Recent research shows that speaking a foreign language can postpone the effects of dementia by up to 5 years. Lingo Flamingo therefore provide the world’s first portfolio of tailored outreach language workshops to older adults delaying the effects of dementia by keeping older adult’s brains’ fit and active.
What skills and resources were you able to draw from the community for this project?
We knew from a very early stage that for our classes to be popular we needed to tailor them around the needs and wishes of older adults. Before we started piloting our classes we did research around the main issues which affected older adults in care homes and day centres. The main themes were mental health issues, isolation, dementia and boredom. We also looked at obstacles which prevented engaging activities. These obstacles included limited budgets, accessibility, interesting and worthwhile activities. We then started to delve in to more detail behind the cognitive research of learning a foreign language and the impact it has on the brain. We held forums and focus groups with staff, family members but most importantly with older adults. We made contacts within the care sector to get feedback. We asked them a lot of questions about how they perceived language learning. Many said that they wished that they had learnt a language but it was too late now or that they did not enjoy language learning at school and had bad memories (including getting the belt for making mistakes) and had not learnt it since. We then knew that we had to make language learning accessible and fun for older adults and to make it a welcoming environment using a very positive and praise based style of teaching.
The challenges
If current trends continue and no action is taken, the number of people with dementia in the UK is forecast to increase to 1,142,677 by 2025 an increase of 40% over the next 12 years. Loneliness and isolation are particularly difficult for people living with dementia. In fact, a survey by the Alzheimer’s Society in 2013 found 38% of people with dementia felt lonely. Many older adults feel loneliness through a lack of relationships, loneliness through the stigma of a diagnosis and from no longer feeling comfortable/able to do their hobbies or activities.
Addressing the challenges
Our project is aimed at older adults in the community, day centres and care homes. Loneliness and isolation are particularly difficult for people living with dementia. In fact, a survey by the Alzheimer’s Society in 2013 found 38% of people with dementia felt lonely. Many older adults feel loneliness through a lack of relationships, loneliness through the stigma of a diagnosis and from no longer feeling comfortable/able to do their hobbies or activities. Our goal is therefore to tackle dementia and loneliness by bringing people together, creating a warm and welcoming environment and building up confidence and sense of purpose for older adults showing that it is never too late to learn or to be engaged in recreational activities. We teach by evoking different senses, we therefore include exercises with music, touch, scent, feel, and taste to make language learning fun and accessible for all. Our classes are very visual, they are slow paced and have been designed by our students to include memory techniques, nostalgic references, and intercultural exercises. We also include opera sessions, cuisine classes, fashion shows and graduations to make them as fun and as accessible as possible.
The achievements
After all of our sessions we measure the social impact through surveys and feedback from our learners. Over 94% of the learners to date have said that they classes not only increased their knowledge of foreign languages but also increased their self-confidence. 90% of our participants said that their self-worth had increased and sense of purpose. An interesting statistic is that over 75% of people said they made new friendships from other participants in the class which helps convey that the classes go much further than just a language class but are a platform for creating new friendships and combating isolation. From the 50 tutors who we have trained up, 100% of them said that the experience has greatly enhanced their communication skills and their confidence. All the tutors who took part in the survey also said that training and the teaching had improved their chances of future employment. Since July 2016 we in conjunction with the University of Edinburgh have started joint research projects to measure the cognitive effects of language learning with our students. Finally, we were delighted to be recognised on a national level by Nesta and the Observer by being selected as one of the new radicals. So far, we have taught over 2,500 classes and have taught over 1,500 older adults. Finally, we have trained up over 50 tutors across Scotland.
Token Project / Move One Million
Johannesburg, South Africa