it's never too late to learn essay

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Is It Really Too Late to Learn New Skills?

Among the things I have not missed since entering middle age is the sensation of being an absolute beginner. It has been decades since I’ve sat in a classroom in a gathering cloud of incomprehension (Algebra 2, tenth grade) or sincerely tried, lesson after lesson, to acquire a skill that was clearly not destined to play a large role in my life (modern dance, twelfth grade). Learning to ride a bicycle in my early thirties was an exception—a little mortifying when my husband had to run alongside the bike, as you would with a child—but ultimately rewarding. Less so was the time when a group of Japanese schoolchildren tried to teach me origami at a public event where I was the guest of honor—I’ll never forget their sombre puzzlement as my clumsy fingers mutilated yet another paper crane.

Like Tom Vanderbilt, a journalist and the author of “Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning” (Knopf), I learn new facts all the time but new skills seldom. Journalists regularly drop into unfamiliar subcultures and domains of expertise, learning enough at least to ask the right questions. The distinction he draws between his energetic stockpiling of declarative knowledge, or knowing that , and his scant attention to procedural knowledge, or knowing how , is familiar to me. The prospect of reinventing myself as, say, a late-blooming skier or ceramicist or marathon runner sparks only an idle interest, something like wondering what it might be like to live in some small town you pass on the highway.

There is certainly a way to put a positive spin on that reluctance. If you love your job and find it intellectually and creatively fulfilling, you may not feel the urge to discover other rooms in the house of your mind, whatever hidden talents and lost callings may repose there. But there are less happy forces at work, too. There’s the fear of being bad at something you think is worthwhile—and, maybe even more so, being seen to be bad at it—when you have accustomed yourself to knowing, more or less, what you’re doing. What’s the point of starting something new when you know you’ll never be much good at it? Middle age, to go by my experience—and plenty of research—brings greater emotional equanimity, an unspectacular advantage but a relief. (The lows aren’t as low, the highs not as high.) Starting all over at something would seem to put you right back into that emotional churn—exhilaration, self-doubt, but without the open-ended possibilities and renewable energy of youth. Parties mean something different and far more exciting when you’re younger and you might meet a person who will change your life; so does learning something new—it might be fun, but it’s less likely to transform your destiny at forty or fifty.

In “Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over,” Nell Painter, as distinguished a historian as they come—legions of honors, seven books, a Princeton professorship—recounts her experience earning first a B.F.A. at Rutgers and then an M.F.A. at the Rhode Island School of Design while in her sixties. As a Black woman used to feeling either uncomfortably singled out or ignored in public spaces where Black women were few, she was taken aback in art school to find that “old” was such an overwhelming signifier: “It wasn’t that I stopped being my individual self or stopped being black or stopped being female, but that old , now linked to my sex, obscured everything else beyond old lady .” Painter finds herself periodically undone by the overt discouragement of some of her teachers or the silence of her fellow-students during group crits of her work—wondering if they were “critiquing me, old-black-woman-totally-out-of-place,” or her work. Reading her book, I was full of admiration for Painter’s willingness to take herself out of a world in which her currency—scholarly accomplishment—commanded respect and put herself into a different one where that coin often went unrecognized altogether, all out of exultation in the art-making itself. But her quest also induced some anxiety in me.

Painter is no dilettante: she’s clear about not wanting to be a “Sunday Painter”; she is determined to be an Artist, and recognized as such. But “dilettante” is one of those words which deter people from taking up new pursuits as adults. Many of us are wary of being dismissed as dabblers, people who have a little too much leisure, who are a little too cute and privileged in our pastimes. This seems a narrative worth pushing back against. We might remember, as Vanderbilt points out, that the word “dilettante” comes from the Italian for “to delight.” In the eighteenth century, a group of aristocratic Englishmen popularized the term, founding the Society of the Dilettanti to undertake tours of the Continent, promote the art of knowledgeable conversation, collect art, and subsidize archeological expeditions. Frederick II of Prussia dissed the dilettanti as “lovers of the arts and sciences” who “understand them only superficially but who however are ranked in superior class to those who are totally ignorant.” (They were, of course, wealthy, with oodles of time on their hands.) The term turned more pejorative in modern times, with the rise of professions and of licensed expertise. But if you think of dilettantism as an endorsement of learning for learning’s sake—not for remuneration or career advancement but merely because it delights the mind—what’s not to love?

Maybe it could be an antidote to the self-reported perfectionism that has grown steadily more prevalent among college students in the past three decades. Thomas Curran and Andrew P. Hill, the authors of a 2019 study on perfectionism among American, British, and Canadian college students, have written that “increasingly, young people hold irrational ideals for themselves, ideals that manifest in unrealistic expectations for academic and professional achievement, how they should look, and what they should own,” and are worried that others will judge them harshly for their perceived failings. This is not, the researchers point out, good for mental health. In the U.S., we’ll be living, for the foreseeable future, in a competitive, individualistic, allegedly meritocratic society, where we can inspect and troll and post humiliating videos of one another all the live-long day. Being willing to involve yourself in something you’re mediocre at but intrinsically enjoy, to give yourself over to the imperfect pursuit of something you’d like to know how to do for no particular reason, seems like a small form of resistance.

Tom Vanderbilt got motivated to start learning again during the time he spent waiting about while his young daughter did her round of lessons and activities. Many of us have been there, “on some windowless lower level of a school huddled near an electrical outlet to keep your device alive,” as he nicely puts it—waiting, avoiding the parents who want to talk scores and rankings, trying to shoehorn a bit of work into a stranded hour or two. But not many of us are inspired to wonder, in such moments, why we ourselves aren’t in there practicing our embouchure on the trumpet or our Salchow on the ice. This may speak to my essential laziness, but I have fond memories of curling up on the child-size couch in the musty, overheated basement of our local community center reading a book for a stolen hour, while my kids took drum lessons and fencing classes. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, asks himself whether “we, in our constant chaperoning of these lessons, were imparting a subtle lesson: that learning was for the young.” Rather than molder on the sidelines, he decides to throw himself into acquiring five new skills. (That’s his term, though I started to think of these skills as “accomplishments” in the way that marriageable Jane Austen heroines have them, talents that make a long evening pass more agreeably, that can turn a person into more engaging company, for herself as much as for others.) Vanderbilt’s search is for “the naïve optimism, the hypervigilant alertness that comes with novelty and insecurity, the willingness to look foolish, and the permission to ask obvious questions—the unencumbered beginner’s mind. ” And so he tries to achieve competence, not mastery, in chess, singing, surfing, drawing, and making. (He learns to weld a wedding ring to replace two he lost surfing.) He adds juggling, not because he’s so interested in it but because—with its steep and obvious learning curve (most people, starting from scratch, can learn to juggle three balls in a few days) and its fun factor—juggling is an oft-used task for laboratory studies of how people learn. These accomplishments aren’t likely to help his job performance as a journalist, or to be marketable in any way, except insofar as the learning of them forms the idea for the book.

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Vanderbilt is good on the specific joys and embarrassments of being a late-blooming novice, or “kook,” as surfers sometimes call gauche beginners. How you think you know how to sing a song but actually know only how to sing along with one, so that, when you hear your own voice, stripped of the merciful camouflage the recorded version provides, “you’re not only hearing the song as you’ve never quite heard it, you are hearing your voice as you’ve never quite heard it.” The particular, democratic pleasure of making that voice coalesce with others’ in a choir, coupled with the way, when friends and family come to see your adult group perform, “the parental smile of eternal indulgence gives way to a more complicated expression.” The fact that feedback, especially the positive kind stressing what you’re doing right, delivered by an actual human teacher or coach watching what you do, is crucial for a beginner—which might seem obvious except that, in an age when so many instructional videos of every sort are available online, you might get lulled into thinking you could learn just as well without it. The weirdness of the phenomenon that, for many of us, our drawing skills are frozen forever as they were when we were kids. Children tend to draw better, Vanderbilt explains, when they are around five years old and rendering what they feel; later, they fall into what the psychologist Howard Gardner calls “the doldrums of literalism ”—trying to draw exactly what they see but without the technical skill or instruction that would allow them to do so effectively. Many of us never progress beyond that stage. Personally, I’m stuck at about age eight, when I filled notebooks with ungainly, scampering horses. Yet I was entranced by how both Vanderbilt and, in her far more ambitious way, Painter describe drawing as an unusually absorbing, almost meditative task—one that makes you look at the world differently even when you’re not actually doing it and pours you into undistracted flow when you are.

One problem with teaching an old dog new tricks is that certain cognitive abilities decline with age, and by “age” I mean starting as early as one’s twenties. Mental-processing speed is the big one. Maybe that’s one reason that air-traffic controllers have to retire at age fifty-six, while English professors can stay at it indefinitely. Vanderbilt cites the work of Neil Charness, a psychology professor at Florida State University, who has shown that the older a chess player is the slower she is to perceive a threatened check, no matter what her skill level. Processing speed is why I invariably lose against my daughter (pretty good-naturedly, if you ask me) at a game that I continue to play: Anomia. In this game, players flip cards bearing the names of categories (dog breeds, Olympic athletes, talk-show hosts, whatever), and, if your card displays the same small symbol as one of your opponents’ does, you try to be the first to call out something belonging to the other person’s category. If my daughter and I each had ten minutes to list as many talk-show hosts as we could, I’d probably triumph—after all, I have several decades of late-night-TV viewing over her. But, with speed the essence, a second’s lag in my response speed cooks my goose every game.

Still, as Rich Karlgaard notes in his reassuring book “Late Bloomers: The Hidden Strengths of Learning and Succeeding at Your Own Pace,” there are cognitive compensations. “Our brains are constantly forming neural networks and pattern-recognition capabilities that we didn’t have in our youth when we had blazing synaptic horsepower,” he writes. Fluid intelligence, which encompasses the capacity to suss out novel challenges and think on one’s feet, favors the young. But crystallized intelligence—the ability to draw on one’s accumulated store of knowledge, expertise, and Fingerspitzengefühl —is often enriched by advancing age. And there’s more to it than that: particular cognitive skills rise and fall at different rates across the life span, as Joshua K. Hartshorne, now a professor of psychology at Boston College, and Laura T. Germine, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, show in a 2015 paper on the subject. Processing speed peaks in the late teens, short-term memory for names at around twenty-two, short-term memory for faces at around thirty, vocabulary at around fifty (in some studies, even at around sixty-five), while social understanding, including the ability to recognize and interpret other people’s emotions, rises at around forty and tends to remain high. “Not only is there no age at which humans are performing at peak at all cognitive tasks,” Hartshorne and Germine conclude, “there may not be an age at which humans are at peak on most cognitive tasks.” This helps Karlgaard’s case that we need a “kinder clock for human development”—societal pressure on young adults to specialize and succeed right out of college is as wrongheaded and oppressive on the one end of life as patronizing attitudes toward the old are on the other.

The gift of crystallized intelligence explains why some people can bloom spectacularly when they’re older—especially, perhaps, in a field like literature, where a rich vein of life experience can be a writerly asset. Annie Proulx published her first novel at the age of fifty-six, Raymond Chandler at fifty-one. Frank McCourt, who had been a high-school teacher in New York City for much of his career, published his first book, the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir “Angela’s Ashes,” at sixty-six. Edith Wharton, who had been a society matron prone to neurasthenia and trapped in a gilded cage of a marriage, produced no novels until she was forty. Publishing fiction awakened her from what she described as “a kind of torpor,” a familiar feeling for the true later bloomer. “I had groped my way through to my vocation,” Wharton wrote, “and thereafter I never questioned that story-telling was my job.”

In science and technology, we often think of the people who make precocious breakthroughs as the true geniuses—Einstein developing his special theory of relativity at twenty-six. Einstein himself once said that “a person who has not made his great contribution to science before the age of thirty will never do so.” A classic paper on the relationship between age and scientific creativity showed that American Nobel winners tended to have done their prize-winning work at thirty-six in physics, thirty-nine in chemistry, and forty-one in medicine—that creativity rose in the twenties and thirties and began a gradual decline in the forties.

That picture has been complicated by more recent research. According to a 2014 working paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research, which undertook a broad review of the research on age and scientific breakthroughs, the average age at which people make significant contributions to science has been rising during the twentieth century—notably to forty-eight, for physicists. (One explanation might be that the “burden of knowledge” that people have to take on in many scientific disciplines has increased.) Meanwhile, a 2016 paper in Science that considered a wider range of scientists than Nobelists concluded that “the highest-impact work in a scientist’s career is randomly distributed within her body of work. That is, the highest-impact work can be, with the same probability, anywhere in the sequence of papers published by a scientist—it could be the first publication, could appear mid-career, or could be a scientist’s last publication.”

When it comes to more garden-variety late blooming, the kind of new competencies that Vanderbilt is seeking, he seems to have gone about it in the most promising way. For one thing, it appears that people may learn better when they are learning multiple skills at once, as Vanderbilt did. A recent study that looked at the experiences of adults over fifty-five who learned three new skills at once—for example, Spanish, drawing, and music composition—found that they not only acquired proficiency in these areas but improved their cognitive functioning over all, including working and episodic memory. In a 2017 paper, Rachel Wu, a neuroscientist at U.C. Riverside, and her co-authors, George W. Rebok and Feng Vankee Lin, propose six factors that they think are needed to sustain cognitive development, factors that tend to be less present in people’s lives as they enter young adulthood and certainly as they grow old. These include what the Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset,” the belief that abilities are not fixed but can improve with effort; a commitment to serious rather than “hobby learning” (in which “the learner casually picks up skills for a short period and then quits due to difficulty, disinterest, or other time commitments”); a forgiving environment that promotes what Dweck calls a “not yet” rather than a “cannot” approach; and a habit of learning multiple skills simultaneously, which may help by encouraging the application of capacities acquired in one domain to another. What these elements have in common, Wu and her co-authors point out, is that they tend to replicate how children learn.

So eager have I been all my life to leave behind the subjects I was bad at and hunker down with the ones I was good at—a balm in many ways—that, until reading these books, I’d sort of forgotten the youthful pleasure of moving our little tokens ahead on a bunch of winding pathways of aptitude, lagging behind here, surging ahead there. I’d been out of touch with that sense of life as something that might encompass multiple possibilities for skill and artistry. But now I’ve been thinking about taking up singing in a serious way again, learning some of the jazz standards my mom, a professional singer, used to croon to me at bedtime. If learning like a child sounds a little airy-fairy, whatever the neuroscience research says, try recalling what it felt like to learn how to do something new when you didn’t really care what your performance of it said about your place in the world, when you didn’t know what you didn’t know. It might feel like a whole new beginning. ♦

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Lesson of the Day: Inspiration From The Times’s ‘It’s Never Too Late’ Series

In this lesson, students will read about people who pursued dreams later in life. Then, they will interview someone with a similar story, or make a plan to pursue a dream of their own.

By Jeremy Engle

Lesson Overview

Featured Series: “It’s Never Too Late”

Many of us dream of trying something new, but then somehow fail to get around to it. A new Times series, “It’s Never Too Late,” tells the inspiring stories of people who have decided to switch gears, change their lives and pursue their dreams.

Whether it’s playing the cello , climbing a mountain , learning to ride horseback or recording your first album, these stories are a reminder that you never know what the future holds — but you do have the power to shape it. As Vijaya Srivastava, who learned to swim at 68, put it: “Finally I decided if I don’t try, it’s never going to happen.”

In this lesson, you will learn about people who prove that you can always change your life. In a Going Further activity, you will use some of the Times’s articles as mentor texts to create your own portrait of an older person who tried something new later in their lives. Or, you can make a plan to pursue a dream of your own!

Consider the two sayings:

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

“It's never too late to be what you might have been.”

Which of these sayings do you find more accurate, more true to life?

Turn to a partner and share your thoughts. Then, discuss one or more of the following questions:

Are there certain things that are easier or harder to learn, depending on your age?

Is there anything that, in your relatively young life, you already feel it’s too late to try?

Are there any goals you have that might be better to pursue when you are older?

Article Choices:

Choose one of the articles in the “It’s Never Too Late” series to read in its entirety:

It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love For Phyllis Raphael, 86, a chance meeting on the street turned into a get-together. Then came a date. A second and third followed. So did a love affair.

It’s Never Too Late to Record Your First Album For a celebrated architecture professor at the University of California, Berkeley, an album of 11 original songs, in a variety of genres, was eight decades in the making.

It’s Never Too Late to Follow Your Spiritual Calling After coming out as a transgender woman more than two years ago, Vica Steel never dreamed of forging a path to church leadership. Until now.

It’s Never Too Late to Climb That Mountain Dierdre Wolownick, whose son, Alex Honnold, is one of the world’s top rock climbers, ascended Yosemite’s El Capitan to celebrate her 70th birthday.

It’s Never Too Late to Publish a Debut Book and Score a Netflix Deal Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, at 50, is not the average age of a debut author. But the public school teacher describes herself as a “literary debutante” with the October publication of “My Monticello.”

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Answer the questions below based on the article you read:

1. Which article in the “It’s Never Too Late” series did you select and why? Give a short snapshot of the older person profiled in the piece, including at least two significant biographical details.

2. What was this person’s goal? What obstacles prevented them from pursuing their dream when they were younger? What finally prompted or inspired them to go for it?

3. What did they discover when they achieved their long-sought-after goal — about themselves and about life?

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‘It’s never too late’ – Origin, Meaning, Expansion, Importance

Origin of the phrase.

The earliest written form of the proverb, ‘it’s never too late’, is often attested to be in the works of the novelist George Eliot in the late nineteenth century.

However, it is likely that by the time Eliot wrote the proverb down, people had been saying it to each other for centuries.

This proverb, “it’s never too late”, means that ‘it does not matter how late it is, a person should always take the opportunity to pursue their goals’. It means that:

there is always time to start what we wanted to start, there is always time to pick up again something that we had stopped doing. the present moment is always a great time to follow our dreams. This proverb encourages us to get to work. It emphasizes on the fact that that a new task can be started anytime and there is no need to waste any further time.

To what does ‘it’ refer, for example? It can be whatever activity the person using the proverb wants it to refer to.

This proverb is often cited as an answer to a complaint: when people complain ‘it is too late to do a thing’, other can reply that ‘it’s never too late’.

The idea of being too late is crucial to this proverb. Too late can be many things. It might mean missing a deadline for school. Or, it might mean getting too old to pursue a certain activity. Often, the idea of what is too late or on time is a subjective one.

The aim of this proverb is to ‘motivate people to begin projects that they had been putting off’. It’s never to late to learn something new. There’s always time to get an education. This proverb can be used to combat ageism.

Often, the phrase ‘it’s never too late’ is often incorporated into a longer phrase. For example, people sometimes say ‘it’s never too late to begin’ or ‘it’s never too late to change your life’.

The importance of this proverb.

1. Motivation: This proverb encourages people to start on their projects and realize their dreams.

2. Uplifting: When people feel despairing, as if they have missed their chance to do something they wanted to do, the proverb ‘it’s never too late’ can uplift them and banish those despairing feelings.

3. Countering prejudice: It is often said that at a certain point in our lives, it is too late to begin some projects. For example, there are those who think that pensioners are too old to go to high school or university or that people who missed out on passing their driving test the first time around have lost their opportunity completely. The proverb ‘it’s never too late’ assures us that, no matter how old we are, we can start anything that we want to!

4. Helping with work stress: In our working lives, we are often hit with deadlines that we cannot always meet. The proverb ‘it’s never too late’ encourages us to believe that it is never too late to salvage a situation.

5. Recovering relationships: This proverb is often cited in a romantic context. It’s never too late to tell the love of our life that we love them or to reconcile after some time apart.

Conclusion.

The proverb ‘it’s never too late’ is a positive and encouraging phrase that enables people to live life to the full. If we live by this proverb, rather than feeling like one missed opportunity means that we can never go back and start all over again, we know that it is in our power to begin whatever projects we want to begin – at any time of life. We can apply this proverb to all areas of life, whether in a professional context or in a romantic and personal context.

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7 Success Lessons It's Never Too Late to Learn

Life's lessons don't always come when we want them. but these 7 tips for success are worthy teachings at any age..

You never know when a new life lesson is about to occur. You can't plan for them.  They just seem to sneak up on you when you least expect them. There are times I wish they had come a bit earlier in life to save me from my foolishness or, at the very least, from the wasted time and energy of learning things the hard way.

All that being said, I am very grateful for all the lessons that have helped me on my journey. Some of the lessons I share below were harder than others to grasp. Some I didn't learn until after I was 40. And I am sure there are new ones coming after next year when I turn 50.

Here are seven of my biggest lessons for success. Although it would have been nice to learn them earlier, I'm glad to have them in my back pocket now.

1. Collect People

I've always been a pretty good networker. I'm not overly social, but I do like interaction with interesting people, and I like to help where I can. I often meet successful people, but it takes time to establish mutual trust and interest. It wasn't until age 40 that many of the people I had known for 15+ years reached positions of power and success. Maintaining relationships with peers has brought great help in times of need and great opportunities along my journey. Cultivate relationships in a genuine and generous manner, and those people will continue to support your efforts for success.

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We tell children they can become whatever they want when they grow up, but sometimes we fail to convince ourselves of the same concept.

Are you in your mid-to-late twenties and regret never attending or finishing college?

Do you know someone middle-aged who wishes they had carved a different path than the one that landed their position with little-to-no career development opportunities?

Are you retired and interested in checking a skill off your bucket list?

It's now your turn to apply the same advice to yourself – you can still be whatever you want to be, despite being all grown up.

No matter how old you are, it's never too late to return to school or acquire an education in another way.

The Importance of an Ongoing Education

The greatest reason for lifelong learning is our ever-changing world.

You'll only offer your full potential if you remain up-to-date with current trends. Enrolling in a degree-seeking or non-matriculated program can also help you develop the skills you may wish you obtained at a younger age.

Returning to school is also a personal decision. Knowledge increases our self-confidence and gives us a sense of fulfilment. You don't need to return for a full Bachelor or Master's program; simply completing, let’s say, a photography course will do wonders for your mental and emotional wellbeing if that's what you've always wanted to do.

How Many Ways Can We Benefit from an Education?

The reasons or motivation for returning to school differs with each person, yet life experiences or deep-seated desires fuel the majority.

There are many possible reasons that people over 35 seek an education later in life. For instance, people over 60 may describe their return to school as a way of being social, battling loneliness , and exercising their brain. Others in mid-life are tired of being unhappy with their career and decide to pursue their dreams.

To recap, the many benefits include:

• Personal and professional development .
• An enhanced understanding of the world around us.
• Access to greater opportunities and an improved quality of life.
• Confidence and self-esteem.
• The ability to adapt to change .
• Developing a more satisfying personal life.
• Challenging our ideas and beliefs , which allows us to grow.

Of course, the list doesn't stop there, but it’s important to know that getting an education will have a positive impact on your life in one way or another.

How Do You Jump Back in, Years Later?

The transition from high school to college may be seamless, but flash forward 10, 20 or 30 years and you may not know where to begin.

The task becomes more daunting when work schedules, family obligations and general life sneak into the picture, piled on the common concerns that weigh on everyone, regardless of age.

However, there is always a solution, so take a look at what you can do.

1. Assess Your Current Position

• Is your goal a job promotion or are you seeking professional independence?
• Do you want to master a new hobby?
• What is the end game for six months, a year and 10 years from now?

First, you must ask yourself why you want an education. Pinpointing your desires and goals will simplify the process and help you choose the best program.

Then, take inventory of the skills that you currently possess and those that need to be further developed. Which are essential in achieving your goal?

Compiling a written list may help simplify the process by creating a visual tool that can be followed step-by-step.

2. Make a Plan

Your list of skills from step 1 will also help you in formulating a plan by shedding light on the areas that need more focus.

• Is a certificate all that stands between you and your goal?
• Do you wish you were more confident or more of a go-getter?
• What do you need that will get you where you want to be?
• Is a mentor crucial?
• Do you need to create a portfolio or pass an exam?
• Is school necessary or will an online course suffice?

After figuring out what is it that you need, take stock of your resources such as time and money.

• How much can you spend on your goal?
• What is your daily or weekly schedule and when are the best times to fit classes in?
• Is night more convenient or are you a morning person?

Remember that an education doesn't need to be time-consuming or expensive and that you have control over your future. If returning to school full-time as an undergraduate student doesn't appeal to you and isn't necessary, choose an online program instead.

3. Consider Your Options

While seeking an education, there are two main categories that most people fall into: the online student and the traditional student.

Enrolling in an online class or program can be both cheap and time-effective. It's also a simpler way to get to school, bypassing the inconveniences of commuting and in-class distractions.

In our technologically-driven world, there are many useful resources for online students – from a GED and Bachelor degree to single classes and certificate programs. There are even online graduate programs .

The more traditional, in-class option may be best for hands-on and auditory learners. Though more expensive than online classes, the benefits to physically attending classes include the sharing of ideas and group discussions. And many programs offer both day and evening classes, making them accessible for many schedules.

The important thing to remember is that you have options, so take your time to select the best one for you.

4. Cultivate the Right Mindset

Did you know that older people are usually great students?

Life experience, the need to prove themselves and the desire to actually be there are usually the greatest motivators. And don't worry about being singled out as the oldest person in the class; many younger students recognize the value of sharing a classroom with more experienced peers.

Now that you know what you want and have designed a plan, put it into motion. As the old adage reminds us, the journey of a lifetime begins with a single step , so go ahead and take yours. Don't get discouraged as obstacles approach (and they will). Each cleared hurdle will remind you that the race is easier than you initially thought.

Further Reading from Skills You Need

The Skills You Need Guide for Students

Develop the skills you need to make the most of your time as a student.

Our eBooks are ideal for students at all stages of education, school, college and university. They are full of easy-to-follow practical information that will help you to learn more effectively and get better grades.

It's truly never too late to go after what you want, even if that means obtaining an education.

Though it may seem daunting, breaking each part of the process into digestible pieces will make it much easier to pursue your dreams.

Be sure that your intentions are clear, make a list to help visualize what's needed and create a game plan that takes your goals and resources into consideration.

As Brian Herbert once said, " The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice. " Go ahead and make that choice!

About the Author

Jill Phillips is a freelance writer from Buffalo, NY. She writes about business and tech topics. When she is not writing, Jill enjoys taking photos and hiking with her dog.

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• Never Too Late To Learn Pages: 6 (1701 words)
• Help Before It’s Too Late! Pages: 4 (1009 words)
• Its better late than never Pages: 1 (287 words)
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• Analysis Of The Movie Too Big Too Fail Pages: 3 (650 words)
• Why did the US enter World War II late? Pages: 10 (2751 words)
• Compare and Contrast Early vs Late Selection Models of Attention Pages: 7 (2043 words)
• Development in Late Adulthood Pages: 6 (1762 words)
• EM1 Emerging MarketsIn the late 1980s the emerging markets started to become an Pages: 7 (2078 words)
• Late Adulthood and End of Life Pages: 8 (2224 words)

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Why it’s never too late to learn

• June 29, 2021

There is a quote that says, “it’s never too late for new beginnings in your life”. We are all trapped in a myth that there is a certain age limit on when you can start to learn and when it is too late. This is a thought that needs to be forgotten. If you are hating your job or career and are craving a new change then it is never too late to start. Many people assume that skill development is an ‘age sensitive’ thing and can only apply to people who are just starting their career. Whether you are 17 or 75 there is no reason why you can’t start now. Age is simply nothing but a number. In fact it is said that learners of the average age of 80 were less likely to develop brain-related illnesses such as dementia . Yes, you read that correctly, 80 years old and still learning. As a training provider we want to express the importance of understanding why it’s never too late to learn. 

What is the importance of learning? 

Learning is a necessity. It is simply a tool that nourishes our mind and relieves our soul. Learning new skills is a way of preparing you to feel more ready to take on new challenges and opportunities that will come your way. It keeps your mind engaged and allows you to explore different paths for your future. A survey has shown that a lot of people agree that it is important to continue learning new things throughout your life; in fact 50% of people agreed with this . It isn’t just about making money; it is about protecting your wellbeing, making sure you are enjoying what you do and allowing the world to open up new opportunities for you. 

How can it benefit you?

There are always many different worries and doubts about venturing out and starting something new – this is a worry when starting anything outside of your normal routine. Learning a new skill or gaining a new qualification is never going to damage your career; if anything it will make it stronger. We can all relate to that feeling of accomplishment and pride when we achieve something new. This is exactly how learning new things will make you feel. 

In today’s society, technology provides so many different ways to make teaching and learning fun. No matter whether it is accountancy, physio or catering, it can be made into something enjoyable. Believe it or not, a main benefit from learning is increased happiness. Learning helps us build confidence and a sense of self efficacy; it is actually a core need for our psychological well being. It can help our overall mental health. Not only is it good to learn something new, but it is also good to nurture your skills, keep on top of how things are changing and expand on your knowledge that you already hold. If you are starting to get that feeling of dullness or boredom around what you are doing in life then a new venture should be on your mind. Learning keeps you busy, exercises the mind and helps you spend your time productively so will ultimately eliminate that cloud above your head. When it comes to education there is a lot of negativity; at school there can be a sense of pressure to do something you don’t actually want to do. By knowing what you want to do and choosing to learn – rather than it being expected – can make a big difference to your outlook. If you have chosen to do a course that you want to do and enjoy then ultimately, you are more likely to succeed in it. 

Will it fit into your day to day life?

Absolutely! Of course, when you start to learn later in life there are other commitments that have to be kept in mind, such as children, work or just day to day activities that can’t be avoided. It is important that what you are doing fits in with everything else going on in your life. One of the best parts of learning later on in life is that your management skills have most likely improved. Thanks to today’s technology, studying has become a lot more flexible. For example, you can do your work as soon as the kids have gone to bed or after you have finished a shift because it is all accessible to you. Blended learning is also shown to benefit a lot of people; it may suit you because it allows you to continue to work and spend time with your family/friends alongside your studying and education.  

So, in conclusion there are many beneficial reasons as to why it’s never too late to learn. Starting something new, especially learning, takes hard work and dedication but the outcomes are rewarding. It boosts your happiness, nourishes the mind and opens up future opportunities for you to take on. The term is referred to a lot. As time has gone on people are most definitely taking advantage of the facilities that are available. Don’t be afraid to take on a new challenge, it could be the best thing that you ever do. 

Here at The Square Metre Group we understand the importance of learning and the possibilities that it can bring for you. We have an expert team with extensive knowledge who can teach and educate you. We offer a wide range of different courses, online learning and traineeships that you can get involved with.

For more information you can get in touch on 01604436880 or drop us an email on [email protected] . For more information regarding learning and what is available visit our website, thesquaremetregroup.com

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• It Is Never To Late To Learn

Firstly, they may lack the financial support for their study. Secondly, they may not be able to meet the entrance criteria set by the college. Thirdly, they may lack the interest to study. Fourthly, they may not be able to find their desired course in any of the colleges. Hence, they started looking for a job with whatever qualification they have, eventually found a job and began to work.

After working for some time, some of these people start to show interest in pursuing their education to a higher level-something that they did not do previously. They are keen to pick up where they had left off. There are several compelling reasons why they want to do this.

Firstly, they now have the financial capability to take up the course. After working for a period of time, they could have saved a substantial sum of money and want to invest in their education. Secondly, their learning ability could have improved and they have succeeded in meeting the entrance requirement set by the college. Some people excel in their studies later. Thirdly, they could have developed interest in a particular subject during their course of work or personal encounters. Sometimes, certain encounters in our life may uncover our deep rooted passion or interest in a certain subject and we want to further our knowledge in that area.

Fourthly, these people could have been promoted to a higher position after working in the industry for a period of time and they need to acquire more knowledge in the field they are working. When a person is given a higher position, the demand for knowledge in a certain subject also increases. Hence, he or she needs to learn more about that subject in order to perform his or her duties efficiently. For example, if an engineer is promoted to be a chief engineer, he or she should increase his or her engineering knowledge. Perhaps, in another case, if an engineer is promoted to be the head of the engineering department, he or she should learn more about management skills. In either case, the person has to acquire more knowledge in order to perform the new responsibilities well.

Is it too late for these people to learn again? The answer is no. It is never too late for them to learn as long as they have the means and the opportunity to do so. If they are interested to learn, and have the money and time to do so, they should take the chance to learn.

As long as they can apply the new knowledge, they should go forth and take up a course. They should not deprive themselves from enjoying the benefits of learning. Moreover, with so many distance learning programs available, they can study without having to quit their jobs. Many colleges provide distance learning programs for various disciplines specifically for working adults who want to study but do not wish to leave their jobs.

Distance learning programs provide people the flexibility and freedom to study at any place and any time. These programs are gaining more popularity and credibility. Some research studies have shown that distance learning education can be as effective as campus-based education and distance students can perform as well as or better than campus-based students.

Are you keen to further your education? If you are, then there is no reason why you should not proceed to take up a course and learn. At any point of your life, it is always not too late to study a course and gain additional knowledge. Besides, with distance education, learning is made possible now for those who want to study as well as continue working. You can carry on with whatever you are doing and learn at your own pace and at any place. Furthermore, with so many courses available, you will definitely be able to find the course you want to study. You can get a free catalogue and find out more about the courses that interest you at Distance Learning Degree.

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I Pursued My Passion Later in Life and Surpassed My Wildest Dreams—and You Can, Too

There’s no shortage of publications highlighting our youth— child prodigies , early entrepreneurs and the best 30 under 30 . That’s great, but that’s not me. Most of my success was achieved later in life, and I am certain it is the better one.

Being a late bloomer, most rites of passage were belated. I learned how to ride a bicycle at 24. I ran my first race at 38 and got published (outside of school papers) at 45. It’s never too late to do something you love . In fact, it’s sweeter when you wait for it.

A passion for writing

I wrote for school periodicals in college and loved it. I called myself “Scoop” and went around campus interviewing sources and writing about rare book rooms, educators and anything else I was assigned. I enjoyed meeting new people and figuring out ways to present their points of view. However, once I graduated, I gave it up. I felt I could never compete in the “real” world of writing. That was a place reserved for Ivy League graduates and people who quoted Shakespeare, not for a loquacious girl from Brooklyn. So I left it behind and pursued other interests.

At first, I tried to find other creative career paths like public relations and dot-coms. I eventually landed on teaching and wrote lesson plans instead of stories. But something was missing. I yearned to tell stories like I did in school. After all, Malcolm Forbes said it best in his 1988 Syracuse University commencement speech, which was featured in Onward!: 25 Years of Advice, Exhortation, and Inspiration from America’s Best Commencement Speeches : “You have to do, in your life and with your life, what turns you on. Anything else is a waste of time. If you know where your own button is, press it.” 

But I was in my 40s and wasn’t sure how to become a writer . Was it too late in my life to start and achieve success as a writer?

A life-changing writing class

I’d taken classes throughout the years for fun. We’d get an assignment, share our stories and then leave. Sometimes I’d make a friend or two. We’d meet up in the city and share essays over drinks or coffee, but I never went anywhere with it. I nearly gave up, but then I signed up for a unique class that changed everything. I’m not sure if it was the professor or the timing in my life, but something clicked.

Instead of being offered at a university, the class was taught out of the professor’s apartment in the city. I entered her home and sunk into a chair while other students read their published pieces like Pulitzer Prize winners. As they spoke, I lingered on every word, every anecdote. I was shocked by both their level of intimacy with their prose and the fact that they were regular people whose work was published in The New York Times and  Cosmopolitan . Maybe it was possible for me to be a published writer. I just needed to delve deep, like the students before me.

Becoming a published writer

The writing class had caught my attention with its insistence that you could get published; you just needed to find the right market. A few weeks after the class ended, I took my most personal story and sent it out to a few editors—just like the class taught me.

When my story was accepted for publication, I was overjoyed and terrified. After all, this wasn’t a story about college courses. This was an essay about love, obsessions and a devastating loss. I wasn’t sure I wanted the public to read it, but soon enough it was released on the Internet. And I was instantly addicted to the feeling of having it published. Once I got over the initial embarrassment of having my story out there, I began to feel a freedom in releasing it. In fact, I had stored so many stories in my head that I wanted to write. I now had a reason to.

People often told me it was luck when I was published, but luck had little to do with it. It was tenacity . Perseverance. The ability to handle rejection . I started spending hours scouring the Internet for calls for submissions. I participated in a special seminar for women op-ed writers, which was intimidating. The other participants were CEOs, Ivy league grads and entrepreneurs. I quickly realized that I’m an expert on education. I brought up the topic of the personal essay, how I thought it was outdated for college applications. I ended up writing the op-ed and got it published two days later in USA Today . That experience taught me that an elite education could only get you so far. Persistence and timing had a lot more to do with it. 

Achieving dreams later in life 

They say that to write about your own life , you need to be at least five years away from it to distance yourself. I don’t know what the magic number is. What I do know is that all those stories I scribbled in notebooks, journals and on pieces of looseleaf paper written when I was younger were weaker than I am now. Not only was my spelling deplorable (OK, maybe it still is), but the way I saw the world was limited. It wasn’t until my 20s and 30s that I began to travel, live abroad and develop a perspective of myself and my place in the world. And it wasn’t until my 40s that I understood the greater meaning of heartbreak and loss that I thought I would never recover from. In some ways, writing helped me.

My younger self could write, but not from the perspective that you only get with time. As I started taking more writing classes, I realized that everyone has a story to tell and most people really want to be heard. I had become so successful I began teaching a class to help other writers.

I went from wishing I was a writer to being published on the front page of The Washington Post . I was a long way from my days working at the college paper, and I waited 25 years to do it.

It has been over seven years since I got my first acceptance email and to date have published over 100 essays , all while working full-time for the Department of Education.

You, too, can achieve success later in life

I believe many people have stories to tell but may feel if they did not go to a certain school or start by a specific age, it may be too late. I am living proof that it is never too late to do what you love. The stories I write are not always unique. In fact, I think the best writing explores everyday things and universal themes that people can relate to. My essays run the gamut from bad dates, to failed fertility, to social justice. If it happened to me and I grew from it, I want to write about it. Now that I have both life experience and distance, it is easy for me to share my stories.

Having so many pieces published still amazes me. I was published in The New York Times four times, surpassing my wildest expectations. My words have led me to interviews on CNN and NPR . It is flattering to be accepted to so many well-known publications and be a part of the conversation. But for me, the greatest part of writing is when a stranger reads my story and writes to tell me how it affected them. My words have even made it to Australia and Sri Lanka. 

Some people say I inspire them while others can’t stand my point of view. Believe it or not, I like the latter readers, too. If a girl from Brooklyn can be heard across the world and affect that many people, then it’s all worth it.  Everyone has a story to tell, some just take longer than others to tell them. I am glad I waited.

Photo by simona pilolla 2/Shutterstock

Elana Rabinowitz

Elana Rabinowitz is a freelance writer, ESL teacher and world traveler. Her work can be found at  elanarabinowitz.weebly.com . Follow her on ​ Twitter .

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never too late to learn, give your reason and discusss

IELTS essay never too late to learn, give your reason and discusss

• The given pie charts detail the proportion of Australian secondary school graduates who were unemployed, employed or pursuing further education, in 1980, 1990, and 2000. The given pie charts compare the rate of students who out of work, had a job or continued to study in Australia between 1980, 1990 and 2000. Overall, the amount of employed students were high and became the highest in the next 2 decades. While the proportion of jobless people was the lowest in 3 yea ...
• The charts show the Australian school leavers did immediately after leaving secondary school. The given pie charts give information about what Australian students decided to do after graduating from secondary school in 1980, 1990, and 2000. Overall, throughout the years the proportion of this group of Australian students who were employed was growing, while there was a decline in the portio ...
• In many countries there has been an increase in social problems involving teenagers in recent years. Many people believe that this is due to modern lifestyles because parents spend more and more time at work and have less time to supervise their children. Modern lifestyle has changed many facets of life, particularly the dramatical fall in standard of ethics among teenagers, followed by the rocket in the rate of juvenile delinquency. While parental negligence is considered to be assume primarily responsibility for such adverse issue, I believe that o ...
• In the future it seems more difficult to live on the earth. More money should be spent on researching other planets to live, such as Mars. It has been observed that life on the one planet create more problems for individual. Although, some people that administration should expand currency for finding life on other spaces. Living on the earth would be more distinguish. I dis ugly these given statement to a large extent. My inclination i ...
• You should spend about 40 minutes on the question. These days, in many countries, fewer and fewer people want to become teachers, particularly in secondary schools. What are the reasons for this, and how could the problems be solved? v. 1 Nowadays, the number of young teachers, especially in secondary schools, is decreasing year by year; that tendency is stronger observed in countries where the educational system presents a low score. This essay will discuss some reasons why this happens and what we can do to solve this problem. The ...
• Some secondary schools provide students with a general education across a range of subjects whereas others focus on fewer subjects related to a particular career. Do you think the advantages of a focused education outweigh the disadvantages? Some secondary schools provide students with a general education across a range of subjects whereas others focus on fewer subjects related to a particular career. I believe that the advantages of a focused education outweigh the disadvantages. Firstly, students can find their passion after graduatin ...
• Ordinary people try to copy famous people either reading magazines or watching TV. Why do they do this. Do you think it is a good idea to copy famous people. It is true that ordinary people try to copy famous by either the us of magazines or by watching their shows on TV. I would say that that it would have a profound influence on people on how they operate, think & argue in their life. On one hand, people copying from famous people is a good thing as i ...
• The chart below so what UK graduate and postgraduate student who did not go into fool time work did after leaving college in 2008. The rendered column presentation depits after leaving college in 2008 by United Kingdom graduate and postgraduate peoples who didn't go into full time jobs. Overall, UK graduate and postgraduate student were divided into four category part time work, voluntary work, further study, and unemployed. th ...
• Some people believe that humans should be able to use animals for their own benefit, while others argue that the rights of animals should be protected. Many individuals have a point of view that people have the right to possess pets for their own uses, on the other hand some people conflict this view owing to the animal’s rights. However, while animal’s rights is very respectable thing, I strongly believe that the individuals can use animals in var ...
• Some people think that illegal Internet downloads are having a negative effect on the music industry. Others feel that they have little or no impact on artists. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion Although, in this year of digitalization, many believe that downloading fresh videos do not have a direct impact on artists while some yet think this has highly impacted the music production house. This essay will discuss both the views and present strong support for the notion that music producers ...
• Food travels thousands of miles from farm to consumer. Some people think that it could be better to our environment and economic if people only ate local produced food. What are the advantages and disadvantages? Undeniably, the produced food takes a long way to be delivered to its customers. Some people claim that it would be advantageous to eat local food without harming our natural habitat and economic stability. However, i would not be agreed with this notion any more because it helps to develop internat ...
• You had borrowed money from your friend when you were facing some financial problems and forgot to pay it back. Write a letter to your friend and in your letter: Apologize for being late in returning the money Explain what happened Say how you are going to fix the issue now Dear Sagar, I am writing this letter to apologize to you for not paying your money back on time, which I have taken on June 4th the due date was July 4th and the amount was $2000. I have taken that money for my course as you know I am taking music classes which will help my career. Firstly, I plan ...

It’s Never Too Late To Study

Jessamy Amic

Table of contents.

What would you do if you had the chance to do things differently? 

It’s a question that most of us have either asked other people or asked ourselves. For people who feel stuck in their career choices , this question runs through their head often. It’s a wonderful daydream to have until it’s back to reality. 

We often think that switching careers or learning a new skill is risky. Furthering your studies often meant reviewing your budget and perhaps disrupting your work schedule to keep up with classes.

However, with today’s digital evolution, you have the chance to keep your current job while you develop or refine your knowledge. Here’s why it’s never too late to study:

Flexible schedule

The biggest misconception about studying – especially if you’re an adult with a career – is that there’s no time to keep up with studying and fulfil your work tasks.  

With online learning , you can learn at a pace that is comfortable for you and doesn’t disrupt your work. These days, all you need is a stable internet connection and a device. You can learn during lunchtime, at home, or read notes on your commute. 

Online courses are also not a massive time commitment. You can now educate yourself within a few weeks. Notes are succinct and simple to understand, which makes learning easier and more engaging. 

Learning for all ages and experience

You must shudder to think about sitting in a classroom with students way younger than you. It’s a thought that often discourages most people from furthering their studying, but it shouldn’t. 

Furthering your education is noble and the best investment. Remember, you’re doing this for you. With work experience and wisdom, you may have an edge. 

Also, investing in education doesn’t always mean taking classes at a university. With online learning , having insecurities around your fellow students are a thing of the past. The goal of the content is to ensure that knowledge can be easily applied to the workplace. This is why it’s easy to understand and accessible to all levels. 

Change your career whenever you want 

Let’s say you’ve been working in marketing for a long time, but you’re ready to strike out on your own. Starting your own business seems appealing, but you have no idea about the basics of entrepreneurship.

Investing in your education will help you develop business acumen and provide you with the basic principles of entrepreneurship. 

Boost your career prospects

If you’re looking at getting a promotion at work, learning a new skill will help. Online learning can help you develop a new skill – whether it’s refining your marketing abilities or learning about HR. Adding a new certificate to your CV will ensure you’re top of the shortlist. 

Learning is still fun

Learning a new skill at any age is always enjoyable. These days, course content has become so interactive that they’re more enjoyable. Now, you have quizzes and videos from experts in the industry. 

No matter your experience or age, you still have the chance to better your prospects in the workplace. Furthering and expanding your knowledge helps. It’s never too late to make the leap! 

Browse our course catalogue today and discover how you can set yourself up for the future. 

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6 reasons why it’s never too late to learn a new language

It’s well-documented that children with all their intrinsic learning capabilities have a headstart on the rest of us, so it’s only natural to bemoan the fact that you weren’t brought up by a Italian father and Chinese mother in Germany (the trilingual start to life would have been nice, right?).

But it’s untrue that adults should shelve their goals to learn a new language. While you won’t wake up spouting Italian, Chinese or German tomorrow, with the right approach and with a lot of dedication, there’s no reason why adults can’t learn a new language just as well. It’s a question of adjusting your mindset.

1. You can change your expectations

If you start learning after childhood it’s unlikely you’ll achieve a native accent. But who cares? Fluency means different things to different people , and anyway, who said learning a foreign language has to be about passing as a native? The point of language learning is communicating with other human beings, so dial down the pressure.

Change “I want to camouflage myself amongst the Italians and never be – gasp! –  discovered as a foreigner,” to “I’d like to speak as well as I did in highschool,” “I want to read intermediate level books in Italian,” or “I want to converse with locals in a plaza while on vacation.” These are all very reasonable goals for adult learners.

2. You’re free to do what you want

Now we’ve adjusted our idea of what success means for you , let’s consider two students: a six-year-old whose parents have signed him up for weekend English classes, and an adult studying after work. Who do you think will fare better after a year? Most, knowing that children possess “sponge-like” brains, would choose the six-year-old. He’s learning without even trying, right?

Others, knowing from life experience that motivation and grit are valuable markers for success, would hedge their bets on the adult. And they’d have a point. Think about it: she’s in class because she wants to be. She’s paid with her own money and taken the time out of her holiday do study. She has a clear goal in mind (see point 1) and knows the steps necessary to help achieve it. Because she has a goal, she applies herself both in and out of classroom and surprises herself when the year’s over.

While it’s not a given that an adult will improve more than a child, it’s highly likely. Kids, however young and flexible of mind, are easily distracted, need regular snack breaks and are not known for actively applying themselves in the classroom. Motivated adults on the other hand? Definitely.

3. You are more financially stable

More mature adult learners are likely to have the increased freedom of choice which comes with being financially-established. It’s no secret that spending time abroad immersed in a new culture and a new language supercharges your learning, and adult learners can often gift themselves this experience.

Whether retired, on vacation or on a sabbatical, adult learners benefit hugely from periods of overseas study, travel or expatry. And again – just like in the classroom example before – this experience is their personal choice rather than their parents’ goal and therefore very likely to be fruitful.

4. You have the benefit of previous experience

Adult learners have already achieved fluency in at least one language: their own. Through years of chatting, writing and eavesdropping in their mother tongue, they’ve amassed a vast amount of knowledge (though perhaps unconscious) about how their language works. This knowledge base becomes extremely valuable when learning an additional language, especially if it shares a root with their mother tongue (like Spanish/Italian or English/German).

Adult learners can actively use their native tongue as a jumping off point, considering the connections between the two languages’ grammar patterns or vocabulary. The differences between contrasting languages, on the other hand, are more easily analyzed by adult minds. This in itself is another positive way to actively engage with language learning.

5. You have years of study experience

Your previous experience doesn’t end there – as an adult, you have previous “learning experience” in buckets. Think about it: at school and university you probably became a pretty proficient learner overall, and later picked up a whole host of skills like changing a tire, gardening, running a small business, arguing with a boss, raising children etc. You could easily write an essay entitled “I learn best when…” in no time.

This awareness of your own learning and thinking strategies is called metacognition and it’s an awesome tool to use when approaching a new language. Thankfully, there are handfuls of ways to learn a language, ranging from weekly classes to language courses abroad (and yes, it’s possible to learn a new language in a year ). While a child is yet to learn how they’d prefer to approach a new subject, you have the benefit of past experience and can choose a method that suits you.

6. You have perspective

Not only can you muster up the kind of motivation and study skills a child can’t, but you also have perspective. You know life is a journey and that learning a new language is just one way – perhaps one of the best ways – to get to know the world and make that journey a little more interesting. It’s a window to a new culture, a new perspective on life and gives you the chance to connect with entirely new people, from all kinds of fascinating corners of our world. Learning a language is a tool to that end and your skills don’t have to be perfect before you can start reaping those benefits.