In this paper, we present a longitudinal study investigating different language teaching pedagogies in seniors and their effects on language proficiency, cognition and socio-affective measures. Third-age language learning is a rapidly developing field and many studies have been carried out to unveil the black-box that is language learning at an older age. Many gaps in knowledge, however, remain. Firstly, language proficiency itself has not been the primary object of investigation as most studies focus on language learning as a tool to prevent cognitive decline and a way to promote cognitive reserve. Yet at this point it is not clear if language learning can be used to build up cognitive reserve because studies find mixed results [e.g. 1;2;3;4]. Part of the reason for this, we believe, is because seniors' language learning needs remain unclear and as such cannot be incorporated into research designs targeting cognitive outcomes of language learning [5]. Our study looks at the effects of a 3-month English course for 16 Dutch seniors. Crucially, language learning needs are ascertained by offering two types of teaching: with or without explicit grammar instruction [6]. Including continuous measures of language proficiency, and relating this to motivation, socio-affective and cognitive outcomes, allows us to measure the process of development over time. The main purpose of this study is twofold: 1) it primarily assesses the optimal method to learn a new language post 65 years old; and 2) it assesses how different teaching methods relate to cognitive and social engagement benefits that may ensue from learning new language skills later in life. Our preliminary results show that, throughout the language course, participants' well-being significantly improved. Additionally, the implicitly taught group showed higher levels of motivation. Regarding cognition, the explicit condition showed advantages on some task, but only on the retention test. For other tasks, no differences between groups were found. These findings and their implications will be discussed in more detail in this contribution.
References
[1]Bak, T. H., Long, M. R., Vega-Mendoza, M., & Sorace, A. (2016). Novelty, challenge, and practice: The impact of intensive language learning on attentional functions. PloS One, 11(4), e0153485. [2]Kliesch, M., Pfenninger, S. E., Wieling, M., Stark, E., & Meyer, M. (2021). Cognitive benefits of learning additional languages in old adulthood? insights from an intensive longitudinal intervention study. Applied Linguistics.[3]Pfenninger, S. E., & Polz, S. (2018). Foreign language learning in the third age: A pilot feasibility study on cognitive, socio-affective and linguistic drivers and benefits in relation to previous bilingualism of the learner. Journal of the European Second Language Association, 2(1), 1-13. [4]Ramos, S., García, Y. F., Antón, E., Casaponsa, A., & Dunabeitia, J. A. (2017). Does learning a language in the elderly enhance switching ability? Journal of Neurolinguistics, 43, 39-48.[5]Ramírez-Gómez, D. (2016). Critical geragogy and foreign language learning: An exploratory application. Educational Gerontology, 42(2), 136-143.[6]Andringa, S., & Rebuschat, P. (2015). New directions in the study of implicit and explicit learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 37(2), 185.
