The rapid development of digital technologies and their increasing application in many areas of everyday life challenge all citizens to continuously learn digital skills. This also applies to older adults, among whom digital literacy is on average less well-developed than among younger adults. This article investigates why retired older adults…

Newcomers to Austria and Germany are obliged to learn German, as both of the nation states define themselves as monolingual -- although millions of citizens speak more than one language. The demand to learn the national language is promoted by the shaky promise that it is an entrance ticket to the labour market and also a sine qua non to be…