If you’re an adult over the age of 25 or 50, our choice of programmes allows you to take English classes in the UK and enjoy the local culture, sights and make lifelong friendships at one of our top ranking English schools in Chester and Eastbourne.
Learning English is a lifelong journey with surprising benefits
Taking an English course for adults will start you on a lifelong journey that has lots of advantages - some of which you’ve maybe not thought about. As well as the obvious opportunity to pick up language skills, an English course can be about personal growth, it can help you achieve goals in your personal and professional life, give you access to information and knowledge which is mainly available in English, and the act of learning a new language is an excellent way to keep your mind active and challenged, and improve your ability to think in different ways.
Never too late to learn a valuable skill like English
There is an old English saying that “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. This refers to older people who are not able to learn new things, or do not want to be taught a different way of doing things. It is also completely untrue!
People of all ages are more than capable of learning new things and acquiring new skills. As we get older, learning can sometimes become a little more difficult but it’s also true that we grow and adapt as the years go by, and - just like with our bodies - exercising our brains can keep them fit and healthy so we can adapt more easily to new challenges.
Doing something like taking English classes, starting a new hobby such as playing guitar or even just working out how to create a simple computer program can be a brilliant way to keep your mind healthy as you grow older. It’s never too late to learn!
The myth of the learning age limit
Many people think that as we get older, our ‘cognitive skills’---how we think, understand information, and remember things---get worse, and it becomes harder to learn new things. But research studies show that this is not quite true. We can keep learning throughout our lives, and the act of learning is what maintains our ability to collect new information and skills.
There are other advantages of being an older learner too - by now you’ll probably have a much clearer idea of how you learn best, something which may have been less clear when you were going through school at a younger age. You might be a visual learner, you might need to hear it, read it, write it, repeat it for it to become new knowledge, or you might have a totally different strategy.
Compared with young people today, you might also argue you have the advantage of being able to focus for longer periods of time, and keep at a task even when it feels repetitive. You may have developed a significant amount of resilience and determination over your life, so you won’t lose confidence at the first mistake, and you’ll power through learning plateaus where it might feel like you’re never going to improve!
The idea that there is an age limit to learning is just a myth. Learning is something we can do all our lives. Staying active in learning can help you feel more confident, happy, and keep your mind healthy. So, don’t let age stop you from learning new things!
The power of learning English at any age
Whatever your age, learning English can:
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Help when you travel, either to visit or live in other countries, as it is the most commonly used shared language - more than 1 billion people use it as a second language - around the world.
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Create opportunities in your career. As well as travel and tourism, English is the shared language of the workplace wherever you are. We live in a globalised world and many companies have staff from different countries working together - and they will all communicate in English. It is the international language of business and being fluent in English will help open doors in your career, or get you that brilliant job you have always wanted.
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Open up a world of culture. Huge amounts of films, books, graphic novels, television shows and video games are created in the English language. Like business and travel, English is the dominant language of global entertainment. Hollywood alone makes thousands of movies each year, while streaming giants such as Netflix and HBO/Max create so many films and TV series each month it’s almost impossible to keep up with them! And the biggest publishers of books are mostly based in the UK and the United States, so first editions of novels are usually in English. Learning English for adults means you can enjoy all this culture in its native language..
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Improve your brain power! English classes for adults will start you on a journey where your mind will be used to solve problems, learn new words and phrases, and communicate via speech and by writing. It exercises your mind and makes you think - which is of huge benefit as you get older.
There are some great examples of people who - as adults - decided to improve their lives by learning English.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was 21 years old when he moved from Austria to the USA to follow his dreams - and learned English to become one of the planet’s biggest movie stars, and a successful politician too. And you may have heard of the biggest prize in journalism, the Pulitzer.
Joseph Pulitzer was born in Hungary, spoke only German and French when he moved to the United States at age 17, then studied English and law until he was fluent enough to set up his own school for journalism - and created the Pulitzer Prize.
Elena Poniatowska - A Mexican journalist and author, born in 1932, who learned English as an adult. She has written extensively in both Spanish and English, earning international acclaim and numerous international awards. Her writings in English have allowed her to make a significant impact globally.
English classes for adults over 25 and over 50
At ELC’s schools in Chester and Eastbourne we offer courses for adults over the age of 50, while for working professionals aged 25 and above we have a great programme in Chester. All our courses are designed with the older student in mind, and are relaxed, flexible programmes that will build your confidence using real-life situations that will be familiar to you, and a focus on practical, useful classroom study.
ELC Chester provides students who are 50 and older a course that includes English language development along with a full social programme of events. Classes take place each morning during the week, while during afternoons and at weekends you will explore the beautiful city of Chester, visit places of interest in the surrounding area, and - most importantly - make lots of new friends from around the world and learn a lot of English!
Like Chester, if you choose to learn English in Eastbourne the course at ELC is split between morning classroom sessions, and afternoons/weekends spent with your fellow students visiting the local attractions and places of interest while you continue to improve your English language skills.
For working professionals aged 25 and above, ELC Chester’s Intensive 25+ English course is a little different from the 50+ courses, as it is an excellent, in-depth course where you will learn General English but the classes focus more on the kind of English you would use in a professional work setting. Class sizes are smaller (a maximum of 6 people) so you will get more personal time with your teacher, and the course is perfect for your work, or if you wish to build more confidence to communicate with colleagues and customers.
It’s Never Too Late to Start
Remember you are never too old to learn! The ‘age limit’ is a myth. At the English Language Centre we know this, and have a great selection of English courses designed for people of all ages and all backgrounds.
Find out more about the courses discussed in this article: