The age limit for studying....

[sfuqua]

It would be ridiculous to claim that my language learning ability is the same at 69 as it was at 29, but what amazes me is that, for many things, it is not that different.
In my case, I can assure you that my language learning ability has not declined as fast as my sprinting ability.
The other observation I would have is that I think a lot of the problems old people have is that their nervous systems just work more slowly. It is harder for them to keep up with a fast-paced conversation in an L2. People get tired of the old guy trying to get a sentence out. I don't really notice that very much with the languages I already know, even Spanish, but I do notice it for the new languages I have been working on lately, Irish and Japanese.
Of course, both of those languages are hard, hard languages for English speakers.
Anyway, I think no matter how much I study, I think anybody waiting for me to reply in Irish can expect to have time to take a sip of their Guinness and sigh reflectively, before I answer

The real thing I would say to anybody thinking about starting language learning is, however slowly you go, you will learn something. You will improve. If you don't quit, the only limits are illness and death. You can't let yourself get psyched out by people who claim that language learning for older people is impossible.
Just get up and do what you can with what you have. Learning another language is hard and takes a long time. If you think of it as a race, there will always be someone ahead of you.

If you start to study a language at any age, some people will always go faster than you, but you will be ahead of all the people who didn't start or who gave up early.

[Le Baron]

Wise words. I laughed at this:

In my case, I can assure you that my language learning ability has not declined as fast as my sprinting ability.

The thing about the older person's nervous system is something I actually wanted to address. After I was in a discussion with someone about exercising (with weights) into old age to maintain strength. The point is that your nervous system also manages physical stability and this really slows you down and makes you more careful, less recklessly agile. I don't think younger people realise this. It's not something communicated by anything other than experiencing it. I'll just point out that I'm not even 50 (yet).

This is the correct philosophy though:

If you start to study a language at any age, some people will always go faster than you, but you will be ahead of all the people who didn't start or who gave up early.

I was once the hare, but I am now the tortoise. And I have the knobbly shell to prove it.

[Lisa]

I am learning MUCH more effectively than I ever did... since tools and resource availability is MUCH better than it was in the 80s and 90s. Possibly I understand goals, effort, and focus a little better, although I wouldn't claim I have a high skill level at language learning.

Sometimes I imagine how it would have been if I'd had the online resources back then, how much easier it would all have been... but who knows what kind of technology for language learning will be available in another 20-30 years that the younger folks of today will lament not having had.

[leosmith]

61. I've been learning languages since the age of 11, but I'm better now than I've ever been, mainly due to experimentation, figuring out what works best for me, no longer feeling embarrassed about mistakes, being more confident, etc. If my memory has declined, which seems to be the biggest fear with aging for language learners, it hasn't declined enough for me to notice it.

So basically, I'm in my prime, and cannot think of a single area that I have noticeably declined in language learning. The whole "age limit" thing is BS at best, and an excuse at worst.

[Cainntear]

I like to propose a confounding factor:

Standard techniques have changed a lot over the years. Older people held up as "proof" of "it gets harder as you get older" might actually just be struggling because the teaching methodology is different from what they expect.

[garyb]

From years of following this forum (and its previous incarnation) and attending language meetups, I've consistently seen young people learning much faster than older ones. The middle-aged eternal beginner/intermediate is pretty much a language learner archetype. But that could well just be down to the factors already mentioned, especially free time.

I made much faster progress in my twenties than I'm making now in my thirties, but that's just been a matter of priorities: language learning has gone from a serious hobby to just a "normal" hobby as I've realised it's not exactly the most rewarding way to spend my time.

A year or two ago I was getting concerned that I had lost my ability to learn quickly, but more recently I've had to pick up some things for work and music and discovered that when I have the right motivation and focus I can still do it, and I think I was just struggling with attention because of things like lockdowns and stress.

For a nice example, my grandad started singing at age 65, and ten years later he was in an opera chorus, which is pretty good going!

[Sae]

I never like the line: "I'm too old to..." to me it's feels like a sign of defeat.

Unless you have a mental or physical reason that's holding you back from something (which is true regardless of age), you're not too old.

I like to prop up the example of Sir Christopher Lee starting a heavy metal band in his 90's...I mean, I know the guy was pretty special when you look at his accomplishments over the decades, but my point still stands lol.

I'm in my early 30's, so I definitely cannot speak from experience, despite all the "old" jokes I made when I turned 30. But, I am doing better at learning languages compared to when I was in my earlier 20's and I am generally a fairly forgetful person. Though I'd probably learn faster back then, but I think I have more motivaton now and that's why I'm doing better. And I figure this is the point, as long as you have the right motivation and do not have the aforementioned limitations affecting it, you can do it, even if it's harder or has more hurdles, but you can get over hurdles. Though admittedly, motivation itself can be a struggle & can be challenged, but I don't think age should ever demotivate somebody into thinking they can't do something or won't achieve something.

[tractor]

I never like the line: "I'm too old to..." to me it's feels like a sign of defeat.

I’m too old to care about TikTok.

[Sae]

I never like the line: "I'm too old to..." to me it's feels like a sign of defeat.

I’m too old to care about TikTok.

lol
Not sure if it's age or just sense.

[Carmody]

Well, as an 81 year old who enjoys learning French, I must admit it has been a joy to be able see my skill set grow from year to year. Since I live in rural Penna. I don't have much need for spoken French skills but I do enjoy the passive ones of listening and reading.

I think being older allows me to focus more on the learning and to relax and not worry about test taking. When I relax I learn more.

Comparing my retention now versus when I did French in high school, I would say I am more focused and certainly enjoy the journey more.

This Forum has been an immense help in my journey.