Too Old To Learn the Japanese Language?

Do you think you are too old to learn the Japanese language?

I sometimes receive emails from older learners asking if they are too old to start learning Japanese. 

The answer is “No.” 

Never Too Old To Learn

You are never too old to start learning something new. We are all lifetime learners until the day we die.

In my online courses, I have many students who are in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. 

The older student I currently have is 85 years old.

When we are older, we just need more time to absorb new information. That’s all.

In this respect, a college language course that goes with a set schedule might not be a good choice for older learners. The class cannot adjust the pace according to individual learners.

I know how fast they go in those classes as I was teaching in colleges/universities in the USA for 20 years.

It’s not Age but Learning Style

What you need to pay attention to is not your age. It’s your learning style. 

How do you learn the best? What type of learner are you?

Are you a visual learner who needs color-coding or diagrams? Or do you learn better by reading texts? 

Are you the type who learns through trials & errors by interacting with native speakers? This type of student becomes fluent very quickly by living in a foreign country. 

Or, do you have a strong audio ability? Musically talented students belong to this category. They are very good at imitating foreign sounds and acquire native-like pronunciation easily. It greatly benefits this type to keep listening to anything in Japanese. 

Understand Yourself as a Learner

I am a super introvert and a deep thinker.

As a student, I am the type who would sit in the back of the classroom, quietly listen to the lecture, and absorb the information. I am not the type who constantly stops the teacher and asks questions.

Then, I organize the information I acquired in my own way, usually in a notebook.

In this manner, I can refer back to the information I’ve already learned easily and pinpoint what I still don’t understand.

As for the parts I have difficulty comprehending, I would look for more information in books or online. If I have a teacher, I will ask him/her after class not to take up their time during the lecture.

For my type of learner, studying with a book or a self-paced online course is perfect.

If you are like me, you may benefit from my online courses since they are all self-paced and there is no time limit to complete the course.

Private tutoring (online or offline) or a physical classroom setting for learners who easily get bored without interactions with others will be better.

Is Online Learning Right for You?

So, don’t worry if you are too old to learn the Japanese language.

Instead, try to figure out what type of learner you are and seek the method that works best for you.

Do you want to check if online learning is right for you? Then, try my trial mini-course. It is free to join.

The mini-course provides 5 sample lessons from my course, Japanese 1 – Basic Japanese for Beginners.

By trying the sample lessons, you can also check if my teaching style matches your learning style. It is another aspect you need to check for your learning success. 

Wish you a fun journey in your Japanese learning! では、また。😊

裕子先生（ゆうこせんせい）Yuko Sensei