How To Start Thinking In English? | 🎧 Podcast and Chill | Beginner

Summary

In this episode of 'Podcast and Chill on the Learn English Podcast', hosts Leo and Gwen discuss the common challenge of thinking in English. They explore reasons behind this difficulty, such as habitual thinking in one's native language, limited vocabulary, and lack of confidence. The podcast offers practical tips like describing daily tasks and surroundings in English, building vocabulary through spaced repetition, and using language learning apps. They emphasize the importance of immersion, confidence, and patience, encouraging listeners to practice regularly and celebrate small achievements on their language learning journey.

Takeaways

• 😀 It's common to struggle with thinking in English, even for experienced learners.
• 🧠 Our brains are naturally accustomed to thinking in our native language.
• 🗣️ A limited vocabulary can hinder expressing thoughts fully in English.
• 💪 Building confidence is crucial to overcome the fear of making mistakes.
• 🌱 Start small by describing your day or surroundings in English to train your brain.
• 📚 Expanding vocabulary is key to thinking more fluently in English.
• 🔁 Regularly revisiting flashcards can enhance word retention.
• 📈 Using new words daily helps integrate them into your thought process.
• 🌐 Immersion in English through listening, reading, and speaking accelerates learning.
• 🗣️ Engaging in conversations, even with apps or clubs, boosts confidence and practical thinking in English.
• 🌳 Be patient with your progress; language learning is a gradual process, not an overnight success.
• 🏆 Celebrate small achievements to stay motivated and recognize your language journey.
• 🚫 Avoid focusing on perfection; the goal is effective communication, not flawless grammar.

Q & A

What is the main challenge discussed in the podcast episode?

The main challenge discussed is the difficulty of thinking in English, especially for those whose native language is not English.

Why do people often find it hard to think in English?

People find it hard to think in English because their brains are accustomed to thinking in their native language, they might not have a large enough vocabulary to express all their thoughts, and sometimes a lack of confidence can hold them back.

What is the first tip given in the podcast to help overcome the challenge of thinking in English?

Start small by describing your day in English, listing your daily tasks, or narrating your actions.

How does building vocabulary help in thinking in English?

Building vocabulary allows you to express more thoughts in English, making it easier to think in the language as you have more words at your disposal.

What is the spaced repetition technique mentioned in the podcast?

Spaced repetition is a learning technique where you review study materials at increasing intervals over time, which helps to improve memory retention.

How does confidence play a role in thinking in English?

Confidence helps with thinking in English because when you feel good about your English skills, you're more likely to use it in your thoughts, making it easier to think in English over time.

What is the difference between learning grammar and thinking in English naturally?

Learning grammar is like understanding the instructions for building sentences, while thinking in English naturally is about using those instructions to have conversations and express thoughts.

What is the immersion method recommended for beginners in English?

Immersion involves surrounding yourself with English as much as possible by listening, reading, and speaking in the language, especially through enjoyable activities.

How can using apps like HelloTalk or Tandem help in learning English?

Apps like HelloTalk or Tandem allow you to chat with native English speakers, which is a practical way to practice and gain confidence in thinking and speaking in English.

Why is it important to be patient when learning a new language?

Learning a language takes time, and being patient allows for gradual progress. It's important to celebrate small wins and understand that some days will be more challenging than others.

What is the advice given for those who find it hard to think in English immediately?

The advice is to keep practicing, celebrate your wins, and understand that thinking in English will come with time and consistent effort.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Overcoming the Challenge of Thinking in English

This segment of the podcast, hosted by Leo and Gwen, addresses the common struggle of thinking in English as a second language. They discuss the reasons behind this difficulty, such as the brain's natural inclination to think in the native language, limited vocabulary, and lack of confidence due to fear of making mistakes. The hosts offer practical advice to help listeners start thinking in English more naturally. This includes starting with simple tasks like describing one's day or surroundings in English, narrating actions, and gradually building vocabulary through spaced repetition and active use of new words. They also emphasize the importance of patience and persistence, reminding listeners that language learning is a journey that requires time and practice.

05:02

😄 Enhancing English Proficiency Through Immersion and Practice

In the second paragraph, the podcast continues with strategies to enhance English proficiency. The concept of 'immersion' is introduced as a method to surround oneself with the English language through listening, reading, and speaking. The hosts suggest engaging with enjoyable content in English, such as stories, music, and movies with subtitles, to aid in language acquisition. They also highlight the benefits of using language exchange apps and participating in English clubs or online groups to practice conversational skills. The importance of continuous practice, even in small doses, is underscored, as it helps in forming thoughts in English. The hosts encourage listeners to be patient with their progress, celebrate small achievements, and maintain a positive attitude towards learning. They also touch upon the idea that translating internally from one's native language to English can slow down communication, but with practice, this becomes less necessary. The segment concludes with a reminder to focus on conveying messages effectively rather than striving for perfection, and to keep practicing with confidence.

Keywords

💡Thinking in English

This concept refers to the ability to mentally process and form thoughts directly in English rather than translating from one's native language. It is a key theme in the video, which discusses how learners often struggle with this and provides strategies to help transition to thinking in English naturally, such as practicing small phrases or describing everyday actions in English.

💡Confidence

Confidence is the feeling of self-assurance and trust in one's abilities, particularly when speaking or thinking in English. The video emphasizes that a lack of confidence can hinder progress in language learning, and suggests building confidence by celebrating small victories, like understanding a sentence or asking for something in English.

💡Immersion

Immersion is a learning method where a person surrounds themselves with the target language as much as possible to accelerate learning. The video recommends immersion techniques such as reading books, listening to music, and watching movies in English to help learners get used to thinking and understanding English without translation.

💡Vocabulary

Vocabulary refers to the collection of words a person knows and uses. The video highlights the importance of expanding vocabulary to facilitate thinking in English, suggesting methods like using flashcards, writing words in sentences, and gradually increasing the number of words used daily.

💡Narrate

To narrate means to describe or tell a story. The video suggests that learners can improve their ability to think in English by narrating their daily activities, such as saying, 'I am putting on my shoes,' which helps train the brain to use English more frequently.

💡Overcome

Overcome means to successfully deal with or defeat a challenge. The video uses this term in the context of overcoming the difficulties associated with thinking in English, such as the habit of thinking in one's native language and the fear of making mistakes.

💡Native Speaker

A native speaker is someone who has spoken a particular language from early childhood. The video suggests interacting with native speakers through language exchange apps or clubs to practice thinking in English and learning naturally from real conversations.

💡Subtitles

Subtitles are the text displayed at the bottom of a screen that translates or transcribes what is being said in a video. The video advises using English subtitles while watching familiar movies to connect the spoken words with their meanings and reinforce thinking in English.

💡Grammar

Grammar consists of the rules that govern how sentences are constructed in a language. The video contrasts learning grammar rules with thinking in English, stating that one can communicate effectively without perfect grammar by focusing on conveying the message rather than perfection.

💡Achievement

Achievement is something accomplished, often through effort and perseverance. The video encourages learners to recognize their achievements, no matter how small, as a way to build confidence and motivation, reinforcing the habit of thinking in English.

Highlights

Overcoming the challenge of not thinking in English is the focus of this episode.

The brain's habit of thinking in the native language can be a barrier to thinking in English.

A limited vocabulary can hinder expressing thoughts in English.

Lack of confidence can prevent learners from thinking in English due to fear of mistakes.

Describing daily tasks in English is a simple way to start thinking in the language.

Narrating actions in English can help train the brain to think in the language.

Building vocabulary is crucial for easier thought expression in English.

Learning new words through spaced repetition can improve memory retention.

Using new words daily can gradually make thinking in English more natural.

Confidence aids in thinking in English as it encourages more language use.

Grammar rules are different from naturally thinking in English; the former is like instructions for the latter.

Immersion in English through listening, reading, and speaking helps in language acquisition.

Using apps like HelloTalk or Tandem can facilitate English thinking by interacting with native speakers.

English clubs and online groups provide a friendly space to practice and think in English.

Patience is key in language learning, as it takes time to see significant progress.

Celebrating small wins in language learning can boost motivation and confidence.

Translating internally from the native language to English can slow down communication.

Focusing on getting the message across rather than perfection is beneficial for language learning.

The episode concludes with encouragement to keep practicing and celebrating wins in English learning.

Transcripts

[Music]

welcome to another episode of podcast

and chill on the learn English podcast

Channel I'm Leo your host and joining me

is my wonderful co-host Gwen hello

everyone it's great to have you back

how's everyone's English Journey going

this week mine's all right but sometimes

I just can't seem to think in English

don't worry you're not

alone that feeling is super common even

for people who've been learning English

for a long time right it's like your

brain gets stuck in another language and

English words just won't come out

exactly but guess what today's episode

is all about overcoming that problem

we'll talk about why it happens and

share some great tips to help you start

thinking in English more naturally let

let's get

started so let's talk about this

problem why is thinking in English so

hard well first it's a habit our brains

are used to thinking in the language we

grew up with it's just natural plus when

you're learning a new language your

vocabulary might not be big enough to

express all your thoughts absolutely and

finally sometimes a lack of confidence

can hold us back

we worry about making mistakes so we

might not want to think in English at

all but remember everyone makes mistakes

while learning so what can we do don't

worry there are ways to train your brain

let's start small try describing your

day in English start simple try listing

your daily tasks in English like wake up

eat breakfast or go to work what are you

doing right now I'm sitting at a desk

talking into a microphone you can also

describe things around you look at your

desk and say there's a pen a notebook

and a lamp even talking to yourself in

English helps narrate your actions by

saying I'm putting on my shoes or I'm

opening the door the more you practice

the more natural it will feel the other

key is building your

vocabulary the more words you know the

easier it will be to think in English

there are lots of ways to learn new

words words flashcards apps or even

writing them down and using them in

sentences this means you look at the

cards again and again but not too often

you look at them a little bit apart this

helps you remember the words better you

can find lots of information about this

on the Internet it's really helpful it's

important to start slowly and build up

your word list try to use new words

every day if you do this you will start

to think in English more and more it

will feel

natural let's look at some words related

to today's topic

overcome meaning winning against a

challenge example she overcame her

shyness and started talking to new

people in her class Express meaning show

or tell someone how you feel or what you

think example he expressed his happiness

at learning a new word confidence

meaning feeling sure of yourself and

your abilities example speaking English

in public gave her more confidence

narrate meaning telling a story or

describing things around you example the

grandpa narrated exciting stories about

his adventures benefit meaning an

advantage or a good result example

learning English has many benefits like

making new friends and traveling the

world

does confidence help with thinking in

English yes confidence helps when you

feel good about your English you're more

likely to use it in your head this makes

it easier to think in English over time

is learning grammar different from

thinking in English

naturally yes grammar rules are like

instructions for building sentences

thinking in English is like using those

instructions to have a conversation you

can speak English without knowing all

the

rules do you have any tips for beginners

in English Gwen of course there is a

method I really recommend for those who

find it hard to think in English it's

called immersion it means surrounding

yourself with English all the time to

learn it better this means you try to

listen read and speak in that language

as much as possible start with things

you enjoy read a simple story in English

maybe with pictures or listen to music

you love with English lyrics singing

along is a fun way to

practice movies are great too watch a

familiar movie with English subtitles to

connect the words with what's happening

the more you listen read and watch in

English the more your brain gets used to

the

language okay so you are surrounded by

English but how do you start thinking in

English this is where talking helps

there are awesome apps like hello talk

or tandem where you can chat with native

English speakers it's like making a

friend who can help you practice don't

forget about English clubs or online

groups talking with real people in a

friendly space is a great way to gain

confidence and start thinking in English

on the spot remember the key is to keep

practicing even short conversations help

your brain get used to forming thoughts

in English learning a language takes

time like growing a strong beautiful

tree you wouldn't expect a tiny seed to

become a giant tree overnight would you

exactly so be patient with yourself be

proud of yourself for the small winds

did you understand a whole sentence

today that's a big deal did you ask for

a coffee in English great job even tiny

steps forward are really important write

down your journey

this can help you see how far you've

come looking back at your achievements

even the small ones is a great way to

see how far you've come it shows that

your hard work is paying off reward

yourself for doing well even if it's

just a tiny bit this will help you want

to keep learning English and make it

fun learning something new is hard it's

okay to make mistakes everyone does

imagine a baby learning to talk they

don't understand everything right away

you're like that baby but with bigger

words learning a language takes time

some days will be easier than others

that's normal just keep practicing and

you'll see Improvement believe in

yourself with hard work you'll reach

your

goals let's look at some words related

to today's topic subtitle meaning lines

or sentences at the bottom of a screen

that show what the characters are saying

example he watched the movie with

English subtitles to understand the

whole

conversation native meaning someone or

something that is from a particular

place example he is a native English

speaker because he grew up speaking

English at home achievement meaning

something good that you have done which

could be a success

example learning a new language is a

great achievement patient meaning being

able to wait calmly without getting

upset example the teacher was patient

with her students as they learned math

reward meaning something nice you give

yourself or someone else for doing

something good example after finishing

his homework he rewarded himself with a

game does translating everything in your

head from your native language to

English slow you down why it's like

having two conversations one in your

head and one in English the more you

practice English the less translating

you'll need to do and speaking will feel

faster should we focus on Perfection

when it comes to thinking in English not

at all everyone makes mistakes when

learning a new language focus on getting

your message across even if it's not

perfect the more you speak the better

you'll

become so listeners don't be upset if

you can't think in English right away

keep practicing celebrate your wins and

soon you will be thinking in English

with confidence thank you all for being

a part of this podcast's episode don't

forget to check the free pdf in the

description for more useful

vocabulary goodbye and we'll see you in

the next episode

[Music]