So apparently older learners can be a bit challenged by learning a new language.
We (sorry Damien, writing on your behalf here), older learners, have cognitive and memory challenges like slower memory recall, processing speed and interference from native language. Also emotional and social barriers, like fear of making mistakes. And then there is lack of immersion, with limited exposure and fewer opportunities for practice.
Yes, ticking all those boxes in BOLD CAPS, sigh....
Oh, and did I mention work, full time work, and life's day to day responsibilities (walking dogs, sports commitments, household chores, etc), meaning limited daily time for doing language learning.
Damien seems to fit his session in at a reasonable hour, for me after going to bed, I'm not sure how good my brain works at 11pm to learn French.
Duo the owl (chouette - in French) must be so disappointed. He is a cutie, thought, right?
Still we have motivation and purpose.
But then there is the frustration to deal with: nasal vowels, silent letters (really, why!!!!), gendered nouns, word order, SOOO many verb conjugations, and fast speech, to name a few.
Regular Blog updates to be provided on our progress with Duolingo, although we are unlikely to get to a level of proficiency for our trip/holiday. Apparently the research indicates that 600 hours is needed to reach proficiency; at our 30-45mins a day, that would take about 1000 days (or 3 years). January 2025 to August 2025 is, well, 200 days. And did I mention the challenges and barriers - yes - they are just above if you need to be reminded of them!!!
So, just saying, should set out expectations low. Perhaps being able to order fromage (cheese) and vin (wine) might be enough.
