Skip to main content

The OU in Scotland are leaders in a novel, life-enriching intervention in Scotland’s care homes and local communities with the first courses where people learn how to teach languages for wellbeing, particularly to support older people and people with dementia. The potential positive impacts of language learning have been well documented in recent years, e.g. in relation to cognitive decline and building cognitive reserve.

Our innovative language learning pedagogy builds on these findings, focusing less on achieving levels of proficiency and more on having a positive impact on brain health, participation and social cohesion. Those who teach do not need to be experts. At the heart of our pioneering pedagogy is the notion of learning a new language together using multisensory approaches that allow every learner to engage, even a non-verbal dementia patient.

Our training courses align with what is at the heart of the Open University’s mission: social justice. We believe in creating an inclusive community and responding positively to different needs and circumstances so that everyone can achieve their potential. Here, this means empowering older people through novel learning opportunities involving a range of community stakeholders while at the same time changing mind-sets and perceptions of senior learners, thus re-imagining care.

The Open University in Scotland with long-standing expertise in teacher development and teaching languages, also with senior learners, partnered in 2017 with Lingo Flamingo, a Glasgow-based charity, founded to make language learning accessible to senior learners to increase their wellbeing and help them overcome depression, isolation and marginalisation. Lingo Flamingo work with a community of volunteers who deliver languages activities for learners in various settings.

The course Learning Languages with Senior Learners was written by Dr Sylvia Warnecke and Bärbel Brash, Staff Tutors in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics at the Open University in Scotland (https://www.open.ac.uk/scotland/), with contributions from Robbie Norval and Rosi Mele from Lingo Flamingo. For further information please contact scotland-languages@open.ac.uk

This course covers a variety of study materials revolving around the theory and practice of learning languages for wellbeing with senior learners. As someone who works either in paid or unpaid care settings or care situations, you can become drivers of change by implementing what you learn here and starting a positive move towards a joined language learning journey with senior learners.

While studying this course you will have the opportunity to apply your new skills in your care setting with your senior learner/s, and we hope that your confidence in this aspect of your practice will increase. 

If you want to have a first glimpse at how this language learning can work in practice and what impact this can have, watch this video by Lingo Flamingo, and this interview with course participant Andrea Campbell, who applied her new skills in a care home in Scotland's Central Belt.

This course is now part of a major Challenge Us!- funded research project that investigates the impact of this person-centred care intervention on service users, and involves multipl stakeholders from care home managers to policy makers.

Key learning points

In this course you will learn how to use languages for engaging with older people and people with dementia in order to support healthy ageing and wellbeing.

After studying this course and participating in the tasks you will have an awareness of:

How senior learners learn

The concepts of co-creation with senior learners, participatory literacy and social cohesion in care settings

  • The concept of wellbeing in the four UK Nations and wellbeing in the context of language learning
  • How to plan and sequence a simple language learning activity
  • Suitable materials for a language learning activity
  • How to reflect on the delivery of a language learning activity
  • Effective and inclusive communication in a language learning activity
  • How to evaluate a language learning activity for quality assurance
  • Regional and national language learning projects and initiatives beyond school settings
  • Current research on language learning and brain health, and practical support strategies
  • What dementia is and how it may impact on individual learners

Latest news


The Open University and the Glasgow-based charity Lingo Flamingo have partnered on a substantive research project investigating the health and wellbeing impact of language learning in older age on senior learners and their carers, building on previous collaboration. This short video and shows how this learning works and outlines key benefits.

As part of this project, we are looking for social care staff working in care home or community settings who are interested in delivering pioneering activities focused on language learning for wellbeing and brain health.

We are offering those keen to try this out in their care context a free place on our dedicated upskilling course Learning Languages with Senior Learners, where you will  develop your awareness of: 

  • how senior learners learn also when living with dementia,
  • how wellbeing and healthy ageing through joint learning can be supported in your own care context,
  • criteria for good practice in person-centred social care,
  • effective and inclusive communication with service users in care social contexts,
  • current research and practical support strategies for senior learners in care.

And you will have practised: 

  • planning and sequencing simple language learning activities,
  • creating suitable materials and contexts for this learning,
  • reflecting on the delivery of language learning activities with senior learners.

In order to secure your free place, you will need to agree to participate in our research through sharing your observations of and reflections on undertaking languages activities with your senior learners.

 

Further course details: 

·       Places will be allocated on a first come-first served basis, there are 20 places available,

·       Course duration is 15 weeks, 

·       We expect the study and research activities to take 4 to 5 hours per study week,

·       Distance learning, including study materials, a dedicated tutor, student forum and online evening tutorials,

·       No prior language knowledge required, and skills in any language beyond English are useful,

·       Start: 31 January 2024, 

·       Eligibility: anyone working with older people either in paid or unpaid care settings and who has an interest in languages and cultures. 

  

 

If you are interested in taking up a place on this course, contact Rosi Mele (Lingo Flamingo Tutor Development Manager):

rosi.mele@lingoflamingo.co.uk .



  • Learning Languages with Senior Learners 1_2025

    Learning Languages with Senior Learners 1_2025

    This course is designed for carers in any setting seeking to upskill in using language learning with senior learners to support healthy ageing and wellbeing.

    Course

    24+ hrs

Page 1 of 1