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Immersive language opportunities for older women

By Diana Eden

As I head to Parliamo Italiano, my Saturday meetup group, to practice speaking Italian, a friend asks, “why do you need to speak Italian? In Italy, everyone speaks English in the tourist centers.”

Yes indeed. But that is not my purpose, nor do I have a trip to Italy planned for the near future. At age 85, I do it to embrace lifelong learning, which is one of the things that will keep me young. If not young, exactly, at least help me stay mentally agile. Of course, there are other benefits. I connect with people who also love to share the Italian culture over a cup of cappuccino and a biscotti while I keep those little neurons up there in my head busy searching for words I learned long ago and am trying to retrieve.

However, I also enjoy speaking the language when I am in a foreign country, especially in the more rural areas that I like to visit. I find greeting the locals with a few phrases in their language elicits warm smiles and the feeling of connection. Would I like to be fluent? Of course! When opportunities for total immersion experiences in Spain, France, or Italy come across my desk, I am intrigued.

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Language immersion experiences for older women

Spanish immersion classes in Seville, Spain

Natalia Cousté and Rocío Chávez taught at universities in Spain and Canada for many years. After the pandemic, they decided to start their own company, Language for Life. They began with online classes and then expanded to offer immersion classes in Seville, Spain, which combine language and cultural immersion. Courses are offered in 4, 5, and 6- week packages.

The average age of their clients is 71-73, and 95 per cent of participants are women; in fact, their program is specifically tailored to women over 50. Natalia says that often younger people are more motivated to get good marks, whereas older people really want to learn and practice what they learn. There is satisfaction for them in using the language in a real situation. She feels older women also have more tools at their disposal from life’s experiences to manage the frustration that comes with learning something new. They have more patience.

Natalia and Rocio alternate in teaching the classes, allowing students to experience a mix of approaches and personalities. Some clients arrive with no prior Spanish, but Natalia and Rocio can work with clients at all levels.

Language learning is only part of it. Classes are Monday through Thursday in the morning, and then the class is taken to a cultural event, such as a Flamenco show. A professional dancer will come in first and discuss the history of Flamenco, then teach the participants some steps.

Another week, they may take a ceramic class, as they find their clients enjoy making things. And then there is no shortage of monuments, palaces, and historical sites to visit. They try to cover art, music, and shopping in the local markets. 

French immersion classes in Avignon, France

French teacher Julie Gaudin and host at Le français chez Julie sees coming to France for French immersion as a reclaimed act of independence — a new page in the life of a woman.

“Learning a new language goes against what society tells us: that women past a certain age are secondary,” she says. “That they no longer have a role to play — no longer mothers, no longer working, no longer ‘productive.’ Immersion gives them back their power. It gives them confidence. It gives them time, time to live without producing. So many of my female students are still learning that they don’t have to be perfect — even at age 60 or 70.”

Gaudin tailors lessons to each student and incorporates games, visits to local cafes and shops, excursions, as well as grammar drills. But she emphasizes that most people learn the classic French in school or traditional language classes, whereas she teaches French as it is spoken throughout France locally, with all its dropped vowels and verbal shortcuts.

If she is fully booked, she has recently formed her own network of teachers in other areas in France who offer a similar experience, teachers that she knows personally and recommends. You can find it here.

Language schools like Alliance Française and Lingua IT

The well-known international language schools have “some of the best teachers I have ever had,” says Las Vegas language teacher Jeffrie L. Jones. She has attended both for studies in French and in Italian, and finds the variety of locations they offer and the courses available extensive and very reasonable.

She attended the Alliance Française in Aix-en-Provence, a charming historic town in the south of France, and the Lingua IT in Verona, Italy. Jeffrie also enjoyed the additional activities like a pasta cooking class over lunch hour, and tours and excursions around the city or to a nearby town, depending on the weather that day.

Both language schools have adopted the 6 common European rating levels, A-1 for a brand-new speaker up to C2 for a native speaker. Both programs give you an entrance exam online, so they can place you at the right level and they will also give you an additional placement test once you get there. Classes are generally by the week, so there is an influx of new students each week, whether you are staying for one or eight weeks, which keeps things fresh.

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How to choose a language immersion experience that’s right for you

Combining a visit to another country with a language learning experience amidst locals can be a rewarding way to keep lifelong learning at the core of your being. Here are three tips from language teacher Jeffrie Jones to help you get started.

Tip #1: Choose a location in a small town rather than a big city. In smaller locations you will find smaller groups of students and a better mix of people from different countries. It is preferable to be in a place where getting around is easy, possibly even with walking distance to shops, markets, and your accommodation. Look for organizations help with places to stay of all types and have a network of apartments, small B&Bs, and rooms where one can stay at a cost way below a regular hotel. You can also book your own housing.

Tip #2: To really learn quickly, try not to be with other North Americans. The best way to learn is to dive in and ask to be corrected.  Don’t worry about saying it wrong.

Tip #3: Buy a French (or Italian) dictionary, one with no translation to English. If you don’t understand a word, look it up in the dictionary and see the description in its own language.  (Find a dictionary here). 

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