Thinking in English Part 1.
Duration: 50 minutes.
Lots of times my students ask me the following question, how do I stop translating and start thinking in English?
In today’s lesson, we’ll explore how to stop translating and start thinking directly in English. We’ll learn three practical tips that you can use every day. By the end of this lession, you’ll know simple steps, to make English a natural part of your thoughts.
Lesson Overview and Learning Goals.
Today we begin a two‑part lesson on how to think in English.
- Understand why translating slows you down
- Learn simple daily habits to surround yourself with English
- Practice using only words you already know
- Build confidence by thinking in single words, then short phrases
Why We Translate, and How to Stop
Many learners ask: “How can I stop translating and start thinking in English?” In this lesson, you’ll discover easy tips that really work. Use them every day to make English your natural thought language.
Tip #1: Create “English Time”.
Surround yourself with English, even at home. You don’t need to move to another country.
- Start small. Spend 5–10 minutes a day, then build up to 20 or 30 minutes.
- Make it fun. This isn’t “study time.” Choose things you enjoy:
- Podcasts or Internet radio
- Songs in English
- Spotify
- Blogs, magazines, or short stories
- TV series or films with English subtitles
During English Time, try one of three simple actions:
- Passive listening: Just listen and relax.
- Repeat words you like.
- Repeat short phrases you hear.
Why this works:
- Passive listening lowers stress and helps your brain absorb new sounds more deeply.
- Repeating words and phrases turns them into “active” vocabulary you can actually use.
Tip #2: Speak Only with Words You Know.
When you speak, choose from your existing vocabulary—no dictionary or translation apps.
- Focus on fluency. Using only words you know forces you to think in English, not translate from your native language.
- Paraphrase: If you need a word you don’t know, describe the idea in another way.
- Let it go: Sometimes it’s better to drop an idea and move on than to break your flow hunting for a new word.
This simple rule helps you build confidence and speak more smoothly.
Tip #3: Think in Single Words and Grow.
Thinking in full English sentences all day can feel too hard at first. Instead:
- Start with single words.
- Build up to two‑ or three‑word chunks, and gradually form short phrases.
Practice anywhere:
- Waiting in line
- In your car or a Taxi
- Standing in the office
Example activity: Look around you and name one thing at a time:
- “Tomato”
- “Laptop”
- “Green shirt”
After a few days, move on to two‑word phrases:
- “Red tomato”
- “Woman with laptop”
Then try a short phrase:
“A woman holding a laptop.”
By doing this for just one minute each day, you train your brain to think in English.
Next Steps
You’ve learned three simple, build‑up strategies:
- Spend daily English Time.
- Speak using only words you know.
- Think in single words, then grow to phrases.
This is a great and simple activity.
You can do this anywhere.
You can just do it for a few minutes. When you’re waiting in line queuing in the bank or commuting on a train, in the supermarket or you can use a picture, but it’s probably better to just to look around you and describe the things you see. Let’s pretend you’re in the office.
You can see:
- A laptop, a man, a woman, a woman in a chair, a computer, the colour yellow and a man wearing a green shirt.
The secret is to do this every day this needs to be a daily habit. Even just for a minute.
But to do it every day and start small and build up. So, in my previous example we started with individual words, but then you can move up, to colocations of two words or three words, chunks or phrases.
When we look at the photo of the office you might say:
A Woman working at her desk or A man in a green shirt.
Thinking, not saying, but you’re thinking in English and then you can build up and you can start making phrases. How about this as a phrase, there are two women talking holding a laptop. Have a go, start small and build up with this daily habit to start thinking in English.
In Thinking in English – Part 2.
We’ll explore more tips to boost your fluency and confidence.
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