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If you are a skincare obsessive and you spend 20 plus minutes on your skincare routine, this podcast is for you.
Or if you're a newbie at the beginning of your skincare journey, you'll love this podcast as well, because we go so much deeper than beauty.
I talk to incredible and inspiring people from across industries about their relationship with beauty.
You'll also hear from skincare experts.
We break down lots of myths in the beauty industry.
If this sounds like your thing, search for Naked Beauty on your podcast app and listen along.
I hope you'll join us.
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Hi, friends.
Welcome back to Podcast and Chill.
This is Gwen. and I'm Leo.
How are you doing, everyone?
And how is your English learning going?
Speaking of learning English, do you often translate in your head before speaking?
I bet you do, just like many other English learners.
However, it's not something you should do.
Why?
Because this habit slows you down and makes you think harder, without making your conversation better.
But don't worry, because today, Leo and I are going to show you how to think in English.
This skill can make big differences.
Definitely.
If you do it right, your English will get better real fast.
That sounds awesome.
But before we talk about how, let's understand why.
Why is it important to think in English?
I think we should answer this first.
Why shouldn't we translate before we speak?
Oh, yeah.
What do you think?
There are many reasons.
First, it wastes time.
Right?
Think about it.
When you speak in your own language first, then translate into English, that's two steps.
You might think...
Well, two steps don't sound so bad.
And it's true if you only say a few words or short sentences.
But what if you need to say something longer?
Or if you're talking with someone, will they wait for you?
Plus, translation is not always easy.
It can lead to mistakes.
That's true.
Take French, for example.
If you translate I'm cold word by word, it becomes I have cold.
That would be really confusing for the person listening, right?
And if you can't find the right word or grammar, you get stuck.
The talk becomes awkward and you, well, waste more time.
So, friends, remember to avoid translating because what's worse than a bad translation?
It's a bad translation that also wastes a lot of time.
Now that translating is out of the picture, you have no choice but to think in English.
And trust me, that's a good thing because it gives you many benefits.
First, it makes you more confident.
You may think, wait a second, what does thinking in English have anything to do with confidence?
But hear us out.
Without translation, your two steps become one step.
This obviously saves time.
But it also saves energy because your brain can only do so much at one time.
Now you have more energy for speaking.
And the more energy you give to one task, the better you do it.
This means your English will sound clearer and smoother.
And when you speak better, how do you feel?
Nervous?
No, of course not.
You feel confident.
Another great thing is that it also helps your listening.
So true!
Listening and speaking always go together.
If thinking in English improves your speaking, it will do the same for your listening.
How it works is simple.
Thinking in English helps you get used to the natural way native speakers pronounce words and form sentences.
This allows you to understand what they're saying right away, without needing to translate it back to your native language.
And to get used to what native speakers are talking about, you need to understand their pronunciation.
If you mispronounce words, you won't be able to understand them.
For example, if you think the word seat has a short I sound like in mitt you won't understand a native speaker who says it correctly, because the word actually has a long I sound like in meat.
That's why training your brain to think in English also trains your ears to pick up the correct pronunciation.
So it's like killing two birds with one stone.
Thinking in English helps you improve not only your speaking, but also your listening.
Plus, it also saves you a lot of time.
It's obvious that thinking in English is the way to go if you want to get better at this language.
Now you might be wondering why this method isn't more popular.
It's a fair question because the truth is not many learners actually think in English.
Good point, Leo.
Let's look at the common mindsets that are stopping people from using this effective practice.
The first one is people relying too much on translation.
Oh, that's really big.
But like we said before, it's not good because it takes more time.
Even worse, it destroys our learning process.
That's right.
When your brain translates, it has no chance to learn to build English sentences.
If you don't learn, you don't get the skill, so you will always need to translate.
Speaking of translation.
Besides finding the right words, people often also look for the correct grammar.
Oh, I know, right?
While grammar is important, focusing on it too much can lead to unwanted results.
You might waste a lot of time stopping to check your grammar, which will make you sound unnatural.
Do you even think about grammar when you speak your native language?
No, right?
And it's the same for native English speakers.
They don't think about it.
They even make grammar mistakes, just like you.
But do they care?
No.
Well, unless it's a grammar lesson.
Plus, the more you're worried about your grammar, the less you dare to speak.
Of course, it's normal to feel scared when speaking a foreign language, especially for beginners.
But everybody makes mistakes.
The problem is that you only focus on the feeling you get when you make a mistake.
It's shame.
However, what you should focus on is what comes after mistakes, a lesson.
Mistakes help us get better.
Without them, you will never know what needs improvement or how much better you are today compared to yesterday.
Now you know thinking in English is good, and you are not afraid to make mistakes.
But if you don't have the right environment to practice this language, it's hard to get better.
That's true.
Some people think, I have English classes three times a week.
Isn't it enough?
The bad news is no, it's not enough, even if you have classes every day.
Also, in class, English feels more like a school subject rather than a language to speak.
If you want to speak well, you must use English in real life.
The good news is we have a way to help you practice English in real life.
It's one of the six steps in our method to help you start thinking in English.
But before we get to that, let's quickly review the four biggest problems that are stopping you from thinking in English.
First problem, you translate too much in your head.
Second problem, you worry too much about grammar.
Third problem, you are too afraid of mistakes.
And the last problem is that you don't use English enough in your daily life.
So, it's time for the best part of today's episode.
Our six steps to train your brain to think in English.
The first one is super simple.
It's naming the things around you.
Now, when we say naming, we don't mean you point at your bed and say, that's Ariana.
English word for it.
We mean you call it bed because that's the... The great thing about this is you can do it anywhere.
Just look around, see something, and find the English word for it.
This is a good way to practice, because you can think in English directly, not through your native language.
And once you get good at that, you can challenge yourself a little by adding some details to the object.
For example, you can say, the bed is brown or the bed is making a funny sound.
This practice helps your brain to build a complete thought in English, not just remember a single word.
The second step is self-talk.
This is kind of like the first one, but now you're talking about yourself.
You can say anything, almost as if you're talking to a close friend about your day or a movie character and you're telling the audience about your life.
When we said anything, we meant it.
Things like, look, I'm making a cup of coffee, or I'm standing next to my crush.
I can hardly breathe.
This is amazing for two reasons.
First, it trains your brain to think in longer sentences in English.
Second, there's absolutely no pressure in doing this.
Nobody is listening, so you don't have to worry about making a mistake or sounding silly.
That's right.
When you practice by yourself, you feel more confident to try new words and grammar.
The next step is all about using English dictionaries.
We're not talking about the ones that translate to and from your native language.
We mean the ones that are purely in English.
Why?
Because it prevents that big translation mistake.
Using an English-only dictionary helps you see these different meanings clearly.
For instance, the English word kind can mean a type or friendly, while your native language might use different words for each meaning.
Plus, when you use an English dictionary, you remember words better because you understand the idea of the word, not just a one-to-one translation.
For example, the word excited is feeling very happy and eager.
That's so true.
By connecting the word to its English meaning, your brain remembers it more easily.
So next time you feel that way, you can just think of the word excited without translating it first.
Step 4 is to think in a simple way.
Hey, English isn't simple, you might say, and you're right.
But when we say simple, we mean simple sentences.
It's understandable to want to make long, complex sentences right away.
We get it.
You have so much to say.
But as a beginner, you should stick to short sentences.
They're easier to form, which means you're more likely to succeed.
The more you succeed, the more confident you'll become.
And what happens when you become confident?
Well, you speak more, learn more, and succeed more.
It's like a perfect cycle.
For everyone out there who has already mastered this easy level, don't worry.
You don't have to stay simple forever.
You'll naturally move on to longer sentences later.
That's right.
For example, start with a simple sentence like, I need vegetables.
Once you're comfortable with that, you can add more details.
Like I should go to the store because I need to buy vegetables for dinner.
The key is to add new challenges slowly, one step at a time.
Let's move to the fifth step.
Our fifth step is to have a conversation with yourself in your head.
This is like talking to yourself, but now you ask and answer questions.
Like asking yourself, what should I do first in the morning?
And then answering, maybe going back to sleep.
Or breakfast.
This trains your brain to respond in English.
So the next time someone asks you a question, you'll be able to answer better.
The more you practice this, the faster you can answer in real life.
And finally, the last step is to fill your life with English.
As we mentioned earlier, English lessons aren't enough.
You have to make it a part of your daily life to get your brain used to the language.
We know it might seem hard if you don't live in an English-speaking country, but it's actually really easy.
Just enjoy entertainment the same way you always do, but switch to English.
You love movies?
Watch them in English.
You love reading?
Read a book in English.
You're more into spending time on social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube.
There are a lot of accounts and posts in English.
And don't even get me started on music.
Oh, right.
It's an entire universe of English for you to discover.
Listening to music in English can improve your pronunciation and vocabulary in a fun and natural way.
See?
It's not hard at all.
And it's actually fun.
Alright, alright.
We understand that it's usually easier said than done.
That's why we've prepared some simple daily exercises to make thinking in English a habit.
These little exercises are actually a piece of cake, so don't worry.
What's the first exercise, Gwen?
The first thing you can do is start and end your day in English.
Yeah, when you wake up, think about what you want to do that day.
And at the end of the night, think about what you did.
Both in English, of course.
Why the start and end of the day?
Because the time is fixed.
You don't need a watch or a reminder.
It just becomes a part of your routine.
Plus, it's easier to remember things right after you wake up or right before you go to bed.
The second exercise is to explain things with your own words, not to look in a dictionary.
When you don't remember a certain word, instead of running to a dictionary, try to describe what you mean.
For example, if you can't think of the word refrigerator, you can say the big cold box where people keep food.
This is great because it doesn't stop your thought flow.
It keeps your brain thinking in English, which is the whole point.
And with all the practice you're doing, you're going to improve fast.
But you won't see it if you don't keep track of your progress.
Exactly.
You can write a diary in English or record your voice every week to see the difference.
Watching yourself go from easy sentences to harder ones makes you feel confident and shows that your effort is working.
Finally, take your time and don't worry.
It's common to get upset and angry when you don't see progress right away.
But good things take time.
It's totally normal to go slow.
The key is to be patient.
And remember, the fear of making mistakes is your biggest enemy.
Your friend is the mistakes themselves because they help you get better.
So, don't fear mistakes.
Welcome them as a chance to improve.
Instead, we're coming to the end of today's episode.
It's time to wrap up, friends.
So, what did we talk about today?
Can you help our audience go over some key points, Leo?
Sure thing.
We talked about the benefits of thinking in English.
When we do it, we speak the language more fluently and confidently, while also improving our listening skills.
Right.
And we also shared some practical and easy methods to train your brain to think in English.
While training might sound hard and tiring, it's actually not scary at all.
You just need to start small.
Yeah, don't make a big jump.
Take baby steps instead and stick with your journey.
And if you make mistakes, which is normal because who doesn't, welcome them.
They're here to help you get better, not to put you down.
So, which step are you going to try first?
Tell us in the comment section below.
And if you found today's talk helpful, don't forget to like, subscribe and share it with a friend who's also having a hard time learning English.
Thank you for hanging out with us today.
I'm Gwen.
And I'm Leo.
Catch you in our next episode of Podcast and Chill acas powers the world's best podcasts.
Here's a show that we recommend.
Hello hello, it's brooke devard from naked beauty.
Join me each week for unfiltered discussion about beauty trends, self-care journeys, wellness tips and the products we absolutely love and cannot get enough of.
If you are a skincare obsessive and you spend 20 plus minutes on your skincare routine, this podcast is for you.
Or if you're a newbie at the beginning of your skincare journey, you'll love this podcast as well, because we go so much deeper than beauty.
I talk to incredible and inspiring people from across industries about their relationship with beauty.
You'll also hear from skincare experts.
We break down lots of myths in the beauty industry.
If this sounds like your thing, search for Naked Beauty on your podcast app and listen along.
I hope you'll join us.
Acast helps creators launch, grow, and monetize their podcasts everywhere.
