New boy here. I started off Challenge1 quite happily but struggled more and more as I got through, missed the cues with my brain freezing much of the time. Desperate to do this, but am I fighting a losing battle? Tell me honestly
Welcome to the forum Andrew 
No, you are certainly not too old!
The SSiW way of teaching is pretty âdifferentâ and probably not what you will be used to, so that might be whatâs causing âbrain freezeâ - but thatâs a perfectly normal reaction, and it doesnât mean itâs not working.
Also, always remember that every individual learns at a different pace regardless of when they start. Donât worry about how the high-flying whipper-snappers are doing - stick with the course, trust the method, and donât be afraid to use the forum to ask questions⌠youâll win the battle! 
PS - no offence meant to the high-flying whippersnappers⌠
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No, youâre absolutely not - in fact, to the contrary - the more you push yourself like this, the more your brain will adapt - thatâs one of the reasons why language learning (and use) is one of the best-known factors for delaying the onset of a range of neurological problems.
What youâre experiencing right now is normal - everyone gets its. Give yourself more time with the pause button when your brain freezes (although try to keep it as short as possible). Make sure you say something in the gap 95% of the time, and youâll be learningâŚ
No way, @andrew-woodfine. There are people here older than you, including myself. I started 10 months ago, I have had plenty of brain-freeze incidents, but I am still here. Everyone develops their own method. I tend to press on regardless, collapse into silence, then go back several challenges and repeat them. Learning a language is supposed to be good for the brain as we get older. Good luck with it.
Sue
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Hi Andrew,
No you are definitely not too old, I can beat you by a couple of years (and started an MA when I was 65 which Iâve now completed). There are learners on here in their 80s.
I think itâs fair to say that if, like me, youâve not done any language learning for some time, youâre less likely to be a âhigh-flying whipper-snapperâ as Sharon so aptly phrases it - but it doesnât matter what speed you go at. Iâve been doing this now at a moderate pace for a few years and still have to use the pause button quite a bit, have got frustrated with myself on many different occasions, but over the last six months have had some breakthroughs and am now able to hold reasonable but simple conversations in Welsh.
Most of us get brain freezes at various times, including a lot of younger folks who often come on the forum asking for help. In fact, over time Iâve discovered there are some whoâve been learning Welsh longer than I have who havenât got so far! It really does vary.
Try not to get too stuck on any one lesson: I know itâs counter-intuitive but press on with a lesson or two when the going gets tough, take a break, and then come back and try out the first lesson again. Go at your own pace and keep reminding yourself of what youâve managed to learn, not the bits youâve forgotten. It DOES get easier eventually, I promise you.
Alan.
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No I am 76! And not wearing well! Learning another language or just being blingual is supposd to keep the brain in good workng order!
Youâre never too old to learn something new! You can do it! xx
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In fact, I am always pointing out that we are all learning every day of our lives!
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I will absolutely attest to this. Iâm almost 64 and coping with some very annoying memory problems, but I find that doggedly working on my Welsh keeps my grey matter from going completely soggy. I guarantee that the challenges will sink in, even if it takes a few more repetitions.
Now, getting my tongue to stop wildly flapping around when I try to pronounce the LL⌠thatâs a whole different matter LOL! 
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Hi Andrew,
Iâm in my first week and this is my first post, so I havenât got a clue what Iâm doing.
Iâm 69 and getting brain freeze too. I think itâs just carry on regardless. After all, I get
brain freeze in English, too! Good luck, Moira
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Hi Moira,
Itâs good to have you here. Good luck with it.
Sue
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Keep it up Moira! Snap with the brain freeze in English!
Thank you Moira, Hen Ddraig, Aran and everyone else who has written the much appreciated words of encouragement.
I have sinusitis and await an op to sort this out; I hope it will be this year. The problem is that the side effects of the sinusitis: headaches, head pains, dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, are getting worse and my head is not my own any more. I have therefore cancelled my SSiW programme for now and will come back once the operation has been carried out.
Be assured that I am not giving up - as Someone once said Somewhere, âI will return!â
Andrew
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I also get brain freezes in English when I speak. Itâs funny that it only happens while speaking, not writing or reading. Iâm no spring chicken,at 57. You can do it and itâs good for your brain. Iâve noticed some slight improvement with my English as well. It doesnât matter how well you speak, just learning a new language can help.
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Hi @andrew-woodfine, come back after your op. I started after neurosurgery to remove a tumour at the age of 70 and it hasnât just helped my recovery, but has introduced me to new friends and places. There really is nothing like the joy of being able to respond to people in their own language whenever Iâm in Wales.
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Definitely not too old, Andrew. Age is an attitude, not a number! Iâm 75 and started 2 weeks ago. I was OK on challenge 1& 2, but became more and more frustrated and disillusioned with my efforts in 3 & 4. So much so that today, I cheated and had a go at challenge 5 instead of waiting until tomorrow, as we are told over and over âkeep going, the system worksâ. And guess what? It DOES. Challenge 5 seemed much easier than challenge 4 had done. That doesnât SEEM right, does it? So donât give up - we Seniors can keep the brain cells swirling around together, with Aran and the Teamâs help, for which - Diolch. yn Fawr.
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Just read about your impending op, Andrew. All the best with that, and do come back when you feel ready.
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