How do you learn how to think in another language?
I have been trying to learn Spanish for a long time and I just can't seem to stop translating the words from English into Spanish in my head. Does any one have any secrets about how to think in another language? Thanks
17 Answers
It is not something that you "learn", but rather it is something that just happens. Slowly at first with a word here or there \, then random phrases and soon without realizing it you are no longer thinking in English and translating to Spanish you are thinking in Spanish. When you need a word your mind looks for the Spanish word not the English one. I think the best way to speed this process along is with constant immersion. Stop watching TV in English, stop listening to music in English, stop reading books in English. Do all of these things in Spanish ALL THE TIME. Seek out Skype chats with other students and eventually with native speakers. But remember it takes a lot of time for some of us, for others it is faster. Be patient.
It is finally starting to happen to me, but I don't know how to explain it. I really can't say that I think in Spanish, but when I read in Spanish I do not constantly translate the words anymore. When I see "también" I think "también and its meaning.
I usually try and associate the Spanish word with what it means.
Also, try and translate any random Spanish whenever you hear it. It helps you remember words at your own pace without the stress involved in trying to have an actual conversation.
Another tip, is in your everyday life take the few Spanish words you do know and start using them in your everyday conversations. Like "Yo quierro ir" and "Buenos dias" Start swapping out English words for Spanish words. And pretty soon when you think "food" you'll Think "Comida" when you think "Water" you'll think "Agua" Etc.
Thinking in another language is possible when you have a really good level of that target language. If you've seen enough of the translation process (while reading and writing, you learn a lot, for example seeing that "I'm 27" is "Tengo 27 años" in Spanish) you start making less mistakes and there comes a faster translation which results in "thinking" in that language! Good luck! 
Hey there OP I'll list some tips for you that helped me to start thinking in Spanish:
Of course the best and fastest way to learn a language is interaction with native speakers. If you're not planning on moving to or visiting a Spanish-speaking country (before learning the language), you can visit websites that bring you into contact with native speakers. The SpanishDict community is a good place to start, as it has native users learning English: you can help each other!
Introduce Spanish wherever possible into your day-to-day life & its routines: Set your phone, facebook (subscribe for newspapers such as el pais & el mundo to place relevant news articles on your newsfeed; you don't even have to read them; just seeing them inbetween activates your Spanish and will help you switch more easily between languages later) agenda etc. in Spanish; when you go through your morning routine, see if you know the words to describe each thing you do, when you're in the train or bus: look around and try to describe what you see racing by or sitting nearby, invent conversations in your head or put some Spanish music on your phone to listen to.
Try to link Spanish words and sentences to things other than English, such as images, or each other! (synonims, antonyms etc)
Force yourself to think in Spanish by not giving yourself the time to translate. When answering questions on SpanishDict, Fluencia, Teach2000 or another language learning program, if possible set time limits and if not just vow to do it as quickly as possible. (Don't do this all the time or you'll stress yourself out way too much and Spanish will become something unpleasant!)
Be patient. It'll take a while for your mind to adapt to the new language, but once it has, you'll be able to switch freely between them and you'll talk much more naturally and easily.
Watch and listen to Spanish music, videos and films with Spanish subtitles a.s.a.p., not with English ones!
Try a Spanish comic book: the visual context will help you understand so that you won't have to look as many words up and you'll learn them without even seeing the translation.
Good luck OP!
Besides full immesion I could only advise you to be patient, watch Spanish_speaking films subtitled in Spanish, read whatever you're able to read and if you don't understand something, go look for it right away, then use it, like in exercises, so you don't forget what it is, Speak to a native or an advanced level speake everytime you can, and keep practicing, cause if you don't use it you lose it!
I think the mode of training used by SpanishDict.com is especially useful in learning to think in a language. Associate the vocabulary of the target language with real world things and concepts. I also find that learning the grammar and unique expressions of a language to be essential. This especially includes distinguishing between words such as para and por, estar and ser, or expressions such as those which use such verbs as hacer and tener, and learning the moods and tenses. Also, it is necessary to read literature written in the target language. Translate the literature, using the word order of the target language. This gives you a unique feeling of the culture and mood of the people who speak the language and facilitates faster translation and, ultimately, the dropping of translating. This acceptance of word order also improves your knowledge of the grammar of the target language. Also, I like to use literal translation rather than attempting to translate into proper usage of the learner's native language. You will note and accept, for instance, that other words express, say, a state of being other than the ones you might anticipate to do so. Fluency arrives when you think in the target language, so you need to think like a person who speaks the target language. The approach set forth above much facilitated my learning. In saying these things, I recall how I gained fluency in French. I am employing these same techniques in becoming fluent in Spanish. I have reached an advanced stage, and now, I find reading Spanish literature to be essential.
Is anybody interested in the scientific explanation of how that is? --how in the language area of the brain a new bunch of neurons begin to fire up in a heretofore unused part of the language area of the brain, as you attempt a new language, and how neural pathways are formed between the old language area and the new,until there is a great consolidation of neurons in the two formerly distinct parts of the language area of the brain, until you finally have one large consolidation instead of two? Hmmmmmm! I thought not! I found it extremely interesting,though.
Hello victo:
gringojrf
It is not something that you "learn", but rather it is something that just happens. Slowly at first with a word here or there \, then random phrases and soon without realizing it you are no longer thinking in English and translating to Spanish you are thinking in Spanish. When you need a word your mind looks for the Spanish word not the English one. I think the best way to speed this process along is with constant immersion. Stop watching TV in English, stop listening to music in English, stop reading books in English. Do all of these things in Spanish ALL THE TIME. Seek out Skype chats with other students and eventually with native speakers. But remember it takes a lot of time for some of us, for others it is faster. Be patient.
Part of what gringo states is true, especially that it isn't something you learn. Instead it happens naturally as you understand more and more the foreign language.
With that in mind, do not worry if you start translating, on the contrary, do it from the foreign language to your native language, that way you are going to understand faster the foreign language.
Thank you all for your answers. They were very helpful.
I translate stuff in my head sometimes. I also watch (dubbed) documentaries a lot and transcribe what they're saying in a Word document, word by word, so it's time consuming but worth it. It increases my comprehension as it strengthens my ability to understand the language.
I did the same thing with English before I considered my self to be fluent.
You'll know its starting when you can't remember the English word for something but the Spanish word is right there on the tip of your tongue. And when you look at a Spanish word and cannot translate it back to English effortlessly.
In my opinion,the best way you can think in other language,must be if you LIVE in anything country who speak these languge.For example,i start to learn english because i LOVE MAD magazine and his gags, but much of the spoofs i can't undertand 'cause i not live in USA. My advice is what if you wanna learn to speak in spanish begins to listen music,read magazine or engage in conversation with people who know spek spanish
Saludos desde México, amigo
I look around and I ask myself what is going on, and then I try to say that in Spanish. I brush my teeth - cepillo dientes, I read a book - Leo un libro. I started with present tense. I made sure that I learn the most frequent words and verbs. I am doing this on daily basis. I translate everything I can and if I don't know something I check with the translator program. BUT FIRST I TRY TO TRANSLATE IT EVEN IF IT TURNS OUT TO BE WRONG. when you master present tense you can go further to learn past tense. be aware of something: if you learn a single sentence in Spanish and you repeat it this means you already think in Spanish even if this is in a limited way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just make sure that to that knowledge you add on daily basis knew knowledge. In time you will achieve what you want - everything depends on your motivation and commitment.
Miro y me pregunto qué está pasando y intento decir en español.cepillo dientes - cepillo dientes, leer un libro - leo un libro. Comencé con el presente. Me aseguré de que aprendí las palabras y los verbos más frecuentes. Estoy haciendo esto cada dia. Traducir todo lo que puedó y si no sé algo que compruebe con el programa de traductor.cuando usted domina el presente usted puede ir adelante para aprender el pasado. está consciente de algo: ¡si usted aprende que una oración sola en español y lo repite esto significa que usted ya piensa en español aun si esto es de un modo limitado!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sólo(justo) asegúrese que a aquel conocimiento usted añade la base diaria sabía(conocía) el conocimiento. A tiempo usted conseguirá lo que usted quiere - todo depende de su motivación y compromiso.
I believe it takes training your brain. I wasn't going to give an answer to this question, but I just found an example that I wanted to share. This will happen with words that are very common at first, such as maybe el, la, los, las, y, es, en and more of the little words. Por ejemplo, I was on this website reading about relative pronouns. I read this sentence that said, 'The book is very long' except it said 'El libro es muy extenso'. I was actually going through the two or three sentences it had and translating it from Spanish to English for grammar and vocabulary purposes, but after I had read 'The book is very long', I noticed I didn't say 'The book is very long' but instead 'The book is muy long'. Haha It of course sounds so funny when you read it, but after so long of using this word para descibirme y las otras cosas, it has stuck in my mind that muy means muy. I'm sad to say, as it bums me out too, that it will take years for you to think of bigger more advanced words in Spanish as that word in Spanish. Just think... (I do all the time for a little inspiration) When does a child start to speak in full English sentences? Some are slower/faster than others, but let's say at 4 they can now speak to you pretty clearly, and this is with full as it can get immersion. Also take into consideration that your brain is mucho más developed so that can cut down some time. Let's say 3 years you are now advanced in a language (for most, not all), and now maybe you are able to think in full, complete sentences in Spanish. But it is so different from one person to the next that answering barely helps. One last thing before tengo que irme.... It has helped me to think of words as they are in Spanish by talking to yourself in Spanish, and if not completely in Spanish replacing the words you do know with the English, like LaPiedraAlegre said. It really does help a bunch!!!!
