Learning Spanish as an older adult

To what extent can a highly motivated older adult acquire a new language? T his question served as the focus for a case study of a 57-year-old woman's endeavor to learn Spanish in an immersion setting. The learner's experience s, as recorded in diary entries, are examined in relation to the literature on cognitive aging. An analysis of pre- and post-immersion tests of speaki ng and writing abilities provides indications that learning a foreign langu age as an older adult is still an achievable goal.