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SPECIAL SECTION: PRIME TIME
Finally, there's time for that foreign language
By Claire Landes Altschuler
Special to the Tribune
Published October 19, 2005
For people like Michael Murphy of Chicago, a lack of time may be all that's keeping them from pursuing a longtime interest, such as learning a foreign language.
"I had always wanted to learn French," said Murphy, "but ... I neither had the time nor the energy to pursue it."
The time crunch abated after Murphy, 73, retired from his public relations job in 2000. Since July 2004, he has been taking classes at the Alliance Francaise on the Near North Side. In less than a year, he has progressed from a beginner to an intermediate student.
Murphy is not unusual among retirees and other older Americans. A survey published by AARP in 2000 showed that 52 percent of respondents age 50 and older were either "very interested" or "extremely interested" in mastering an advanced skill, such as speaking a foreign language.
Tanya Mitchell, spokeswoman for the Chicago Department on Aging, said seniors and retirees "are seeking to develop new skills," including learning foreign languages. Mitchell said anecdotal evidence suggests that interest in the subject is growing.
The reasons include more frequent travel by those 50 and older, more free time to devote to learning, an interest in one's ethnic heritage and Baby Boomers' desire for mental stimulation that may help prevent debilitating illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease.
According to a 2002 Harris poll, 65 percent of people ages 55 to 64 expressed an interest in traveling. A 2004 study by the Travel Institute of America showed that Baby Boomers took more trips than any other age group -- 269 million trips in 2003.
Many retirees are taking trips abroad, and they say knowing a country's language helps them understand the culture. It also makes it easier to perform everyday tasks such as ordering in a restaurant or asking for directions.
"Knowing some of the language makes traveling so much more pleasant," said Marija Norusis, 57.
For the last three years, Norusis has been taking Italian at the University of Chicago's Gleacher Center along with her husband, Bruce Stephenson, 54. During a recent trip to Parma, Italy, she said, they sat next to an elderly woman at lunch and enjoyed a long conversation with her in Italian.
Murphy, the Alliance Francaise student, said he and his wife, Jo Ann, 64, plan to go to France more frequently now that he's retired. His growing proficiency in the language has made it easier to "find my way around" Paris, he said.
Finally, the time
People who have retired and finished raising their families often find they have time on their hands. Many use it to pursue hobbies or learn new skills.
Joseph Glimco, 69, of Western Springs said he always wanted to learn Italian but didn't have the time until he retired. He thinks "there are probably a lot of people who are in the same boat as I was"--too busy to pursue language study or other interests because they are working full time.
Glimco decided to learn Italian to reconnect with his family roots. His parents came from Italy, and he remembers being unable to understand his parents when they spoke to relatives.
"It was always kind of a mystery to me," he said. Glimco's parents discouraged him from speaking Italian as a child, because he grew up during World War II, when Italy was an enemy of the U.S. He has been taking classes at the Italian Cultural Center in Stone Park for several years.
Jack McCord, executive director of the Alliance Francaise in Chicago, said retirees frequently participate in the school's classes and cafes, conversation groups that meet to discuss literature, philosophy, theater and other topics. Retired people make up "a lot of our daytime audience," he said.
McCord said the school's best-attended cafe meets weekdays in the late afternoon and consists mostly of retirees. "When you're retired ... you have more time. And [lack of time] is one of the challenges" for younger students who work, he said.
Baby Boomers want to stay healthy as they age, and many are taking language and other classes to ward off the mental decline that can accompany aging. "There's a huge interest in staying sharp," said Annette Norsman, director of the National Retired Teachers' Association, a division of AARP. Seniors want the longevity, but they want to be healthy as well, she said.
There's evidence that learning a second language may help people retain their mental sharpness. Dr. David Bennett, director of the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said mental exercise helps people stay healthier longer and may prevent some forms of dementia.
"There's data ... that remaining cognitively, socially, physically active can help prevent the development of the clinical signs of Alzheimer's disease," he said.
Bennett said that older Americans who do a variety of activities retain their mental acuity better than those who do not. Foreign language study, which requires our brains to "pay attention, to remember ... and to process" information, "certainly [falls] into that category," he said. In addition, those who attend classes, rather than listen to tapes, get the benefits of social interaction, which may also help prevent some forms of dementia.
Maturity has its pluses
It's generally accepted that children are best equipped to learn a foreign language. But that doesn't mean that others can't acquire the skill. Although older students may experience difficulty memorizing foreign words and learning new syntax, their maturity, experts said, offers some advantages.
Professor Nadine Di Vito, director of the Romance Languages Program at the University of Chicago, said older students have intellectual faculties, such as the ability to understand analogies and generalizations, that help them learn not only grammar and vocabulary, but also the culture in which the language is spoken. This makes it easier for adults to use the language in a more effective and culturally appropriate way, she said.
Di Vito also noted that it takes children several years to learn a language, but "I've seen adult learners [acquire] amazing proficiency after two years, maybe three."
Glimco, of Western Springs, said learning a second language has been challenging at his age. Despite this, he said, he's made steady progress, and his efforts have been rewarded. Becoming proficient in Italian has helped him reconnect with his family's roots and made his trips to Italy more enjoyable. "It's all a plus," he said.
Interest in Arabic
Some older Americans are taking Arabic, one of the most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn, according to the Foreign Service Institute. The institute is the training center for the U.S. State Department and teaches more than 60 foreign languages to diplomats and other personnel placed overseas.
Professor Rasheed Hosein, director of public education for the Center of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago, said the school has increased its first-year Arabic classes fourfold since 1999.
At the Graham School, the university's continuing education division, about 80 percent of Arabic language students are older than 40, Hosein said. "Generally speaking," he said, retired students do "really, really well."
Marketing executives at colleges and universities are aware of the opportunity presented by retirees' hunger for learning. Institutions such as the University of Chicago, Boston University and Northwestern University are creating programs that target this age group and are finding that language classes are popular.
A recent Graham School survey showed that foreign language enrollment among those 45 to 64 increased 12.5 percent from 2003 to 2004.
Marketing to seniors
In Boston University's Evergreen program, people 58 and older can audit regular classes at the university, including foreign language courses. Northwestern's Linda Salchenberger, associate dean of academics at the School of Continuing Studies, said the school's administrators are considering offering foreign languages. "We're very interested in the subject," she said.
Berlitz, the language-teaching center, is also starting to focus more of its marketing efforts on older Americans.
"There are a good deal of affluent people in that age group [55 and older]," said Carol Trinca-Bautista, marketing director of Berlitz U.S. They not only have the means "but ... the time to dedicate to language study."
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Where to find language classes
The following are Chicago-area institutions that offer language classes. Also check with local public high schools and community colleges, which generally offer classes.
Alliance Francaise de Chicago
810 N. Dearborn St.
312-337-1070
www.afchicago.com
The alliance offers French classes for all levels of proficiency. Members also may participate in conversation clubs, or cafes, devoted to topics such as French film, philosophy and politics. The on-site library has more than 9,000 volumes and has an extensive collection of classic and contemporary French films that students may borrow. Day, evening and weekend classes are available.
The Italian Cultural Center
1629 N. 39th Ave., Stone Park
708-345-3842
www.italianculturalcenter.net
All levels of Italian are offered, including advanced conversation classes. The center periodically offers "Immersion Weekends," during which students of all proficiencies spend two days surrounded by Italian language and culture, including food, movies and presentations on topics such as Italian Renaissance art. Classes are held in the evenings. Weekend classes are available at the Italian Cultural Center's Vernon Hills location.
The University of Chicago's
Graham School
Gleacher Center
450 N. Cityfront Plaza
773-702-1722
grahamschool.uchicago.edu
Offerings vary by semester, but the school usually provides beginning and intermediate Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Latin and Greek. Non-credit adult continuing education language classes are offered weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Spanish Language Center
3139 N. Lincoln Ave., Suite 200
and
17 N. State St., 17th floor
773-665-9887 (both locations)
www.spanishinchicago.com
The Spanish Language Center has native bilingual teachers and offers all levels of Spanish, including a class for travelers. Day and evening classes are available. Group classes and private lessons are offered.
Northwestern University
School of Continuing Studies
312-503-6950
www.scs.northwestern.edu
The school offers all levels of French and Spanish. Most classes are offered on its Evanston campus. Accelerated language classes are offered during the summer session.
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Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune
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