10/08/2023

Are you retired yet still want to learn more? Consider beginning one of our Spanish online courses for students over 18.

According to scientific research, learning and using a new language at a mature age can assist in staving off the signs of degenerative brain conditions like Alzheimer's.

Online Spanish Courses for Older Students

In recent decades, our quality of living has significantly increased. People who retire young, at roughly 60 years old, in good bodily and mental health, with spare time to indulge in hobbies and enjoy life with loved ones, are becoming increasingly prevalent. 

Some hobbies loved as one gets older include traveling, cooking, reading, Pilates, participating in community events like theatre, volunteering, and spending more time with family and friends.

What about picking up a new tongue, though? Do you believe the time has passed? Do you anticipate being unable to keep up in the classes? Do you think learning grammar, vocabulary, etc., will be boring? This post dispels a few fallacies about learning a language later in life.

Hispanic culture and the Spanish language

After English, Chinese, and Hindi, Spanish has 534 million native speakers, making it the fourth most frequently spoken language worldwide. The fact that Spanish is the official language of 21 nations in Europe, Central America, and South America is what makes Spanish so intriguing. Spanish is one of the most attractive languages in the world because it contains elements from more than 20 distinct nations' cultures, histories, gastronomies, and customs.

New Methods for Language Learning

Learning a new language takes more than just practicing grammar and vocabulary. More and more frequently in classes and courses, we are studying the cultural aspects of the new language. Because of this, LiveXP tutoring Spanish(https://livexp.com/skills/spanish) involves demonstrating features of Hispanic food, fairs, and significant cultural events, as well as facets of literature, art, music, history, and some of the most intriguing customs of the Hispanic countries.

Online Spanish Courses for Older Students: Workouts for the Brain

The first advantage of studying Spanish later in life is that it is a fantastic mental exercise.

According to scientific research, speaking, associating visuals with thoughts, and remembering words all need the employment of various brain parts. People who speak many languages regularly work out the prefrontal cortex in their frontal lobes to prevent interference between the languages. For instance, when they view a picture, their brains must decide which of two alternatives (two languages) to use to express a word. 

Research with 450 Alzheimer's patients was undertaken in Toronto, Canada, in 2011 by Dr. Ellen Bialystok of the University of York. Half of the community spoke only one language, while the other half spoke two languages.

According to the study, learning a second language can help patients postpone their disease's symptoms by an average of five years. Therefore, research has established that learning two or more languages shields the brain against the damage brought on by degenerative neurological conditions like Alzheimer's.

The genuinely intriguing finding of this study, however, is that these advantages were shown not just in those who had acquired a second language in their formative years (childhood or adolescence) but also in mature students who had started learning a second language at a later age.

Four months after beginning their English studies, these participants showed the following advantages: An enhancement in short-term memory.

It has enhanced long-term memory.

The increased connection between neurons.

Improved standard of care.

According to the results of her research, learning a second language stimulates the brain, which encourages healthy aging of the brain over time.

Do you want to begin studying Spanish?

Continue learning, reading, playing musical instruments, and engaging in other activities that may keep the brain active are some guidelines the American Association of Retired Persons promotes in its publications to maintain good brain aging.

LiveXP is a platform designed to help you improve your Spanish through online Spanish lessons. Our native teachers pay close attention to the senior student's learning rate throughout our adult private classes.