Query: Many people, when they get older,...

[Nessie]

Many people, when they get older, want to return to their hometown
=> is the above sentence grammatically correct? I find the phrase "when they get older" here so strange...
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... something we never have again, I know... I guess I really really know..

Sorry seems to be the hardest word...

[Yankee]

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Why do you find it strange, Nessie? Is it only the word order that you find strange?
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Amy
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ESL teacher, and native speaker of American English

[Nessie]

Yes, the word order, Amy, I simply have never seen this syntax so I wonder if it is correct or not...
_________________
... something we never have again, I know... I guess I really really know..

Sorry seems to be the hardest word...

[Yankee]

Hi Nessie

The most common word order would probably be this:
Many people want to return to their hometown when they get older.

This would probably be the second most common word order:
When they get older, many people want to return to their hometown.

It is also possible, though not as common, to write the sentence the way you posted it. You might say that the commas are used as a signal to indicate that one clause is interrupting the other.
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_________________
Amy
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ESL teacher, and native speaker of American English