Yesterday, I volunteered at my city’s English conversation group where mostly seniors (in their 60s and 70s) gather to practice their English. Of course, they are doing it of their own volition, but it was still quite inspiring to see their enthusiasm as they delivered their prepared presentations followed by discussions. Their proficiency levels varied, but we had some interesting topics, such as how natural and appropriate the English signs and announcements in Japanese trains are, what it really feels like to undergo a shunt procedure before getting ready for a dialysis, and how to perform a Scottish country dance, among others. The students would often vie to get more speaking time in class, which is a refreshing experience for many people who teach Japanese students. Even the weakest student, who often struggles to say anything in English, made a great effort to say more things in English and elaborate on her prepared speech. It was a reminder that one is never too old to learn a foreign language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps because this experience was still fresh in my memory, a particular video caught my attention while I was looking for some teaching materials for next summer. He is a septuagenarian polyglot, and I found a video of him being interviewed in Japanese to talk about his process of learning Japanese. I thought some of you would find it interesting and perhaps even inspiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n