Changing Minds, Richard Roberts
Changing Minds, Richard Roberts
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Changing Minds
How Aging Affects Language and How Language Affects Aging

Author: Richard Roberts, Roger Kreuz

Narrator: Jonathan Yen

Unabridged: 5 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 10/01/2019


Synopsis

We acquire our native language, seemingly without effort, in infancy and early childhood. Language is our constant companion throughout our lifetime, even as we age. Indeed, compared with other aspects of cognition, language seems to be fairly resilient through the process of aging. In Changing Minds, Roger Kreuz and Richard Roberts examine how aging affects language—and how language affects aging.

Kreuz and Roberts report that what appear to be changes in an older person's language ability are actually produced by declines in such other cognitive processes as memory and perception. Some language abilities, including vocabulary size and writing ability, may even improve with age. And certain language activities—including reading fiction and engaging in conversation—may even help us live fuller and healthier lives.

Kreuz and Roberts explain the cognitive processes underlying our language ability, exploring in particular how changes in these processes lead to changes in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They consider, among other things, the inability to produce a word that's on the tip of your tongue—and suggest that the increasing incidence of this with age may be the result of a surfeit of world knowledge.

About Richard Roberts

Fantasy writer Richard Roberts finds his inspiration in folk tales, fairy tales, and mythology. He is the author of Please Don't Tell My Parents I Blew Up the Moon, Wild Children, and Sweet Dreams Are Made of Teeth, among other novels.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Poh Kam on March 26, 2021

A delightful account of the scientific evidence for various hypotheses about how aging may affect our linguistic competencies, and vice versa. The wide-ranging topics covered span not only the usual concerns (e.g. how declines in other cognitive processes as memory and hearing/vision could affect ou......more

Goodreads review by Paul on January 12, 2020

As we age, what we read, how we read, the words, etc., all matter. This book is an excellent way to understand the 'why' along with great tips to make it all work for you.......more

Goodreads review by Karin on April 10, 2023

Fascinating book - brought up many points that aren’t commonly thought about with language studies. The authors provide an in-depth analysis in each chapter and discuss why or why not studies should be considered successful. I learned quite a bit and found myself in deep thought throughout.......more

Goodreads review by Lara on December 29, 2020

1/3 of the book is an accumulation of references and notes which shows that the information reliable but unoriginal, rendering the book a manuscript of facts laid out in front of you in a research-paper format. I usually force myself to finish the books I begin reading but this was honestly a tough o......more

Goodreads review by Mati on December 30, 2024

Would anyone think that the language we speak could influence who we are? This idea had been growing in my mind for some time, as I noticed I behave differently when speaking in a second language. Somehow, I find a sense of ease, simplicity, and confidence in another language. The book opens up a un......more