When I first went to Poland many years ago, I didn’t speak any Polish. But somehow I wasn’t worried. I knew that I could learn it if I wanted to. Although now I attribute this self-confidence of mine to youth and lack of experience (I was 22 at the time), I still believe that what helped me to start speaking Polish relatively fast was the method that I used to acquire it. This method was an imitation. That is, I repeated everything I heard from people and on TV. Mind you, I wasn’t thinking of it as a “method” back then because I had never heard of what is now called shadowing. I just did it because I happen to like imitating other people and characters. When I was a child, I used to entertain my friends and classmates by imitating neighbors and teachers. I didn’t know back then that I’d one day use imitation to learn foreign languages. But I did it in Polish and later I did it once again when I moved to the US and started learning English.
“What language do you think in?” People sometimes ask me this question. My answer is that I don’t think in one particular language. I believe I think in concepts and ideas. Thinking is such an abstract action that I believe that even monolinguals don’t construct full sentences in their brains. What I suppose people aim for when they want to achieve fluency in another language is the ability to verbalize their abstract thoughts using English without the help of their native language. And their inability to do so leads to frustration. But while thinking in English (or translating your thoughts straight into English) is inevitable for a more advanced learner, people who haven’t learned enough vocabulary and grammar are simply not ready to start doing it.
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Seven steps that can help you to voice your thoughts in English
Below are seven steps you can take to eventually be able to voice your thoughts in English without translating from your native language.
1. Learn enough vocabulary
I often hear adults who learn English complain that they don’t thinking in English. But how can you translate everything you think about into English if you only know a few words? This is impossible. So at this stage focus on learning and acquiring more vocabulary. The difference between learning and acquisition is that learning is more conscious while acquiring a language is more subconscious. That is why people who live in an English speaking country acquire words and concepts more easily by being fully immersed in the language.
However, it is definitely possible to acquire the language if you are still in your country. The key is to always use new words in phrases and sentences. Don’t just try to memorize single words with no context because you will forget them faster and you might not fully understand how and in what situations to use them. Memorizing a whole phrase will make it easier for you to use it smoothly and without much thinking when the situation is appropriate. Not only will you sound more fluent, but you will not feel the need to translate to your native language. The phrase is already there, ready for you to use it.
2. Learn some basic grammar
When we think, we imagine concepts, not just single words. And to create a concept or a picture of something in our minds, we need to connect words in grammatical phrases and sentences. So in order to be able to think of something in English (or in any language), you’ll need to know some grammar. Knowing grammar will also help you think faster because your brain will start putting nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc. into separate groups, making it easier for you to mix and match depending on what you want to say. Don’t, however, be concerned about correctness too much because this will prevent you from communicating and might cause you to forget what you wanted to say.
3. Have sufficient amount of comprehensible input
According to the renowned linguist Stephen Krashen and his Input Hypothesis, learners improve when they receive second language input that is one step beyond their current level. He calls this “i + 1.” That is, if a learner’s current linguistic level is “i,” an acquisition will take place if this learner is exposed to comprehensible input one step further – “i + 1.” This means that the input shouldn’t be too difficult or too easy because otherwise the learner can be either lost or bored. So focus on listening to or watching something that will still challenge you, but is not way beyond your level. You can watch a TED talk on a topic that interests you, participate in a speaking club with other English learners, or watch a movie that is not too hard to understand. This way you will start acquiring the language in a natural way.
4. Talk to yourself
When I was a child in my native Bulgaria, I’d hear that only crazy people talk to themselves. I don’t know how this belief came to be, but it made me question my own sanity many times ?. However, I found talking to myself out loud in the language I was learning to be super beneficial. First, I wasn’t embarrassed because the only person who could hear me was me. This allowed me to let go and not hold back. I would say the same sentence several times with slightly different speed and intonation. Second, I tried to anticipate what a person might ask me and I had a phrase in different versions ready to go. I must say that I have surprised a few people with my quickly developed fluency. Of course, I never told them that I talk to myself ?.
My advice to you is to repeat out loud whatever new words and phrases you hear. Eventually you will start building your own sentences.
5. Incorporate the feeling into the phrase
Every language has its own intonation and it’s important to know how to use it in order to be correctly understood. Knowing vocabulary and grammar is important, but definitely not enough when it comes to sounding natural and appropriate. To acquire English intonation, listen to podcasts, watch TED talks, but above all, watch movies. Podcasts and speeches are great, but in movies you see more natural conversations between people in different situations. Then put yourself in the characters’ shoes and repeat, repeat, and repeat. Try to do it with the same tone of voice. Your body will start feeling it. Believe me, I’ve done it.
6. Read
Reading is great because you might notice phrases or grammatical structures you might overlook when listening and speaking. Read anything that interests you and pick phrases that can be relevant to you. Then use them in your conversations with others. The more you use them, the more natural you will feel when they come through your mouth.
7. Strive for communication, not perfection
Perfectionism will only create anxiety and prevent you from acquiring the language. According to Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis, learners’ anxiety and low self-esteem can cause a mental block and prevent them from successful acquisition of the language they are learning. Lowering the “affective filter” speeds up the learning and acquisition process. Create a friendly learning environment for yourself where you don’t feel that you will be punished for making mistakes. Speak with other fluent learners or native speakers who will have the patience to help you out and won’t judge or laugh at you. You will learn way more when you enjoy it.
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Would you say that you think in English? Do you ever feel stuck in English because you have to translate to and from your native language? What do you do to resolve it? Let me know in the comments or shoot me an email. Someone else might benefit from what you have to say. We are better when we share because we see that we are not alone.
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Thanks for this great knowledge.