Hey my friends, welcome back to English Unleashed. I'm Tom and I'm really happy you're here again. In this podcast, I will speak slowly.
I will use simple words and I will repeat ideas so you can understand everything. My goal is to help you practice listening and speaking at the same time. Today's topic is something many English learners ask.
How can I think in English? How can I stop translating from my language? Maybe you have this problem too.
That's okay. Many people do. It's normal.
Our brain wants to use our first language. But here's the good news. Thinking in English is a skill.
You can learn it. You can practice it. And today I will show you how.
Let's talk about why this is important. Many learners feel slow when they speak English. Why?
Because they translate every sentence in their mind. This makes speaking slow and difficult. You may know many words.
You may know grammar. But if you translate every sentence, it's hard to speak fast. It's hard to speak fluently in real life.
People talk fast. They don't wait for you to translate. If you're always translating, you will be too slow.
Also, translation is not always correct. Some languages have different word order. For example, maybe in your language the adjective comes after the noun but in English it comes before.
So if you translate word by word the sentence might sound strange. Sometimes it is wrong. So the goal is this.
Think in English not in your language. When you do this, you will speak faster. You will sound more natural.
And today, I will teach you some practical tips so you can do it as well. Okay, let's talk about why we translate and why it's normal. When you start learning a new language, you use your first language.
That is okay. Your first language is like a bridge. It helps you walk into English.
But after some time, you want to remove the bridge. For example, you want to look at a chair and just think chair, not the word chair in your own language. Now, many learners tell me, "Tom, I know words.
I know grammar, but when I speak, I freeze. " And I tell them, "That's because your brain is still translating. " So, let's get practical.
Let's talk about how you can start thinking in English. Here are five simple ways to start and you can use them every single day. Tip number one, describe what you see.
This is very simple, look around you. Say what you see in your mind in English. For example, when you walk outside, say, "I'm walking to the shop.
" I see a tree. There is a red car. The weather is cold.
When you are in your kitchen, say, "I am making tea. I am opening the fridge. I am cooking rice.
You can do this anytime. You can do this when you are alone. No one will hear you.
If you don't know a word, that's okay. You can look it up. Write it down.
Next time your brain will remember. This is how you build your English brain, step by step. Tip number two, think about your plans.
Another way to think in English is to talk about your day in your mind. In the morning, you can think today I will study English. I will go to work at 9:00.
I will meet my friend in the evening. In the evening, you can think about your day. I went to the gym today.
I watched a movie. I cooked dinner. It was chicken and rice.
You don't need to write it. You don't need to say it out loud. Just think in English.
The more you do it, the easier it becomes. Tip number three, use visual thinking. This one is very powerful.
It helps your brain work in English without your first language. Here is what to do. When you see something, a chair, a table, a phone, don't think, "What's that in English?
" Oh, yes. Chair. No translation.
Just the English word. Do this with everything. Phone, spoon, book, pen, tree, bus, window, shoes, dog.
When you see the thing, think the English word. Do this every day. Soon it will be automatic.
Your brain will start using English first. Do shadowing. This is one of the best techniques.
It's my favorite. Listen to a native speaker from a podcast, video, or audio like this one. Repeat immediately after them.
Say what they say. try to copy the way they say it. The voice, the speed, the feeling, the rhythm, the stress, the pronunciation.
For example, if the speaker says, "I'm going to the store. " You repeat right away. No pause, no translation.
At first it's difficult. That's normal. But keep going.
You will train your brain to understand and speak English quickly. No thinking, no translation, just listening and speaking. Do this five to 10 minutes a day and that's enough.
Tip number five. This is very easy and very useful. When you are doing simple things, use English in your mind.
When you are walking, the sun is shining. The wind is cold. There is a dog.
It's barking. When you are cooking, I'm washing the rice. I'm adding salt.
The food smells good. When you are cleaning, I'm sweeping the floor. I'm folding the clothes.
These are all good moments to think in English. They are simple. You don't need hard words.
Just say what you are doing like a child learning to speak. That's how your brain will learn. Okay, my friend.
Let's put everything together. Now, here is your daily plan. It's easy.
Only four steps and you can do them every day. Every single day. Let's go through them one by one.
Step one, in the morning, think about your day. When you wake up, before you check your phone, take one minute. Think in English.
Say in your mind, today I will go to work. I have a meeting at 10:00. I want to study English for 30 minutes.
Just simple thoughts in English. You can do it while brushing your teeth or while drinking your tea or coffee. Step number two, during the day, describe what you see.
As you move through your day, look around. Say what you see. I see a man walking his dog.
She is talking on the phone. I'm typing an email. You don't need to speak out loud.
You don't need to speak fast. Just think in your head. If you don't know a word, that's okay.
Look it up later, then try again tomorrow. Step number three. Listen to English and do shadowing.
Use one of my podcasts. Listen to me. Then repeat what you hear immediately.
This is shadowing. Don't worry about being perfect. Just practice.
Even five minutes a day helps a lot. And finally, step number four. At night, review your day in English.
Before bed, relax, close your eyes, think about your day in English. I went to the supermarket. I made lunch.
I watched an English video. I called my sister. This is your quiet time.
No pressure, no stress, just simple English in your mind. Okay, that's it. Four steps easy to remember.
Do this every day and after one week you will feel better. After one month, your brain will start using English automatically. Your brain is used to your first language.
It wants to use it. At first, maybe only 10% of your thinking is in English. That's a great start.
If you keep going, if you practice a little every day, soon it will be 30%. Then 50%, then 70%. And one day you will notice something exciting.
You are thinking in English without trying. It happens slowly but it will happen. I promise.
Okay. So here is my final message. Thinking in English is a skill.
You can build it. Be patient and be kind to yourself. Make mistakes.
That's normal. And keep going. Thanks for being here.
This is English Unleashed and I'm Tom. Keep thinking in English. Keep practicing and keep believing in yourself.
Bye for now.
