Older Adults Learning English in Berlin

Apr 7, 2026

Katharina Gensch, a doctoral candidate studying language learning among older adults, explores why seniors in Berlin take English classes. She discusses motivations like travel and culture. She examines how English’s ubiquity shapes belonging, sparks irritation, or is rejected as ageist. She highlights learning as a way for older adults to stay socially engaged and retain agency.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Ubiquity Of English Drives Motivation

Motivations for learning English ranged from travel and culture to the ubiquity of English in urban life.
Many older Berliners felt English had become necessary to participate in everyday communication around the city.

ANECDOTE

Older Berliners Often Missed English At School

Participants ranged from age 55 to 87 and some from former East Germany had little school exposure to English because they learned Russian instead.
For many, English exposure therefore arrived later in life, not during school.

INSIGHT

English As The Default In Berlin

English appears everywhere in Berlin: spoken by staff, in signs, and as a default address to people without asking language preference.
This daily exposure can frustrate older adults and affect feelings of belonging in the city.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

In this episode of the Language on the Move podcast Dr Hanna Torsh talks to Katharina Gensch (University of Hamburg) about her new paper "English language education for older adults in a multilingual urban environment," which has just been published in Educational Gerontology.

Gensch, K. (2025). English language education for older adults in a multilingual urban environment. Educational Gerontology, 1-14. Paper here

Abstract. This paper explores how older adults in the German capital of Berlin react to the perceived increase of English as a commonly used language in their urban environment. Drawing from an interview study with participants of English classes for older adults, the article identifies different attitudes expressed in reaction to linguistic changes in their environment. These attitudes include embracing the concept of an international city and linguistic diversity, framing anglicization as an integral – yet not necessarily well-liked – part of certain neighborhoods, and rejecting it as a discriminatory, ageist practice. Furthermore, the interviewees were found to employ English learning and use as a versatile strategy to participate more fully in their environment’s communicative practices. Due to global dynamics, older adults living in multilingual cities can be expected to become an ever more relevant population group. Research on the language practices of older adults in multilingual environments often focuses on the perspective of migrants’ language acquisition and practices. The article argues that, against the background of globalization, educational gerontology will need to focus more on foreign language acquisition – including research on older migrants, but also on older adults who do live in countries where their first language is the official one, but nevertheless make use of an additional language in order to fully participate in their daily surroundings’ communicative practices.

For additional resources, show notes, and transcripts, go here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network