[Music] hello everyone and welcome back to the English learning podcast I'm Jason your host and with me today is my amazing co-host Julia hey Jason hey everyone we're so excited to have you here with us today if you're someone who struggles with thinking in English then this episode is just for you that's right have you ever found yourself translating every word word in your head before speaking it slows you down right exactly many English Learners face this problem they think in their native language first then try to translate into English and by the time they're
ready to speak the moment has passed but don't worry in today's episode we're going to show you how to train your brain to think directly in English just like a native speaker and trust me once you start thinking in English every becomes easier speaking listening even writing so if you've ever wondered how to stop translating and start thinking in English naturally stay with us because we've got some powerful techniques to share let's dive in all right Julia let's start with the big question why is thinking in English so important for Learners great question Jason the
truth is if you always think in your native language first and then translate you'll never be able to speak fluently exactly it creates a delay right your brain is working twice as hard first it forms a sentence in your native language then it tries to find the right English words and sometimes the translation doesn't even make sense oh absolutely like if someone translates I am cold word for word from another language they might say I have cold which sounds unnatural in English right and that's why thinking in English helps so much it trains your brain
to form sentences the way native speakers do without getting stuck on translation and let's talk about confidence when you start thinking in English you feel more confident because words come to you faster yes no more pausing for long seconds to translate in your head you'll respond naturally and smoothly another big reason it improves your listening skills if you think in English your brain processes English conversations faster so you understand people better that's so true and not just in conversations even when you're watching movies or listening to music you start recognizing words instantly instead of translating
everything and Julia let's not forget that thinking in English also helps with pronunciation good point because when you think in English you start hearing the Sounds in your head the way native speakers say them which helps with speaking clearly so just to summarize thinking in English helps you speak faster boosts your confidence improves your listening skills and even makes your pronunciation better and now you might be wondering okay I get why important but how do I actually train my brain to think in English don't worry we're going to break it down step by step but
before that let's talk about some common mistakes that stop people from thinking in English now that we understand why thinking in English is so important let's talk about something that holds people back common mistakes that stop Learners from training their brain to think in English yes many learners don't even realize they're making these mistakes but once you fix them you'll notice a big Improvement in your fluency all right mistake number one the biggest one relying too much on translation if you always translate in your head before speaking your brain never gets used to thinking in
English directly exactly it's like riding a bike with training wheels forever you need to trust your brain to form sentences naturally in instead of always looking for the right translation and Julia another common mistake focusing too much on grammar while thinking a lot of Learners try to make every sentence perfect in their mind before speaking but that actually slows them down oh yes grammar is important but if you keep stopping to check every little rule you'll never speak naturally native speakers don't think about grammar rules while talking right exactly they just speak and guess what
even native speakers make grammar mistakes sometimes that's so true okay mistake number three fear of making mistakes some people are so afraid of saying something wrong that they stop themselves from thinking or speaking in English at all right but making mistakes is how we learn the more you practice thinking in English the better you'll get don't be afraid to sound imperfect fluency comes with practice not Perfection absolutely and another mistake that blocks thinking in English not surrounding yourself with English if your daily life is full of your native language your brain will naturally default to
that language instead of English great point if you only use English in a classroom or for studying but not in daily life your brain won't switch to English naturally and that's that's why immersion is so important things like listening to English music watching English videos and reading in English exactly okay let's quickly recap the biggest mistakes that stop you from thinking in English are one relying too much on translation two overthinking grammar while forming sentences three fear of making mistakes four not surrounding yourself with enough English if you're making any of these mistakes don't worry
the good news is we're going to show you how to fix them yes up next we'll share some powerful stepbystep strategies to help you start thinking in English naturally all right Julia now it's time for the most important part how can Learners actually train their brain to think in English yes we're going to break it down into simple powerful steps that anyone can follow perfect let's start with step one name things around you in English oh I love this one it's such an easy Habit to build just look around you and say the names of
objects in English for example if you're in your room think bed window lamp phone exactly and to take it further you can describe what's happening like instead of just thinking cup you can think I am drinking coffee from my cup yes this helps your brain connect everyday life with English making it more natural over time all right step two talk to yourself in English it might feel strange at first but it's one of the best ways to start thinking in English yes you can do this anywhere when you're cooking getting dressed or walking outside just
describe what you're doing in simple English like I'm putting on my shoes it's a sunny day and the great thing is there's no pressure because you're just talking to yourself exactly and if you're worried about making mistakes don't be no one is listening it's just you training your brain to use English naturally great now step three use an English tool English dictionary oh this is a GameChanger many Learners still use dictionaries that translate words into their native language but switching to an English to English dictionary helps you think in English instead of translating right for
example if you don't know the word excited instead of translating it to your native language look it up in an English dictionary where it says feeling very happy and eager that way your brain connects words in English not another language exactly and it improves your vocabulary naturally all right next step four think in simple sentences first yes many Learners try to think in complex sentences too soon and that makes them feel stuck instead start with short simple thoughts like instead of thinking I should go to the store because I need to buy some vegetables for
dinner just start with I need vegetables yes once you get comfortable your sentences will naturally get longer over time all right let's move on to step five have an English inner voice oh I love this one instead of thinking in your native language try to have a little conversation in English in your head for example if you're planning your day think what should I do first maybe I'll start with breakfast yes this is like turning your thoughts into an English dialogue it's one of the fastest ways to start thinking in English without effort and you
can even ask yourself questions in English like how do I feel today or what should I wear that's a great habit and finally step six surround yourself with English yes the more you expose yourself to English the more natural it becomes listen to English podcasts watching English videos and read books or articles in English that's right the more English you hear the more your brain starts thinking in English automatically so let's quickly recap the six steps to train your brain to think in English one name things around you in English two talk to yourself in
English three use an English to English dictionary think in simple sentences first five have an English inner voice surround yourself with English these steps will help you stop translating and start thinking in English naturally yes and the best part you can start practicing these today up next we'll talk about daily exercises you can do to make thinking in English a permanent habit all right Julia we've talked about strategies to start thinking in English but now let's take it one step further how can Learners practice this every day and make it a habit yes because just
knowing the techniques isn't enough you need to practice consistently to train your brain to think in English naturally exactly so let's share some simple daily exercises that will help Learners develop this skill first start and end your day with English thoughts the moment you wake up try to describe your plans for the day in English yes instead of thinking in your native language say in your mind today is Monday I have a meeting at 10:00 a.m. I will have lunch with my friend and at night do the same review your day in English before sleeping
think what did I do today did I enjoy it this helps your brain switch to English mode at the beginning and end of the day the second daily practice set a no translation rule for at least 30 minutes a day oh I love this one for those 30 minutes challenge yourself to only think in English no translating aloud yes it might be difficult at first but even if you struggle just try the more you practice the easier it gets next try to talk to yourself in English out loud for a few minutes every day right
just like we mentioned earlier describe what you're doing you can say I'm making tea it smells so good I will drink it while reading a book The key is to make English part of your daily routine even if no one is around to listen another great way to practice use English while doing Simple activities like cooking driving or exercising yes instead of letting your mind wander focus on thinking in English if you're going for a walk you can think the weather is nice today the sky ey is blue I feel relaxed and finally keep a
simple English Journal write down your thoughts what happened during your day or even your goals in English this is a great way to track your progress and don't worry about grammar just focus on expressing yourself in English all right let's quickly summarize these daily exercises one start and end your day in English set a no translation rule for at least 30 minutes a day three talk to yourself aloud in English use English during simple activities keep an English Journal if you do these small exercises every day thinking in English will become automatic over time that's
right up next we'll talk about how to stay motivated and consistent in your English thinking practice all right Julia we've talked about how to practice thinking in English every day but let's be honest Learners will face challenges along the way absolutely it's normal to struggle but the key is to overcome these challenges instead of giving up so let's go over three common challenges and how to solve them one of the biggest struggles is that Learners naturally think in their native language first then they try to translate into English yes and that slows everything down the
solution be patient and practice small English thoughts first instead of full sentences start with just words or phrases right and using an englishto English dictionary instead of translating words can also help your brain stay in English mode another challenge is feeling stuck because you don't know the right words this can be frustrating it happens to everyone but instead of stopping try to describe the word with simple English for example if you forget the word refrigerator you can think a cold box where I keep food that's a great tip the goal is to keep thinking in
English even when you don't know every word now this one is tough many Learners feel like they're not making progress and they lose motivation yes but the truth is progress is slow and you might not notice it right away the best solution track your progress exactly keep a small Journal Record your voice or even talk to yourself in front of a mirror a few weeks later you'll see the difference the most important thing is to stay patient and keep going thinking in English is a skill and like any skill it takes time that's right don't
be afraid of mistakes just keep practicing and soon English thinking will feel natural wow Julia we've covered so many great strategies today thinking in English is a journey but with the right mindset and daily practice anyone can do it absolutely remember start small be consistent and don't be afraid of making mistakes the more you practice the easier it will become now to all our listeners what's one tip from from today's episode that you're going to try first let us know in the comments or share your experience with us and if you found this episode helpful
don't forget to like share and subscribe to our podcast for more English learning tips keep practicing keep thinking in English and we'll see you in the next episode until then Happy learning
