Most of the research on language and aging has focused on older adults speaking western languages (e.g. Burke & Shafto, 2004; Marini et al., 2005, 2025), whereas Mandarin Chinese is relatively under-explored in this field. Compared with standardized language tests, analysis of discourse performance is suggested as a more ecological measurement of language ability. Nevertheless, prior studies with Mandarin-speaking elderly primarily interested in fluency, or in feasibility of language test battery, whereas studies of discourse production in the elderly, particularly those aged over 75 are scant. This study aimed to fill the gap by examining whether there are age-related declines in selective aspects of narrative production, particularly in local coherence.
　Twenty-four Mandarin-speaking healthy adults were divided into two age groups: 12 old adults (65-74 years old), and 12 senior old adults (over 75 years old). All participants were administered the Montreal Cognitive Assessment to evaluate cognitive abilities. 'The Cookie Theft' from the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (Goodglass, Kaplan, & Barresi, 2001) was used to elicit oral narratives. The analyses included two aspects: basic measures (story length, lexical diversity, and syntactic complexity), and local coherence (cohesive ties). The results revealed no significant differences between the two groups in basic narrative measures. The senior-old group, however, performed poorer than the younger group in establishing local coherence in that the former had more missing/ambiguous referencing.
　As Taiwan has become a "super-aged society" in 2025, studies on aging and language in older adults are important not only for charting age-related language changes, but for understanding strengths and challenges faced by the elderly population. This study advances our understanding of Mandarin-speaking elderly's narrative performance. Discussions on cognitive and cultural factors related to their language use would be included.