7 Reasons Why You’re Never Too Old To Learn A Language

Too old to learn a language. How many times have you heard that? How many times have you said it? Is old age the excuse that's holding you back?

Well, now's the time to forget that fallacy because whatever the culture or language here are my top seven reasons why you are never too old to learn a language.

By the way, no matter how old (or young!) you are, the key to getting fluent in your target language is using a fun and effective method like StoryLearning®, which teaches you through stories, not rules. Find out more and try the method out for free for 7 days.

If you prefer reading, keep scrolling for the full blog post. Otherwise, hit play and check it out in video format instead. Either way, enjoy!

Can You Be Too Old To Learn A Language? 7 Reasons The Answer Is No!

Check out these 7 reasons age and language learning go hand in hand.

#1. Other People Who Are “Too Old To Learn A Language” Are Doing It

It's true, there are plenty of people of all ages who are learning languages. The great Steve Kauffmann aka “The Linguist” and founder of LingQ agrees.

He's been learning languages all his life, and now at 70+ he reckons, “I'm a better language learner now than I was at 16.”

Steve's not alone in that thought. Once they find the right methods (like learning through story), my older students revel in their new language skills and wonder why they ever thought they couldn't learn.

#2. Children DON’T Learn Better Than Adults

Ever heard the myth that learning a foreign language at an older age is more difficult? Well, it's a myth that children learn languages better than adults do.

Children's biggest strength is being attuned to language learning from the day they're born. And, if they're lucky, they have encouragement, modelling and approval from every direction.

And yet, even a 10-year-old doesn't have complete command of their native language — and that's after ten years of soaking it up. So, the truth really is that kids don't learn languages fast at all.

#3. You Bring Life Experience To The Task

You may not have youth on your side, but you're you are never too old to learn! You have a lifetime of knowledge and experiences, and that's powerful.

After all, you have a far more mature attitude towards getting stuck into the job than most youngsters can muster, so use that advantage.

#4. Life Has Already Taught You HOW To Learn

You've studied, worked, dabbled with hobbies, raised a family, shaken your head over homework and revelled in new passions and adventures.

You're an experienced student — even if you don't realise it. Chances are you're well aware of how you learn best, too. You know whether you'd prefer listening, watching, reading, doing — or a combination.

All of that means you can choose the programme and methods which suit you down to the ground.

#5. Your Self-Discipline Enables You To Get The Job Done

I hate to say it, but kids are growing up in a social media-dominated world, and that's going to have lasting consequences.

You and I are fortunate to remember a time before Facebook and TikTok. We know how to focus without being distracted by every device. We know how to turn up ready to do the job and that life on social media isn't real.

So, really, you need to know that your self-discipline and ability to stick to things is a considerable advantage and when it comes to learning a new language later in life – the inconsistency villain is real, after all! The best age to learn a language is the age you are right now!

#6. You’ve Got Time

This one is especially true if you're retired. You've got the luxury to devote time to the things you WANT to do.

And, if that includes learning a new language, that's fantastic!

There are tremendous benefits to learning a language later in life — which brings us neatly to reason number seven.

#7. The Real Purpose Of Language Learning Is To Enrich Your Life

There are numerous benefits to learning a new language, and one of the most important is brain health.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking “oh, my memory's bad, I can't learn a language.” A recent study shows that believing you have a lousy memory actually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Conversely, if you work towards having a strong memory — guess what? That's what you'll get.

So, all that vocabulary you're working so hard to learn will pay off now and in the future by helping to keep your brain active and healthy.

Never Too Late To Learn A Language

A healthy brain isn't the only benefit of learning a new language; there's also the social aspect.

Imagine sitting in a bar in Tuscany, enjoying a bottle of wine and joining in the conversation. Or climbing Mt Fuji and muttering a comment to another pilgrim heading to see the sunrise.

Whatever it may be, the experience enriches your life, and knowing the language makes it even sweeter.

And that is the point of learning a language. It's not to become fluent. It's not to know all the grammar and vocabulary. None of that stuff really matters.

It's all about living a better life ourselves, and for that reason, you can never, ever be too old to learn a language.

Olly Richards

Creator of the StoryLearning® Method

Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.

Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.

When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.