An increasing number of Language Courses are now being specifically designed for people in their Third Age and the Over 50s.

Until recently, one of the psychological barriers to learning another language in our Third Age has been the fact that we feel uncomfortable learning alongside those half our age and younger. But now many organisations are tailoring Language Courses specifically for the Over 50s.

Particularly suited to those who wish to learn a language because they intend to live abroad on a full or part-time basis, or because they intend to travel to a particular country where the language skills would be useful, such courses combine a foreign holiday, sightseeing and language learning in a single package.

Catering for those with linguistic abilities ranging from beginner to advanced, such courses allow you to learn a foreign language at your own pace, mixing with others of your own age and capabilities in a social setting, and enjoying yourself at the same time.

Surely the best and easiest way to learn another language!

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I live in a country where we have 4 official Languages. German, French, Italian and Romansch.
Which ever language I use when writing to the Government they answer in that language.
All food labels are written in German, French and Italian. This gives one a large vocabulary of words but no grammar.
But… the language which I speak is Schwyzerdütsch.  Germans do not  understand this,
But… all the Universities here use English as their lecture and teaching language,
English is the global language but I do sometimes wonder how many people remember to say Please and Thank you.

The English are incredibly lazy with languages, including their own.

Youngsters today appal me with their clipped, nasal, abbreviated speech which matches their illiterate texting on mobile phones.

He's a dinosaur I hear you say. Yes I am. I went to a grammar school, am proud of it, and some of these horrible little oicks on the streets today would do well to have the discipline I had in my schooldays.

Angry old man. Yes, I'm one of those as well. Texting today involves abbreviated messages, usually done with the thumb. In this dinosaur's day I learened shorthand, a special form, by missing out the intermediary vowels in words and then using symbols for what was left. Oddly enough you cannot do it on a mobile phone or computer.

So there, I got one up on the text merchants. IMHO.

Yes the 'edit' is odd! Some have it and some don't.