Thinking and Speaking in a Language (Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies) Language Learning Forum

Thinking and Speaking in a Language
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Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies

14 messages over 2 pages: 1 2

BaronBill
Triglot
Senior Member
United States
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Joined 4652 days ago
335 posts - 594 votes

Speaks: English*, French, German
Studies: Spanish, Mandarin, Persian

Message 9 of 14

15 May 2012 at 12:19am | IP Logged

RMM wrote:

On BaronBill's point, I've got to say my experiences are radically different. I almost constantly have a stream of thoughts largely translated into words flowing through my brain. Although I do not say in my mind "a glass of water" when I see one, I will typically say in my thoughts, "I think I'll get some water now" or some other action or plan I intend to take. I also often think in words about my evaluation of things ("That's brilliant--I'll have to remember that!" "Oh, that's so stupid!" "I need to quit wasting my time with this," etc.). In this regard, I find it extremely easy to tell if I'm thinking in a foreign language or not. I suppose this would simply depend on the way your individual mind works. Of course, even if you do not normally put your thoughts into words, you could still try to do so precisely in order to practice your foreign languages. As something you can do at just about any time of the day regardless of where you are at or what you are doing, thinking in a language is a terribly practical way to practice it.

This could certainly just be a matter of recognition. I rarely feel that I give myself instructions or have thoughts about something as if I were saying words to myself in my head. It's possible I could just not be very good at listening to what is going on up there. I have been trying (and will continue to do so)to really focus on what words are going through my thoughts with regards to language and hopefully it is something I will be able to have a better feel for someday.

RMM wrote:

Hmm, well I can kind of relate. I know that recently I have sometimes had trouble
remembering if a conversation I had was in English or French. In terms of the thinking
I was talking about, I think my thoughts are very intentional and direct at this stage,
thus I know explicitly what I am thinking. This is because I am just trying to get
myself more and more familiar with the language. Am I right in assuming that when
you're fluent, thoughts come naturally in the manner you described? My feelings would
be that if you're more fluent, your greater knowledge of the language makes vague
concepts easier to deal with (i.e. you know lots of meanings for one thing). You don't
really "think" about thinking.

I would imagine that relative fluency would greatly impact the "natural" aspect of thinking in a language. There really isn't anything I can say in English that I can't say in French, but German takes a bit more effort to get the inner monologue going.

When I make a conscious effort to "think in a language" besides English, I basically just try to have mini conversations in my head. If I see something, I try to think of the word for it in that language, when I want to take some sort of action I tell myself to do it in that language, when i think something is funny I say "that's funny" in that language. However, to me the above exercise is not what goes through my head in English or French, so it doesn't feel like I'm really thinking in that language.

I hope this makes sense.
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PillowRock
Groupie
United States
Joined 4697 days ago
87 posts - 151 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish

Message 10 of 14

15 May 2012 at 7:10am | IP Logged

Arekkusu wrote:

All I would say is that if you're going to just think in the language rather than talk, make sure you still formulate complete sentences and finish difficult utterances because it's too easy to just get parts of unfinished sentences and move on.

The other thing is that thinking L2 without saying the words is that it removes the literal physical practice of using your tongue, lips, etc. to form those sounds into those words in that rhythm.
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Swift
Senior Member
Ireland
Joined 4571 days ago
137 posts - 191 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: French, Russian

Message 11 of 14

15 May 2012 at 3:30pm | IP Logged

PillowRock wrote:

Arekkusu wrote:

All I would say is that if you're going to just
think in the language rather than talk, make sure you still formulate complete sentences
and finish difficult utterances because it's too easy to just get parts of unfinished
sentences and move on.

The other thing is that thinking L2 without saying the words is that it removes the
literal physical practice of using your tongue, lips, etc. to form those sounds into
those words in that rhythm.

I see your point, I think someone else suggested something similar (can't remember very
well). But with my learning I speak to others in French every day and also talk to
myself, so I'm not really worried about losing much physical practice.
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Michel1020
Tetraglot
Senior Member
Belgium
Joined 4980 days ago
365 posts - 559 votes

Speaks: French*, English, Spanish, Dutch

Message 12 of 14

17 May 2012 at 4:36pm | IP Logged

I think many people never think even in their native language.

When we talk about thinking in L2 in language learning we refer to understand without translation - understand un chien is un chien without refering to a dog.

By the way I think that thinking "I have to think" is not the best way to think - well it is already a first step - a very first one.
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Zireael
Triglot
Senior Member
Poland
Joined 4614 days ago
518 posts - 636 votes

Speaks: Polish*, English^B2, Spanish
Studies: German, Sign Language, Tok Pisin, Arabic (Yemeni), Old English

Message 13 of 14

17 May 2012 at 5:24pm | IP Logged

LOL at the last post.

Personally, I have a stream of words in my head almost constantly. Whether it's 'I need to use the loo' or 'I have a free period from 1 to 3' or whether it's sentences from a story that I'm going to write and which doesn't want to leave me alone 'Evan went to Harry...'.

I can think in three languages - Polish (everyday stuff), English (stuck at uni, having classes in it all the time) and Spanish (I was on a bus, late to my Spanish class and I think 'me necesito pido mi lectora "lo siento, el trafico es horrible!"'). Same thing with Spanish happens when I'm talking to my Spanish friend...
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s_allard
Triglot
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 5393 days ago
2704 posts - 5425 votes

Speaks: French*, English, Spanish
Studies: Polish

Message 14 of 14

17 May 2012 at 8:39pm | IP Logged

I would like to question a bit this idea of "thinking in French." What exactly does this mean? I would suggest that most of the time this is more speaking in one's head. And I'm not sure that we even think in a specific language.

What is true is that we spontaneously translate or format thoughts into our native language, but I don't necessarily believe that this is the same as thinking in the language.

I suggest that we think in some sort of symbolic metalanguage and then formulate into whatever language we use or want to use.

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