How to Think in English and The Importance of Thinking in English

“Do you need to think about something?” Then start to think in English, and not in your native language!

Studies have revealed that thinking about anything in a foreign language allows you to execute your choices more reliably. Not only thinking in English can be an advantage in better decision making, but it can also help in learning the language faster. If you’re “articulating” English in your mind, it becomes simpler to speak it with your mouth.

When we speak, our speech might get slower. This happens because our mind is still translating from our native language, which can also sound synthetic. But this can change if we start thinking in English, which is a step closer to fluency. It is not very challenging, but it does take conscious practice and effort.

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Importance of English

English is one of the most influential languages on the planet, which has its impression on every phase of life. It is very easy to notice just how essential English is around the world. Many global businesses conduct conferences in English, and most universities teach courses in English and, also, travelers and tourists use English as a standard language around the world. Here are some pointers describing why English is Important.

  • It is believed that English is understood or spoken by 1 to 1.6 billion people. English is an authoritative business language, and it has become almost an obligation for people to speak English if they are to join a global workforce. Researchers from all across the globe reveal that cross-border business communication is mostly directed in English.
  • English has a protracted and fascinating history that traverses invasions, wars, and leadership from around the globe. Education that has helped develop modern English include Vikings, Romans and the French. For this reason, it’s a hybrid language composed of Germanic, Latin and Romance factors.
  • One of English’s greatest assets is its versatility: you can frequently find various ways to describe the same as it has a spectrum of vocabulary. It is assumed to have well above 750,000 words and is adding new ones every year.
  • Most of the contents created on the internet are in English, and therefore English is also known as the language of the internet. So knowing English will help you access a large amount of information which might not be available quickly.
  • English as a language is significantly malleable. Nonnative speakers account the varied ways of speaking the language. One main reason for this is the nondiscriminating nature of the language. One can use the language in their own manner. For example, Singapore has invented its own unique way of speaking English, called as ‘Singlish’, incorporating facets of mandarin and Malay.

The Importance of Thinking in English

In the beginning, we all transcribe a thought or a sentence in our native language and then translate it to English; this is because our mind needs to understand the words and then speak. But if we analyse the sentence in English first, then we don’t have to translate it, which later will help us become more fluent in English.

Thinking in our native language and then interpreting it in the English language pauses our conversation. If we begin to think in English, we will sound notably fluent and natural. Another considerable advantage of thinking in English is lots of practice in English. Thinking is nothing but speaking to yourself silently. To sum, if we can think in English alternately of our native language, we will not only get loads of additional practice but also reduce uncomfortable intervals while speaking.

When we start thinking in English, it helps us internalise the language. This means we will learn the language so well that we no longer need to think before we speak. Internalising English means we don’t require to retain the precepts and pronunciations every time we speak. Native English speakers don’t think why or what they speak is accurate because they’ve internalised the English language. One should not worry about saying things correctly or being understood by others. They can make mistakes in pronunciation and still learn and understand!

Additionally, thinking in English is a fantastic way to build your vocabulary with words. It’s essential to know many words, but it’s even more important to understand words that we apply in everyday conversations.

Steps to Think in English

  • Start with Single words: Commence by thinking in single words. One might not be capable of making essential decisions in English, but you can observe your surroundings in English by recalling the names of things that you notice or activities that you do. At the beginning, one might find it hard to retrieve in English, but if we continue to work on it, then over a span of time, it will progressively reduce, and one will be on track to think in English like we do in our native language.
  • Train your brain to think in English: The fundamental purpose of training our brain is practising to think in English because behind these exercises is the agility in thinking without worrying for accuracy. One needs to aim for completing these exercises.  In the beginning, one might take ponderously long pauses and even make mistakes. But the good part is no one notices as we will be speaking or thinking to ourselves. Practices can be like words or sentences one can think in a minute.
  • Be Creative: We always observe that there are infinite ways to express things. Even if you don’t understand a word, we can perceive our idea beyond by considering the words creatively and using different words. For instance, if we’re trying to describe to someone that “I lost my key”, but can’t retrieve the word “key,” we can rather say to them that “I can’t open my door because it’s locked or “I lost the thing that opens the door.” Both these sentences don’t apply the word “key,” but both are fair enough to be understood. This can be a great habit if we have an actual discussion and can’t revive a word. To sharpen these skills in creative speaking, one can try playing some fun games with friends or a speaking partner.
  • Start Narrating: Narration is the use of a verbal or written explanation to communicate a story to an audience. In novels, the narrator is the character without dialogue, who describes what is happening in the story. In the same way, we can pretend to be the narrator in our own life. We can narrate our own day to day experience in our own voice or impersonate someone else describing our life in English. This will benefit us in practising by using commonly used terms, as well as speaking in complete, correct sentences.

Conclusions

One can certainly stop thinking in their native language and think undeviatingly in English, but it’s easier said than done. We often fall back to thinking in our native language, and the change won’t be as agile as we would like. The given ideas are to show discipline in our practice over the long term, keeping in mind a few fundamentals that will benefit us to become efficient learners of the English Language and overcome frustrating times in our learning.

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