Most students find it difficult to think in English when speaking. If you’re translating in your head, then you know that that’s a frustrating way to speak English. But the good news is there are concrete things you can do and practice to stop translating in your head and start thinking in English.
Think in English When Speaking
In this article, we’re going to give you tips and strategies to start thinking in English, stop translating in your head, and increase fluency in speaking English. And what better way to start 2024 with this goal?
1. Find Reason
First, I want you to name one reason why you want to start thinking in English. I want to learn to think in English so I can easily participate in conversation. Whatever your reason is, I know it’s a good one. And I think in 2024, you can make that happen.
2. Name Objects around you in English in your head
The first tip is to start simple and name objects around you in English. I remember when I was learning German and I was doing this, I had to learn the article as well, der, die, das.
We don’t have that in English, but it doesn’t hurt to really focus on the pronunciation as you’re thinking of simple objects. So take a moment as you’re naming objects to think about pronunciation. [think in english when speaking]
You can name objects like a closet, plate, water, pen, teddy bear, etc. And if you’re not sure about the pronunciation, listen to some native speakers. You can use an online dictionary.
I also recommend Youglish is a great resource for this. If you can add this step, of focusing on the pronunciation and listening to native speakers, awesome. If not, if you only have 15 seconds, and you’re naming as many as you can, that’s okay too.
So that’s step one and it’s simple. Take a moment, look around you, and name all of the objects that you can in English. If you can do that very easily, then you can move on. But if that’s a challenge for you, spend some time on object naming. Every time you’re in a new room, a new environment, take a few seconds to do it. Note words you don’t know, look them up, learn them. The context will help you remember them.
3. Think in simple sentences
The next step is to think in simple sentences. Stop right now and think of the beginning of a sentence: I’m—. I’m hungry, I’m tired, I’m working. Do it in English. Now look around you. What can you say about anything in your environment? For example: I would say: this chair is comfy,the drawer is open, my desk is messy.
If there’s something you can’t describe, look up the words you need in a dictionary, memorize it. Memorize that phrase. Learning in a context like this will help. Speaking of dictionaries, see if you can do this. Get an English-only dictionary rather than a translating dictionary between English and your native language. If you come across a word in English that you don’t know, use the English-only dictionary, a Learner’s dictionary. Can you see what we’re doing here? We’re building your mind to work in English mode rather than translation mode.
There is a thing called a Learner’s dictionary, and it describes every word in English, in simple words and terms. Try it. Merriam-Webster has one, Oxford, Cambridge. If you have to learn and understand a word by reading in English, by studying what it means in English, then you’ll know it as an English word. Not as a translation of your language. [think in English when speaking]
So you’ve named single words, and you’ve made simple sentences.
Students also read: How to Learn English Easily at Home FREE Online | Step by Step Guidance
4. Have small conversations with yourself in English
The next step is, to have small conversations with yourself in English. With yourself? Yes, you don’t feel pressure to speak quickly, to come up with the next thing. You can keep the pace slow and relaxed. I did this when learning Spanish. In fact, I remember a car trip I did by myself from Sarasota to Gainesville where the whole time I spoke to myself in Spanish.
If this is hard for you, stop and give up. No! It will get better and easier with practice. Do it every day. Set aside 2 minutes every day to have a simple conversation with yourself. Give yourself 30 days. Do this every day for 30 days (only thinking not speaking out loud). Don’t take a day off. If you have five minutes one day, do it for five minutes.
A whole conversation, as simple as it needs to be, in English. In 30 days, you’ll see. Wow. I did improve. This is worth my time. And rededicate 30 more days. Once you’re able to do this, I think you’re able to do step 4, which is really exciting.
5. Change one of your everyday life things to English
Change at least one of your everyday life things to English. Everyday life things? What’s that? Switch your calendar to English. Use the English months and days of the week and write what you’re going to be doing in English. Or do you do to-do lists? Try it in English. A grocery list. Or change your Facebook settings so that your language is in English.
Everything you see, you’ve got a friend request, and so on, will be in English. Maybe try internet searches in English. Or read an English newspaper, or listen to news in English. Do you write a journal? Try writing it in English. Yes! I love this. Take one everyday thing and do it in English. Switch your brain.
Every morning when you wake up, before you get out of bed, take two minutes to think about your day in English. Here’s another idea of an everyday thing you can do in English: take one thing like getting dressed, making breakfast, getting from your car to your desk, and cleaning up. As you’re doing it, in your head, narrate in English.
For example, I would say, Laundry day, that’s light, that should go there. Let’s see. Does this need to be sprayed for stains? Yeah. Better spray it. All right, let’s load up the washing machine. That’s too light, that should go there. Okay, shove it all in. Let’s get some soap. Where is that? Here it is. Put it in there, close the door, press ‘start’, and there we go!
And here’s another one I love: learn how to do one thing in English. It can be really small, like, how to poach an egg. Research it and learn about it in English only, watch only English videos and read only English instructions. Or maybe it’s something bigger, a bigger project like how to knit or how to draw. Take an online course in English only on that topic. Pick something you’re dying to know how to do anyway. This will make it a super-enjoyable lesson. [think in english when speaking]
6. Keep track so you’re doing it every day
The next step is something you’re actually going to want to be doing all along, with all the steps, and that’s… keep track so you’re doing it every day. Once you choose that you want to think English and stop translating in your head, write down every day what you do. And of course, do this in English:
It could look like this: Today I named everything around me that I could think of in English two different times. I watched a 3-minute news story in English. Just having a place to write it down can motivate you to do it.
7. Recap your day in English
And the last thing is something you can do every night after you lay down for bed, but before you fall asleep. Recap your day in English. You’re taking advantage of this opportunity that you’ll have every day, no matter where you are or what your day was like no one I know falls asleep the moment their head hits the pillow.
In my case, I would say like this: What a lovely day that was, I got to meet my mom for lunch, go for a walk in the afternoon, and I even have time to watch a movie after I put the kids down to bed.
Conclusion:
And who knows, by putting your mind in English mode just before bed, maybe you’re even setting yourself up to dream in English, continuing your practice. The brain does amazing things with what it’s learned that day while you sleep. [think in English when speaking]
What have you done to build a consistent English practice to help you start to think in English? Put it in the comments so others can learn from your best tips. Which of these ideas is new to you? Or which are you most excited about? Let me know.
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