How to Think in English (and Stop Translating in Your Head)

When you speak another language every day, little by little you stop translating and you copy what your interlocuters say without thinking. That’s the ideal situation if you’re in the country or working with native speakers constantly. But most often it’s not the case. ☹️

So how can you develop fluency by stopping translating in your head?

If you often feel blocked when speaking English, it’s probably not because of your grammar or vocabulary.

It’s because your brain is still working in translation mode:
👉 think in your language
👉 translate
👉 speak in English

And that’s exhausting 😵

The goal of fluency isn’t to translate faster, it’s to stop translating at all.

Here’s how to start if your reality is other than that above mentioned ideal situation

🤯 Why Translating in Your Head Is a Problem

When you translate:

• You hesitate more

• You lose your train of thought

• You focus on form instead of meaning

• You freeze under pressure

Your brain is doing double work.
Fluent speakers don’t build sentences, they respond.

🔁 Step 1: Reduce Thinking Time, Not Mistakes

Many learners try to speak correctly before speaking naturally.

That’s the wrong order.

Instead of asking:
❌ “Is this correct?”

Ask:
✅ “Does this communicate my idea?”

Fluency improves when you allow yourself to speak imperfect English quickly, rather than perfect English slowly.

⏱️ Step 2: Train Speed, Not Complexity

Thinking in English is about reaction time.

A simple exercise:

• Ask yourself an easy question

• Answer immediately, no preparation

Examples:

• “What did I do this morning?”

• “What annoys me at work?”

• “What am I planning for the weekend?”

If you pause for too long, simplify your answer.
Speed builds automatic thinking.

🧭 Step 3: Stay in English, Even When You Don’t Know a Word

One of the biggest reasons learners translate is vocabulary gaps.

Instead of switching languages, explain the word in English.

Example:

• You don’t know “charger”
  👉 “The thing you use to charge your phone”

This keeps your brain inside English, which is exactly what fluency needs.

🎯 Step 4: Accept “Incomplete” English

Thinking in English doesn’t feel elegant at first.

Your English will feel:

• basic

• repetitive

• less precise

That’s normal.

Your brain is learning to think directly, not to perform.
Precision comes later. Fluency comes first.

🧠 Step 5: Think in Situations, Not Sentences

Instead of rehearsing sentences, associate English with situations:

• ordering

• explaining

• reacting

• disagreeing

One of the biggest reasons learners keep translating is that they try to prepare sentences in advance.

But real conversations don’t work like that.

You don’t enter a conversation knowing exactly what sentence you’ll need.
You enter a situation and you react.

That’s how fluent speakers think.

When the situation appears, English comes out naturally, without translation.

🗣️Why this helps you stop translating

Situations trigger meaning, not grammar rules.

Your brain thinks:
👉 “I need to explain”
not
👉 “Which tense should I use?”

This,again, keeps you inside English, instead of jumping back to your native language.

🎯 How to practice this (simple & effective)

Pick one situation per day and practice reacting to it in English.

Examples:

• You didn’t understand someone:
  → “Sorry, could you repeat that?”

• You need time to think:
  → “Let me think for a second.”

• You disagree politely:
  → “I see your point, but I’m not sure I agree.”

You don’t need a perfect sentence, just a functional reaction.

✨ Final Thought

You don’t stop translating by learning more rules.
You stop translating when your brain trusts English enough to react instead of analyse.

That shift takes practice but it’s achievable.

👉 Want help making that shift faster ?
I help learners move from “thinking about English” to thinking in English, with practical speaking-focused strategies.

If you want to learn English with me, I’m Liz Aldam, an English teacher with more than twenty years of experience, having worked with companies like Yamaha, Faurecia, and others. I live in the Val-d’Oise region in France and I teach online. Click the WhatsApp icon below and contact me.