Now, did you, at any point, think in your native language and try to translate these sentences or your answers? If so, then this blog post is definitely for you.
Thinking in your native language when learning or speaking English is oftentimes the go-to solution for many language learners.
Over the years, we have met many people who immigrated to English-speaking countries like the USA or England, but never put in the effort to think in English. Commonly, the reason for this was that these people chose to live in areas where others from their country had settled and only communicated in English when necessary. The result was that they never surpassed the phase of speaking in broken English. “Speaking broken English keeps people mentally rooted to their native countries and imprisoned in the language of their culture.” (Muciaccia John. Thinking in English: A New Perspective on Teaching ESL. (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2012)
The realization that you are actively translating from your native language into English can motivate you to change this. How? Here are some general hints. Keep in mind that trying to force yourself to think in English might actually have a negative outcome, like for instance, your levels of stress when speaking might be negatively impacted. All of the compiled habits are meant to help you learn to think in English without investing ANY time. How is that possible? In this post, we focus only on changing already pre-existing habits in your already busy lifestyle which will enhance your English.
1. Copy those who speak well.
If I wanted to learn to dance, I could watch someone who knows how to dance well and try to mimic those movements. Why not try something similar when it comes to speaking English? When watching your favorite American TV shows, try repeating some expressions that really stood out. Create a mental image in your mind of how and when that phrase was used in the show. Try using those phrases the next time when you’re speaking with your conversation partner, tutor, or language teacher.
2. Do the same things you already do—in English.
Tired after work? Are you just sipping your coffee and reading an article on your phone? Do that same thing but read the article in English. Listening to a podcast about cooking? Do the same thing but listen to an English version. Consistency is key! We call this immersion. The additional benefit is that it doesn’t really require extra time. You were planning to do these things already, right?
3. When you forget a word, don’t translate it.
This is not only great for learning to think in English, but also for enhancing fluency altogether. When you forget how to say something in English, do not say “I forgot how to say that in English.” and start googling a translation. Instead, you can paraphrase your idea using different words. Additionally, you can use a phrase such as “to put it simply…” or “in other words” before actually paraphrasing. This will make it sound as though you were simplifying it for the listener, and not yourself because of a forgotten word.
4. But if you do need to translate…
This hint might slightly slow you down at times. It will pay off as it helps you stay in English-thinking mode. When you forget how something is called in English, try describing this item/concept in google, instead of simply writing the word in your native tongue and asking for a translation write “What is the word for…” and explain. For example, you can google “What is the word for like this rectangular paper container used for letters, documents for mailing or storage.” and you should get the answer—envelope.