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[Music]
Hello everyone and welcome back to the
Simple English podcast. I'm your host
Lisa. Today we have a very exciting and
useful topic. How to think in English?
No more translating in your head. Have
you ever tried to speak English, but
first you had to translate from your
language to English in your mind and by
the time you finish the other person is
already waiting for your answer. I think
many of us know that feeling.
Don't worry, you are not alone.
Today I have my friend Alex here with
me. He is also an English learner and he
has some really good tips on how to stop
translating in your head and start
thinking directly in English.
As always, don't forget to check out the
free PDF file in the comment section
below to get the full transcript and
vocabulary for this episode.
[Music]
Welcome, Alex.
>> Hi, Lisa. Hi, everyone. I'm very happy
to be here. This is one of my favorite
topics because I used to translate
everything in my head and it made me
very slow. But step by step, I learned
how to think in English.
>> That's great, Alex. I think many
listeners will connect with your story.
So, let's talk about this problem first.
Why do people translate in their heads
when speaking English?
>> Yes, let's start there. I think people
translate because it feels safe. When we
learn English in school, usually we
learn by translating words from our
language into English.
For example, in school, my teacher said
dog means cho and cat means mayo.
So, from the beginning, we are trained
to translate
That's true. I had the same experience
and sometimes it's helpful at the start
but later when we want to speak fast
translation becomes a big problem.
Exactly.
Let's imagine this. You want to say I am
hungry.
But first in your head you think the
sentence in your own language.
Then you try to change the words one by
one into English.
By the time you finish, maybe 3 or 4
seconds have passed.
>> Yes. And in real conversations, people
don't wait that long. The other person
keeps talking and then you feel nervous.
>> And that's why many learners feel shy or
afraid. They know the words, but their
brain is busy translating. So speaking
becomes very slow.
>> So now the big question, why should we
learn to think in English?
because it makes everything faster.
If you think directly in English, you
don't need to translate. Words come to
your mind naturally. You can answer more
quickly and you feel more confident.
>> I agree. It's like driving a car. At the
beginning, you think, "Okay, press the
pedal, move the wheel, check the
mirror." But later, you don't think
about it. You just drive.
Yes, that's a very good example. When
you think in English, your brain saves
energy and it also helps with listening
because when you listen to a native
speaker, you don't have time to
translate every word. You need to
understand the meaning directly in
English.
>> I remember when I started watching
English movies without subtitles. At
first, I tried to translate everything,
but I couldn't keep up. My brain was too
slow.
Later I trained myself to just listen
and guess the meaning. That's when I
improved a lot.
That's a great story, Lisa. So thinking
in English helps with speaking,
listening, and also confidence.
>> Now let's get to the most important
part. How can our listeners start
thinking in English?
>> Yes, I have some simple tips that worked
for me.
Perfect. Let's hear them one by one.
>> The first tip is use simple words and
short sentences. Don't try to make long
difficult sentences in your head. For
example, instead of thinking I would
like to express that I am feeling
extremely hungry right now. Just think
I'm hungry.
>> Yes. Keep it simple. The goal is not to
speak perfect complex English. The goal
is to communicate quickly and clearly.
>> Exactly. And when you use simple
English, your brain learns to think in
English more easily.
>> What's the second tip?
>> Label things around you in English. Look
at your room. You you see a table, a
chair, a phone, a window. Instead of
thinking in your language, practice
saying the English words in your head.
Table, chair, phone, window. That's a
great exercise. I also used sticky notes
before.
I wrote mirror, door, light, and I put
the notes on those objects. So, every
time I saw them, I thought of the
English word.
>> Yes, that's a very powerful method.
>> What about the third tip?
Practice self-talk or inner talk. This
means you speak to yourself in English,
in your mind, or even out loud. For
example, when I wake up, I think, I'm
brushing my teeth. I'm making coffee.
I'm walking to school.
>> I love that. It's like telling a story
about your daily life in English.
>> Yes. And it doesn't matter if the
grammar is not perfect. The important
thing is to train your brain to use
English naturally.
>> Okay. What's the next one?
>> Watch, listen, and repeat. Listen to
English podcasts, movies, or songs. When
you hear a short sentence, pause and
repeat it. For example, in a movie, the
character says, "Let's go." Then you
pause and say, "Let's go."
Try to copy the sound, the speed, the
tone.
That's a very effective method. It's
like shadowing. You follow the speaker
immediately.
>> Yes. And it's fun. You can even copy
your favorite actor or singer.
>> And the last tip,
>> stop using translation apps for every
single word. Of course, sometimes you
need a dictionary, but if you always
translate word by word, your brain never
learns to think in English.
That's so true. I recommend learners to
use an English English dictionary. For
example, if you don't know the word
happy, don't translate it into your
language. Look at the definition in
English. Feeling good or pleased.
>> Yes. That way you connect English words
with English meanings, not with your
native language.
Now, Alex, what are some common mistakes
people make when they try to think in
English?
>> Good question. Mistake number one,
trying to use difficult vocabulary too
soon. You don't need big advanced words.
Simple is better.
>> Yes. Like instead of utilize, just say
use.
>> Exactly.
Mistake number two. always translating
grammar rules. For example, some people
think, okay, subject plus verb plus
object before speaking. That slows you
down.
>> Yes, don't overthink grammar while
speaking.
>> Mistake number three, being afraid of
mistakes.
Many learners wait too long trying to
say a perfect sentence, but actually
it's better to speak with mistakes than
to stay silent.
I totally agree. Mistakes are part of
learning.
[Music]
Now, let's move to a fun part. Alex, did
you know that babies never translate
when they learn their first language?
>> Yes, that's true. Babies just listen,
repeat sounds, and slowly start to think
in the language.
>> Exactly. A baby doesn't think, "Okay, in
my baby language, this means they just
connect words directly to actions or
feelings."
>> So if a baby can learn without
translating, we can also do it with
English. We just need to copy that
process, listen a lot, repeat, and
connect English words directly with
meaning.
That's a great reminder. So listeners,
next time you feel nervous about
thinking in English, remember if babies
can do it, you can too.
[Music]
Okay, let's wrap up today's episode. We
learned a lot. Let's quickly review.
>> Sure. First, translating in your head
makes speaking slow and difficult.
Second, thinking in English makes
communication faster and gives you more
confidence.
>> Third, we shared some tips.
Use simple words. Label things around
you. Practice self-talk.
Watch and repeat and avoid too much
translation. And don't forget to avoid
common mistakes like using difficult
words too early, focusing too much on
grammar, or being afraid of mistakes.
>> Yes, very important.
>> So, here's a small challenge for our
listeners today. Try to say one sentence
in English without translating. Just one
simple sentence like, "I'm drinking
water." Do it right now.
>> That's a great challenge. Step by step,
you will train your brain to think in
English.
>> Thank you so much, Alex, for joining us
today.
>> Thank you, Lisa. It was fun.
>> And thank you to all our listeners.
Remember, thinking in English is not
magic, it's practice. The more you
practice, the easier it becomes. Don't
give up and enjoy the journey. See you
next time on the Simple English Podcast.
Bye-bye.
>> Bye everyone.
[Music]
Okay everyone, it's time to learn some
important vocabulary related to the
topic. The first word of today is
translate. It means to change words from
one language into another.
Example, I used to translate every word
from Thai to English before speaking.
The next word is fluent. It means able
to speak or write a language easily and
smoothly.
Example, she wants to be fluent in
English so she can talk with her foreign
friends. The next word is confidence. It
means the feeling of being sure about
your ability to do something.
Example, thinking in English gives me
more confidence when I speak.
The next word is practice. It means to
do something many times to improve a
skill. Example, you need to practice
self-t talk in English every day.
The last word is mistake. It means
something you do that is not correct.
Example, don't be afraid of mistakes.
They help you learn faster.
[Music]
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