Learning a Language at Fifty
eBook - ePub

Learning a Language at Fifty

Following One Adult Learner Through Three Years of Italian From Hello to Reading Calvino

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Learning a Language at Fifty

Following One Adult Learner Through Three Years of Italian From Hello to Reading Calvino

About this book

Learning a Language at Fifty combines memoir, research, and practical insight to explore what it is really like to learn a new language later in life. Written by a linguist documenting her own multi-year journey to fluency in Italian, the book offers an honest look at the challenges and rewards of adult language learning. Rejecting promises of quick fluency and language-learning shortcuts, the author examines what actually works through the lens of both personal experience and decades of research in second-language acquisition. Readers follow her progress from complete beginner to confident speaker while learning about vocabulary acquisition, grammar mastery, immersion, tutoring, language apps, and effective study habits. The book addresses common concerns among adult learners, including slower progress, memory challenges, motivation, consistency, and the fear of making mistakes. It also explores how language learning can reshape identity, build confidence, and provide meaningful intellectual engagement during midlife and beyond. Combining scientific evidence with personal storytelling, this book offers realistic expectations and practical guidance for adults considering a long-term language-learning project. It demonstrates that while learning a language later in life requires patience and persistence, the rewards extend far beyond communication and into personal growth, cultural connection, and lifelong learning.

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Information

Publisher
Chiify
Year
2026
Topic
Languages & Linguistics
eBook ISBN
9798905160400
Subtopic
Linguistics
Index
Languages & Linguistics

Table of contents

  1. Chapter 10 — March to May 2023: Writing Italian, Badly and Often 9 8
  2. Chapter 1 — March 2021: The Penguin on the Desk
  3. Chapter 2 — April and May 2021: The Verb To Be, and the Tyranny of Gender
  4. Chapter 3 — June and July 2021: The Imperfect, and the Problem of Time
  5. Chapter 4 — August to October 2021: The First Tutor, and the Cost of Being Heard
  6. Chapter 5 — November and December 2021: The Morning the Subjunctive Made Sense
  7. Chapter 6 — January to March 2022: The First Trip to Italy
  8. Chapter 7 — April to July 2022: The First Long Plateau
  9. Chapter 8 — August to October 2022: The Trickier Tenses, and the Politics of Correction
  10. Chapter 9 — November 2022 to February 2023: The Year of Reading
  11. Chapter 10 — March to May 2023: Writing Italian, Badly and Often
  12. Chapter 11 — June to August 2023: The Second Trip, and the Question of Identity
  13. Chapter 12 — September to November 2023: The Second Plateau, and the Tools That Got Me Through It
  14. Chapter 13 — December 2023 to February 2024: The Italian
  15. Chapter 14 — Spring and Summer 2024: The Tools That Did Not Work
  16. Chapter 15 — Autumn 2024 to Spring 2025: The Slow Long Tail
  17. Chapter 16 — What I Would Tell My March 2021 Self
  18. Chapter 17 — A Wet Morning in Cambridge
  19. Chapter 1
  20. Chapter 2
  21. Chapter 3
  22. Chapter 4
  23. Chapter 5
  24. Chapter 6
  25. Chapter 7
  26. Chapter 8
  27. Chapter 9
  28. Chapter 10
  29. Chapter 11
  30. Chapter 12
  31. Chapter 13
  32. Chapter 14
  33. Chapter 15
  34. Chapter 16
  35. Chapter 17
  36. About the Author

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Yes, you can access Learning a Language at Fifty by Dr. Beatrice Aldgat in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Languages & Linguistics & Linguistics. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.