{"id":47474,"date":"2021-08-25T17:10:34","date_gmt":"2021-08-25T15:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/?p=47474"},"modified":"2021-08-25T17:10:34","modified_gmt":"2021-08-25T15:10:34","slug":"the-benefits-of-learning-english-in-your-60s-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/the-benefits-of-learning-english-in-your-60s-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits Of Learning English In Your 60s And Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who said learning English was just for the young? You’re never too old to learn something new. There are plenty<\/strong><\/span><\/em> of benefits of learning new skills, especially languages, in our senior years. And with increasing research showing the advantages to our brain function, it seems it may actually be good for your health as well.<\/p>\n

Check out these benefits of learning English in your 60s and beyond. And while you\u2019re here, why not enroll in our English course for the over 55s?<\/a><\/p>\n

It keeps the brain active and young<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Throughout our lifetime, our brains change more than any other part of our body. And as we age, our mental functions such as concentration and memory start to get worse. However, research shows<\/a> that learning a language may actually be able to slow down<\/strong><\/span><\/em> these changes. It can even help delay the appearance of Alzheimer\u2019s and dementia, as well as being a great workout<\/strong><\/span><\/em> for your brain. Although learning a language as an adult is mentally challenging, you\u2019ll learn to think more creatively and critically, and use parts of the brain you never knew you had.<\/p>\n

Travelling abroad is much easier <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

A love for travel is great motivation to learn English in your 60s, 70s and beyond. English is still the global language, and often it\u2019s what foreigners use to communicate when they don\u2019t share the same mother tongue<\/strong><\/span><\/em>. Learning the basics will help you in lots of different situations, such as asking for directions, reading menus, or understanding street signs. But more importantly, learning English may lead to an unexpected conversation with the locals \u2013 even if it\u2019s just about the weather! And if you\u2019re travelling in an English speaking country like the USA or Australia, it\u2019ll open doors to another culture as well.<\/p>\n

Your social circle will grow<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Learning a new language lets you become part of a new community. You\u2019ll meet lots of interesting people, from all walks of life<\/strong><\/span><\/em>, who all share the same goal as you. Some of your classmates could be ex-neurosurgeons, pilots or retired artists, for example. With such a variety of backgrounds, you\u2019ll enjoy discussing a variety of life experiences and stories with each other.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, all the latest technology has made connecting with people from all over the world easier than ever. So if you want to expand your English network further, try joining an online language exchange, or connecting with users on gaming apps like Candy Crush<\/a> or Duolingo<\/a>.
\nEnglish is the language of the internet after all!<\/p>\n

Check out this article for more apps to help you learn English.<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch your favourite TV series and films in original version<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Have you ever thought about what George Clooney really sounds like? Many people have only seen films and TV series that have been dubbed<\/strong><\/span><\/em> into their own language. This is perfect for entertainment, but often the meaning is lost in translation. And it\u2019s not quite the same experience when the actors\u2019 lips move out of sync<\/strong><\/span><\/em> with the voice. Imagine being able to watch those great classics in their original language?<\/p>\n

At first, you may find the listening difficult, and understanding different accents can be a challenge. But the key to learning any language is practice. Start small, with short clips of about twenty minutes. And once you\u2019ve mastered that, try watching a longer feature-length<\/strong><\/span><\/em> film.<\/p>\n

Set yourself new goals for later life and retirement<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Maybe one of your dreams has always been to learn English, but of course, life gets in the way<\/strong><\/span><\/em>. Work and family commitments distract you from achieving your goals, and before you know it, opportunities have passed by. But now is the perfect time to start something new. As life slows down, and retirement gets closer, we often have more free time. In later life, you\u2019re more financially stable, so you have the resources to invest. Plus, people in their 50s and 60s are often very motivated, which makes them some of the best students and most dedicated language learners. <\/p>\n

Learning a language is fun and stimulating, and it\u2019s important to keep challenging ourselves on a day-to-day basis. But it\u2019s not easy to master a second language when you\u2019re older. That\u2019s why we\u2019re here to help. Our English for over 55\u2019s course<\/a> is perfect for those wanting to learn real English. One that\u2019s more beneficial than a few hours of Duolingo each day!<\/p>\n

Enjoyed this? Check out our article \u2013 8 hidden benefits of being bilingual<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Glossary for Language Learners<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

plenty (adv):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> a large or sufficient amount.<\/p>\n

slow down (pv):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> go slower.<\/p>\n

workout (n):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> exercise.<\/p>\n

mother tongue (n):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> native language.<\/p>\n

all walks of life (exp):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> many different jobs or positions in society.<\/p>\n

dubbed (adj):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> the speech of a movie or tv show is changed to a different language.<\/p>\n

out of sync (adj):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> when two or things don\u2019t happen together in time.<\/p>\n

feature-length (adj):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> full length.<\/p>\n

life gets in the way (exp):<\/strong><\/em><\/span> daily life, relationships, work and family responsibilities occupy your time.<\/p>\n

\">
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<\/div>\n

Key<\/strong><\/p>\n

n = noun<\/p>\n

pv = phrasal verb<\/p>\n

adj = adjective<\/p>\n

adv = adverb<\/p>\n

exp = expression<\/p>\n

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Study English at Oxford House Barcelona<\/h4><\/i>Interested in taking an English course at Oxford House Barcelona? Check our English for seniors course<\/a> or contact us<\/a> for more information.<\/div>
<\/div><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who said learning English was just for the young? You’re never too old to learn something new. There are plenty of benefits of learning new skills, especially languages, in our senior years. And with increasing research showing the advantages to our brain function, it seems it may actually be good for your health as well. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":47475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[]},"categories":[268],"tags":[16152,195,137],"yst_prominent_words":[16139,10819,16151,16149,16103,16102,16147,16144,1044,16104,12460,16143,16142,16098,1253,16150,16148,16107,1037,4482],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47474"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47474"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47483,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47474\/revisions\/47483"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47474"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=47474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}