Adults Can Be Retrained To Learn Second Languages More

Easily, Says UCL Scientist

ScienceDaily (June 15, 2005) — Our ability to hear and understand a
second language becomes more and more difficult with age, but the adult
brain can be retrained to pick up foreign sounds more easily again. This
finding, reported by Dr Paul Iverson of the UCL Centre for Human
Communication, at the "Plasticity in Speech Perception 2005" workshop -
builds on an important new theory that the difficulties we have with
learning languages in later life are not biological and that, given the right
stimulus, the brain can be retrained.

The Older Language Learner

by Mary Schleppegrell

Can older adults successfully learn foreign languages? Recent research is

providing increasingly positive answers to this question. The research shows that:

• there is no decline in the ability to learn as people get

older;
• except for minor considerations such as hearing and vision
loss, the age of the adult learner is not a major factor in
language acquisition;
• the context in which adults learn is the major influence on
their ability to acquire the new language.

Contrary to popular stereotypes, older adults can be good foreign language

learners. The difficulties older adults often experience in the language classroom
can be overcome through adjustments in the learning environment, attention to
affective factors, and use of effective teaching methods.

AGING AND LEARNING ABILITY

The greatest obstacle to older adult language learning is the doubt--in the minds
of both learner and teacher--that older adults can learn a new language. Most
people assume that "the younger the better" applies in language learning.
However, many studies have shown that this is not true. Studies comparing the
rate of second language acquisition in children and adults have shown that
although children may have an advantage in achieving native-like fluency in the
long run, adults actually learn languages more quickly than children in the early
stages (Krashen, Long, and Scarcella, 1979). These studies indicate that attaining
a working ability to communicate in a new language may actually be easier and
more rapid for the adult than for the child.

Studies on aging have demonstrated that learning ability does not decline with
age. If older people remain healthy, their intellectual abilities and skills do not
decline (Ostwald and Williams, 1981). Adults learn differently from children, but
no age-related differences in learning ability have been demonstrated for adults
of different ages.

OLDER LEARNER STEREOTYPES

The stereotype of the older adult as a poor language learner can be traced to two
roots: a theory of the brain and how it matures, and classroom practices that
discriminate against the older learner.

The "critical period" hypothesis that was put forth in the 1960's was based on
then-current theories of brain development, and argued that the brain lost
"cerebral plasticity" after puberty, making second language acquisition more
difficult as an adult than as a child (Lenneberg, 1967).

More recent research in neurology has demonstrated that, while language

learning is different in childhood and adulthood because of developmental
differences in the brain, "in important respects adults have superior language
learning capabilities" (Walsh and Diller, 1978). The advantage for adults is that
the neural cells responsible for higher-order linguistic processes such as
understanding semantic relations and grammatical sensitivity develop with age.
Especially in the areas of vocabulary and language structure, adults are actually
better language learners than children. Older learners have more highly
developed cognitive systems, are able to make higher order associations and
generalizations, and can integrate new language input with their already
substantial learning experience. They also rely on long-term memory rather than
the short-term memory function used by children and younger learners for rote
learning.

AGE RELATED FACTORS I N LANGUAGE LEARNING

Health is an important factor in all learning, and many chronic diseases can affect
the ability of the elderly to learn. Hearing loss affects many people as they age
and can affect a person's ability to understand speech, especially in the presence
of background noise. Visual acuity also decreases with age. (Hearing and vision
problems are not restricted exclusively to the older learner, however.) It is
important that the classroom environment compensate for visual or auditory
impairments by combining audio input with visual presentation of new material,
good lighting, and elimination of outside noise (Joiner, 1981).

CLASSROOM PRACTICES

Certain language teaching methods may be inappropriate for older adults. For
example, some methods rely primarily on good auditory discrimination for
learning. Since hearing often declines with age, this type of technique puts the
older learner at a disadvantage.

Exercises such as oral drills and memorization, which rely on short-term

memory, also discriminate against the adult learner. The adult learns best not by
rote, but by integrating new concepts and material into already existing cognitive
structures.

Speed is also a factor that works against the older student, so fast-paced drills and
competitive exercises and activities may not be successful with the older learner.

HELPING OLDER ADULTS SUCCEED

Three ways in which teachers can make modifications in their programs to

encourage the older adult language learner include eliminating affective barriers,
making the material relevant and motivating, and encouraging the use of adult
learning strategies.

Affective factors such as motivation and self-confidence are very important in

language learning. Many older learners fear failure more than their younger
counterparts, maybe because they accept the stereotype of the older person as a
poor language learner or because of previous unsuccessful attempts to learn a
foreign language. When such learners are faced with a stressful, fast-paced
learning situation, fear of failure only increases. The older person may also
exhibit greater hesitancy in learning. Thus, teachers must be able to reduce
anxiety and build self-confidence in the learner.

Class activities which include large amounts of oral repetition, extensive

pronunciation correction, or an expectation of error-free speech will also inhibit
the older learner's active participation. On the other hand, providing opportunities
for learners to work together, focusing on understanding rather than producing
language, and reducing the focus on error correction can build learners' self-
confidence and promote language learning. Teachers should emphasize the
positive--focus on the good progress learners are making and provide
opportunities for them to be successful. This success can then be reinforced with
more of the same.

Older adults studying a foreign language are usually learning it for a specific
purpose: to be more effective professionally, to be able to survive in an
anticipated foreign situation, or for other instrumental reasons. They are not
willing to tolerate boring or irrelevant content, or lessons that stress the learning
of grammar rules out of context. Adult learners need materials designed to
present structures and vocabulary that will be of immediate use to them, in a
context which reflects the situations and functions they will encounter when
using the new language. Materials and activities that do not incorporate real life
experiences will succeed with few older learners.

Older adults have already developed learning strategies that have served them
well in other contexts. They can use these strategies to their advantage in
language learning, too. Teachers should be flexible enough to allow different
approaches to the learning task inside the classroom. For example, some teachers
ask students not to write during the first language lessons. This can be very
frustrating to those who know that they learn best through a visual channel.

Older adults with little formal education may also need to be introduced to
strategies for organizing information. Many strategies used by learners have been
identified; these can be incorporated into language training programs to provide a
full range of possibilities for the adult learner (Oxford-Carpenter, 1985).

CONCLUSION

An approach which stresses the development of the receptive skills (particularly

listening) before the productive skills may have much to offer the older learner
(Postovsky, 1974; Winitz, 1981; J. Gary and N. Gary, 1981). According to this
research, effective adult language training programs are those that use materials
that provide an interesting and comprehensible message, delay speaking practice
and emphasize the development of listening comprehension, tolerate speech
errors in the classroom, and include aspects of culture and non-verbal language
use in the instructional program. This creates a classroom atmosphere which
supports the learner and builds confidence.

Teaching older adults should be a pleasurable experience. Their self-directedness,

life experiences, independence as learners, and motivation to learn provide them
with advantages in language learning. A program that meets the needs of the
adult learner will lead to rapid language acquisition by this group.
Foreign Language Learning by Adults
Adults may learn a foreign language differently than children, but anyone with determination can
succeed.

As adults begin to learn a foreign language they will realize that it is hard work---hundreds of hours of study are
needed to speak the language reasonably well. Like any endeavor, the right attitude is essential. The effort is
well worth it in terms of enhanced cultural understanding, travel opportunities, and improved mental abilities.

Adult versus Child Language Learning – Is There a "Critical Period" for Enhanced
Learning?
Proponents of the "critical period" hypothesis state that "the natural ability to acquire spoken language without
deliberate effort begins to diminish sharply at about the age of puberty (12-14 years of age)" according to
the Center for Instructional Innovation. Is this so, and if so, why?

One school of thought states that early language acquisition is due to evolutionary adaptation. The need for
early acquisition of language requires a large expenditure of brain neurons, and since adult acquisition of
language is of lesser importance, the neurons are rerouted to other purposes. However, no one has been able
to exactly isolate the neural changes associated with changes in language acquisition.

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Another view is that adult learning is more difficult not because of changes in brain neurons, but due to viewing
things through the lens of their native language. This process interferes with the way we see and comprehend
foreign languages (Veracity). Adult hearing becomes specialized to hearing the speech sounds of the native
language, and to ignore other sounds. The critical period does seem to relate to an ability to learn a native-like
pronunciation, so adult learners inevitably have an accent.

Finally, the learning process of adults is different than children. Children learn logically or inductively, by
example and by interacting with their environment; while adults learn analytically and deductively by reasoning.

Strategies for Adult Learning

The mental process is very important for the adult learner, who understands that learning a foreign language
well is a total commitment. Of course, people have different strengths and approaches in learning, but since
the 1960s a more natural approach has gained prominence (Longatan). The idea is to simulate the
environment in which the child learns a language. The student should develop an acceptance or desire to
become part of a new language group, and to feel at home with the culture as well. The natural method must
be supplemented with grammatical exercises, and structured drills and exercises to complete the learning
process.

Two valuable skills for adult learning of languages include a good memory and a good ear.

 Good Memory - There are thousands of new vocabulary words to memorize and learn, so it is a
distinct advantage to be able to recall words, idiomatic expressions and the like after brief
introductions to the words. Many study guides are available to improve memory, but it is very useful
to be able to make associations.
 Good Ear - People are are so accustomed to their native language that they hardly need to pay
attention to the spoken word. Understanding a foreign language spoken fast and fluently can be a
challenge. As mentioned before, the adult learner needs to be re-educated to pay attention to new
sounds. Good listening conditions are essential, such as a one-on-one conversation. Any interfering
sounds such as people talking in the background can seriously hinder the learning of new sounds.
Listening labs are a valuable addition to classroom work. Although it may seem like rote learning,
simply listening to the words over and over helps to be accustomed to the sounds.

Read more at Suite101: Foreign Language Learning by Adults: Theory and Practice of Language
Acquisition | Suite101.com http://www.suite101.com/content/foreign-language-learning-by-adults-
a162780#ixzz1LsTQpt00

Read more at Suite101: Foreign Language Learning by Adults: Theory and Practice of Language
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