The main purpose of this study is to investigate the best approaches to teaching a foreign language to older people to help them achieve the desired results and explore their benefits. This review strictly follows the PRISMA methodology for systematic reviews and meta-analyses to identify the core experimental studies that deal with the topic of foreign language learning approaches among the older generations. Altogether eight studies detected were included in the systematic review. The available sources were found in Web of Science and Scopus. The findings indicate that foreign language learning can promote seniors' welfare and successful aging despite their learning outcomes, which means that the key benefit for third-age foreign language learners while learning a foreign language is not the achieved proficiency level, but the feeling of subjective satisfaction. This can be a good incentive to achieve better learning outcomes, provided that learners have been offered a pleasant and safe learning environment, using suitable learning approaches during which they can build on their acquired knowledge and experience, as well as discuss the topics they are interested in. Thus, foreign language teachers play an important part in seniors' educational process because their teaching methods and materials when adapted to the elderly's educational needs can have a positive impact on the maintenance and possibly, enhancement of the older people's cognitive functions and on the improvement of their mental activity, which consequently maintains their healthy aging.

• Keywords
• Approaches, Elderly, Foreign language, Review,
• MeSH
• Language MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Multilingualism * MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Learning * physiology   MeSH
• Healthy Aging * physiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Systematic Review MeSH

This systematic review examines the potential of digital language learning in contributing to students' cognitive gains. The study reviews existing research on the relationship between digital language learning and cognitive benefits, with a focus on enhanced problem-solving skills, memory, and multitasking ability. The research questions explored in this study are (1) does digital language learning contribute to cognitive gains in foreign language education? and (2) what are the pedagogical implications for cognitive improvement in digital foreign language education? The study employs the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology to identify and analyze relevant research articles. The results of the review suggest that working with printed texts may be more effective for cognitive gains compared to electronic texts. Additionally, implementing more senses through digital language education appears to be beneficial for cognitive gains. Thus, several pedagogical implications emerge for promoting cognitive improvement in digital foreign language education. Firstly, it is crucial to implement techniques and strategies that best align with students' language needs in a digital learning environment, whether it involves pen-and-paper activities or a flipped classroom approach. Secondly, exposing students to a variety of techniques that engage multiple senses can have a positive impact on cognitive gains. Finally, providing students with feedback is essential to maintain their motivation and foster continued progress in their foreign language studies.

• Keywords
• cognitive benefits, cognitive improvement, foreign language learning, second language,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH