This book examines the unique characteristics of teaching foreign languages to senior learners. It discusses the potential age-related barriers and learning difficulties which may be encountered in senior foreign language education as well as solutions to overcome these challenges. The author describes the processes of human aging from different…

This edited volume offers an insightful theoretical conceptualization of issues central to 21st century foreign language learning and teaching. Drawing on research results obtained in the fields of pedagogy, social psychology and sociology of education, this book provides a comprehensive practical exploration of issues experienced by researchers…

The 20th century saw some of the most important technological and scientific discoveries in the history of humankind. The space shuttle, the internet, and other modern advances changed society forever, and yet many students cannot imagine what life was like before these technologies existed. In the project described here, students take a firsthand…

Students attending a lecture usually have a wide range of prior knowledge about the topic in question. Rather than seeing this as a problem, lecturers can take advantage of such differences. This article shows how students' misconceptions about old age were used to inform a lecture on the topic. Prior knowledge can thus be used to aid teaching and…

Discusses a short course using commercial films that explores popular views of the elderly. Explains the primary goal of the course as enhancing student ability to critically examine the images of older people presented in the mass media. Includes discussions of articles, films, and written assignments. (DK)

Researchers have found that the elderly are as capable of learning motor skills as younger persons but perform better under some conditions than others. For example, the elderly learn and perform motor skills more efficiently when there is additional time to respond to stimulus. Tasks which are self-regulated rather than directed by an external…

The aged are generally identified by such criteria as chronological age, economic condition, physical appearance, psychological behavior, mental conditions, and social roles. While the present population of aged is characterized by lower educational and economic levels, it is anticipated that as the number of aged grows, the educational and…

Describes a class in human development where students took on roles of the elderly by simulating physical constraints and aging. Depicts their reactions to the conditions and behaviors of the elderly. Allows students to examine their personal conceptions of the elderly. Finds study fostered empathy with senior adults. (Author/NL)

This document describes a project that developed a life skills and financial management curriculum for senior citizens and presented a 10-day workshop series using the curriculum to a group of 20 senior citizen adult basic education students. The project was evaluated as very successful and the curriculum developed was made available for…

Resulting from a project designed to demonstrate that entrepreneurship can be a realistic choice for persons aged 55 years and older, this instructor handbook offers assistance in preparing and teaching courses for older adults on starting a small business. Introductory remarks provide background on the project and explain the use of the guide.…

This booklet was developed to help Peace Corps trainers relate to older volunteers and facilitate the older volunteers' orientation into the organization. The manual is organized into four short sections. Each section raises some potential problems likely to be experienced by older volunteers and offers suggestions for overcoming the problems.…

This manual documents the development and operational stages of the Seniors Teaching Seniors (STS) training project of the Brookdale Institute on Aging and Adult Human Development. It is a practical guide for universities, colleges, community agencies, or consortia of agencies for replicating the training model. Both general guidelines and more…

This document is a two-part workshop resource manual intended to help trainers of literacy tutors and others to raise awareness of the particular needs of older adult literacy learners. Part 1 contains basic information on the topic of older adult literacy obtained from a review of the most current literature available and has a Canadian and,…

When the author was in fifth grade, she and the other students took a field trip to a nursing home; each child had to interview an elderly person. She discusses the impact of the assignment on her life to illustrate the effectiveness of field trips and interviews as teaching methods. (RM)

Presents a program for making oral history real to elementary children by sponsoring a senior citizens' tea. Describes the experiences of the children in preparing and giving the tea. Discusses the program's benefits of enhancing the store of information about community history and oral history and promoting student use of language in many forms.…