One of my greatest educational regrets is not having learned Ancient Greek. Although it’s a “dead” language, it underpins the cornerstone writings of Western Philosophy, and I feel its lack is one of my deepest intellectual holes.
However, in a recent interview with the writer Charles Johnson, he did mention his daily study of Sanskrit—another “dead” language.
So, perhaps it’s not too old for me to get started?
(As an aside, here’s a reference article on some of the neuroscience of second language learning in older adults. Second Language Learning in Older Adults: Effects on Brain Structure and Predictors of Learning Success.)