Senior Citizens

 Space perception is the firs t s tep towards recognizing and communicating with the environment. Despite similar perception sys tems in human beings, the perception of surroundings is different from person to person. Therefore, different perceptions of similar objective spaces can result from several factors, and only one influential factor cannot determine the perceived subject. This s tudy seeks to identify cognitive aspects of different areas of the elderly perception in architecture and determine the cognitive characteris tics of independent elderly residents in Shahrak-e-Gharb of Tehran to obtain primary data and their perceptual, cognitive characteris tics using cognitive maps. This is a theoretical-applied s tudy with a qualitative-quantitative method. The library method was used for data collection, field observation to measure the s tatus quo, and interview and cognitive maps technique to collect research data. The sample size of 38 persons was calculated using the Cochran formula. According to the findings, the average perceived cognitive paths of the men group were higher than that of women, and the average perceived cognitive places of the women group were higher than that of men. Aging and length of residence do not affect the number of perceived elements.  As aging occurs, the number of perceived places decreases, and the number of perceived paths increases. Mos t recognized spaces in cognitive maps represent a place for people's memories. So, cognitive spaces should be improved before the cognitive abilities of the elderly decline.

The present study aimed at investigating the effects of applying yoga, visualization, and Rosetta Stone software on English achievement of Iranian senior citizen EFL learners. Prior to this study, the homogeneity of the learners was checked through conducting Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT). Consulting the rating scale of OQPT, 30 female elementary level senior citizen EFL learners between the ages of 55 and 65 were selected to take part in the study. The participants sat for an English achievement test designed based on their textbook. They were, then, assigned to two groups of control and experimental. The members of the experimental group were taught English while practicing yoga, visualization, and applying Rosetta Stone software program, whereas their counterparts in the control group were taught via the conventional method of teaching English in the elderly day-care center. The procedure lasted for 30 sessions during the three-month treatment. Afterwards, the posttest which was similar to the pretest was administered to unravel the effect of the treatment. They were also given an attitude questionnaire to uncover their attitude towards the applied instruments. The results of the study indicated that the members of the experimental group outperformed those of the control group in terms of their English learning. The results of the attitude questionnaire demonstrated that they had positive attitudes towards the use of yoga, visualization, and Rosetta Stone software in learning English. The results of this study may offer implications for EFL teachers, curriculum designers, day-care centers of the elderly, well-fare organizations, and language schools.