thank you so much for your information in advance. Peace

    • @flashgordon6510
      @flashgordon6510 Год назад

      Online resources! There are so many. You can also try an online tutor, from iTalki or somewhere similar.

  • @paulwalther5237
    @paulwalther5237 4 года назад +2

    I keep wondering if I’m too old. I started learning German at about age 21 and thought maybe it was too late. I can say it wasn’t too late to reach a really strong B2 just learning mostly from reading novels. At 34 I got interested in anime and thought maybe it was too late then. Again, I got to a strong B2 in Japanese (it took longer than German but I got there). Part of me thinks I should just stop there but I wonder if I won’t be like Steve learning languages into my 70’s. I just can’t stop wanting to learn more. I didn’t have apps or anything when I studied German either but now we have SRS apps like Anki. I think these apps are really helpful in particular if you think you have a bad memory or you’re challenging yourself to learn a distant language like Japanese. But they should be combined with proper immersion (your story method sounds really good).

    • @solea59
      @solea59 4 года назад +1

      Don't knock yourself Paul. You are doing great. Millions of people are just too bloody lazy . They think learning stops on the day they leave school !
      I'm 68 and learning Italian, I'm probably at B1 in Spanish some days and on a bad day much less , but you know what ? I don't care what people think ! I learn to keep dementia at bay for as long as possible. Good luck

  • @cj5273
    @cj5273 3 года назад +3

    Olly is looking good for 39!

  • @bobvedder2451
    @bobvedder2451 2 года назад

    I am 70 and study german, spanish, korean, sometimes russian, french, and am interested in other languages.

  • @jamesmccloud7535
    @jamesmccloud7535 3 года назад +1

    17 years old and learning my third language :)

  • @samnangsokhom1474
    @samnangsokhom1474 4 года назад

    i would like hewr your talk about people with learning diffulties trying to learn a new language?

  • @beretta804
    @beretta804 10 месяцев назад

    Are any languages easier than others for seniors to learn?

  • @run2fire
    @run2fire 4 года назад +4

    Ollie, I didn’t think you are 39!

  • @alloverdaplace2043
    @alloverdaplace2043 2 года назад +1

    I wanna learn Chinese or Japanese or Korean so bad but it seems impossible to attain. Those languages seem so different from English

  • @haseo700
    @haseo700 3 года назад +5

    "The younger generation has the attention span of a pea" 🤣🤣

  • @run2fire
    @run2fire 4 года назад +3

    I’m 51 learning Polish

    • @monikaturkowska573
      @monikaturkowska573 4 года назад

      i jak Ci idzie? trudno? dlaczego polski?

    • @run2fire
      @run2fire 4 года назад

      @@monikaturkowska573 Dziadkowie z Polski ... Język polski jest bardzo trudny!

  • @JamesPlatt88
    @JamesPlatt88 Год назад

    I am quite sick of younger people, like college and high school age, (I am 53) people acting like arrogant know it alls. They look down on older people. I can do math in my head, most of them can't even do it on a calculator. I took 3 languages at once in high school many years ago and still retain most of it. I have no worries about learning a new language as soon as I have some spare time.

  • @Kizarat
    @Kizarat 4 года назад

    Hey Olly when you learn a new language through comprehensible input as a complete beginner are you constantly translating the content that you read or just trying to guess what it could mean?

    • @heathersaxton8118
      @heathersaxton8118 4 года назад

      If it’s comprehensible it means you should understand 70-80% so no guessing

  • @dg7438
    @dg7438 4 года назад +2

    46 (young looking ;))and learning Russian.

  • @annamariereverie2920
    @annamariereverie2920 4 года назад +6

    I'm 24, trying to be fluent in 7 languages by the end of 2025. Wish me luck.

  • @danielleduplantis9449
    @danielleduplantis9449 Год назад

    I always say : " where there's a will....there's a way "

  • @HakendaNatan
    @HakendaNatan 2 года назад

    good

  • @RemofRenaissance
    @RemofRenaissance Год назад

    “Attention span of a pea…” 😂👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 💯

  • @rogerbruce2896
    @rogerbruce2896 11 месяцев назад

    Can you take me as a case study and help me learn Chinese? I am in my 60's

  • @bobvedder2451
    @bobvedder2451 2 года назад

    Sometimes when i am trying to speak a language, if i can't find the correct sentence, some other language will pop out and answer the question. lol.

  • @fredkylam
    @fredkylam Год назад

    How about starting to learn a language at 78? 😄

  • @bobvedder2451
    @bobvedder2451 2 года назад

    All you need is to be able to order a meal and a beer, find a bathroom, and hold a simple conversation.

  • @reemCGR
    @reemCGR 4 года назад +1

    i am 27 and i always feel like i am too old to do anything -_-

  • @thomascrownbuerger
    @thomascrownbuerger 4 года назад

    6:02 you wanted to say RUclips, didn't you?.... ;)

  • @williambudd2630
    @williambudd2630 4 года назад +1

    Oily Richards, knowing a language doesn’t mean you are qualified to teach it.

  • @chadr4013
    @chadr4013 7 месяцев назад

    Lies!