How to Train Your Brain to Think in English (Stop Translating!) | Podcast for Easy Conversation

Hello everyone. Welcome back to English

Conversation Podcast, the show that

helps you improve your English in a

natural and enjoyable way. I'm Sarah.

And I'm Mike. Hi Sarah. Hi everyone

listening. Hey Mike, how's your day

going? It's been really productive

actually. I spent the morning reviewing

some interesting language learning

research, which is perfect timing

because of today's topic. Oh, that's

great. Yes, today we're diving into

something that I think many of our

listeners struggle with. Let me guess.

Thinking in English? Exactly. Today's

episode is all about how to train your

brain to speak in English naturally

without constantly translating in your

head. This is such an important topic. I

remember when I was learning my second

language, I used to translate everything

word by word in my mind. It was

exhausting. Right? It's mentally

draining, and it really slows down your

conversation. But here's the good news

for everyone listening. It doesn't have

to be that way. Exactly. There are

practical strategies you can use to

retrain your brain. Before we jump in

though, we should mention something to

our listeners. Yes, if you're enjoying

this podcast and finding it helpful,

please take a moment to like this

episode and subscribe to our channel.

Subscribing really helps us reach more

English learners like you, and it means

we can create more content to support

your learning journey. Also, if you know

someone who's learning English, share

this episode with them. Learning is

always better when you can discuss it

with friends. Absolutely. Okay, Sarah,

I'm ready. Let's talk about training our

brains. Perfect. So, Mike, let me ask

you this. When you were translating

everything in your head, what was the

biggest problem you noticed? Hmm. The

biggest problem.

I'd say it was the delay. Someone would

ask me a question, and there would be

this awkward pause while I was

processing. Right, because your brain

was doing double work. Exactly. First, I

had to understand the English, then

translate it to my native language, then

think of my response in my native

language, and then translate it back to

English. That's four steps when it

should just be two, understand and

respond. It's no wonder conversations

felt so challenging. And you know what's

interesting? Many intermediate learners,

even at B1 level, still do this

sometimes without realizing it. Really?

Even when they already know a lot of

English? Yes, because it's a habit.

Their brain has been trained to use that

translation pathway, so it automatically

goes there, especially when they're

nervous or tired. So, we need to create

a new pathway in the brain. Exactly. We

need to build what neuroscientists call

neural pathways directly in English.

Neural pathways. That sounds very

scientific. It does, but the concept is

actually simple. Think of it like this.

Imagine your brain is a forest, and you

need to get from point A to point B.

Okay, I'm imagining it. At first,

there's no clear path, so you have to

push through the bushes and branches.

It's slow and difficult. That's like

when you're first learning English and

everything feels hard. Right, but if you

walk the same route every day,

eventually you create a clear path

through the forest. The grass gets worn

down, the path becomes obvious, and soon

you can walk it easily without thinking.

Exactly. That's what happens in your

brain with language. The more you think

directly in English, the stronger that

pathway becomes. Until eventually it

becomes automatic. Precisely. So, today

we're going to give you practical

strategies to build those English

pathways in your brain. I'm excited

about this. Where should we start? Let's

start with what I call mental

substitution. Mental substitution? Tell

me more. Well, most people at B1 level

already know a lot of English words and

structures. The problem isn't knowledge,

it's activation. Activation?

Yes, the words are stored in your brain,

but they're not active. They're like

books on a shelf that you never take

down and read. Ah, so we need to take

those books off the shelf more often.

Exactly. And here's how you do it.

Throughout your day, whenever you think

something in your native language, pause

for a moment and ask yourself, "How

would I say this in English?" So,

basically catching my thoughts and

translating them. Not exactly

translating, more like expressing them.

Let me give you an example. This morning

I was making coffee, and I thought to

myself in my native language, "I need

more sugar." A simple thought. Very

simple. But then I stopped and said in

my mind, "I need more sugar." But then I

pushed myself further. How else could I

express this? Oh, I see what you mean.

You could say, "This coffee isn't sweet

enough." Or, "I'd like to add some more

sugar." Or, "This needs to be sweeter."

So, you're not just translating one

sentence, you're exploring different

ways to express the same idea. Exactly.

And this is crucial because it gets your

brain thinking flexibly in English.

Rather than thinking there's only one

correct translation. Right. Language

isn't about finding the perfect

word-for-word translation, it's about

expressing meaning. This is really

helpful. So, throughout the day, I

should be catching my thoughts and

rephrasing them in English. Yes, but

here's the important part. Don't just do

it once. Try to come up with two or

three different ways to say the same

thing. That makes the neural pathways

even stronger. Exactly. And it also

prepares you for real conversations,

because in real life, you often need to

rephrase something if the other person

doesn't understand. That's a great

point. I've definitely been in

situations where I said something and

the person looked confused, and I had no

idea how to say it differently. Because

you only had one pathway to that idea.

But if you practice creating multiple

pathways, then I have options. I can

rephrase easily. Exactly. Let me give

everyone listening a practical exercise

for this week. Yes, homework time. Okay,

choose three daily activities. Maybe

making breakfast, commuting to work, and

getting ready for bed. Okay, three

routine activities. During each of these

activities, narrate what you're doing in

your head in English, but challenge

yourself to say each action in at least

two different ways. Can you give us an

example? Sure. Let's say you're brushing

your teeth. You could think, "I'm

brushing my teeth." And then also, "I'm

cleaning my teeth." Or, "I'm using my

toothbrush." So, even simple actions get

this double or triple expression. Yes,

and after a week of this, you'll notice

that English starts to flow more

naturally because your brain has more

routes to access the language. I love

this. Okay, so that's our first major

strategy, mental substitution with

multiple expressions. Right. Now, let's

talk about something that I think is

often overlooked, the power of inner

monologue. Inner monologue? You mean

like talking to yourself? Exactly. And I

know some people feel weird about this,

but it's actually one of the most

powerful tools for language learning. I

have to admit, I do this sometimes. When

I'm walking alone, sometimes I have

entire conversations in my head. And do

you do it in English or your native

language? I usually my native language,

but I guess I should be doing it in

English. Well, here's the thing. You

don't have to do it all in English right

away. That can be overwhelming. So, what

do you suggest? Start by having a

bilingual inner monologue. Think of a

sentence in your native language, then

repeat it in English. So, I'm still

translating? At first, yes. But here's

the key. You're doing it in a

low-pressure environment. There's no one

waiting for your answer, no one judging

your grammar. So, it's a safe space to

practice. Exactly. And over time, you'll

notice something interesting happening.

What's that? The English will start

coming first sometimes. You'll think of

something directly in English without

needing to translate it first. Really?

That just happens naturally? It does,

but only if you practice. The brain is

very efficient. It learns to take

shortcuts. So, if I keep using this

English pathway, my brain will

eventually realize, "Hey, this is faster

than translating." Precisely. Your brain

will start to prefer the direct English

route because it's more efficient.

That's fascinating. So, the inner

monologue is like a training ground.

Yes. And here's another tip. Make it

interesting. Don't just narrate boring

things. What do you mean? Well, a lot of

people will practice by thinking, "I'm

sitting. I'm standing. I'm walking."

Which is useful, but also pretty boring.

Right. Instead, have actual thoughts,

opinions, feelings, reactions. Can you

give me an example? Sure. Let's say you

see someone wearing a really interesting

jacket. Instead of just thinking,

"That's a nice jacket," engage with it

more. How? Think something like, "Wow,

that jacket is really stylish. I wonder

where they bought it. I'd love to have

something like that, but in a darker

color. Maybe I should look for something

similar online." Oh, I see. You're

having a real internal conversation, not

just labeling things. Exactly. You're

using complex sentences, hypothetical

situations, expressing preferences. This

is much more valuable for your brain.

Because this is how we actually use

language in real life. Exactly. We don't

just label things. We have opinions,

make plans, wonder about things. So, the

inner monologue should reflect real

thinking, not just vocabulary practice.

Yes. And here's something else that's

really powerful. Use your emotions. My

emotions? Yes. When you feel frustrated,

try to express that frustration in

English in your head. This is so

annoying. Or, I can't believe this is

happening. Oh, emotional language.

Right. When you feel happy about

something, think, "This is wonderful."

Or, "I'm so glad this worked out." I see

what you're doing. You're connecting

emotions with English expressions.

Exactly. And this creates very strong

neural connections because emotions are

processed in a deep part of the brain.

So, when language is connected to

emotion, it sticks better. Much better.

This is why people often remember swear

words very easily in a foreign language.

Haha. That's true. Even beginners seem

to pick those up quickly. Because

they're often said with strong emotion.

But, you can use this principle with

positive emotions, too. So, express my

joy, my frustration, my surprise, all in

English in my inner monologue. Yes. And

over time, English becomes the language

of your emotions, not just your

intellect. That's really powerful. Okay,

so we've talked about mental

substitution and inner monologue. What's

next? Next, let's talk about something

that many B1 learners overlook. The

importance of input quality. Input

quality? You mean like listening and

reading? Yes. But, not just any

listening and reading. You need the

right kind of input at the right level.

I think this is where a lot of people

make mistakes, right? Absolutely. Many

intermediate learners make one of two

errors. What's the first error?

They consume content that's too easy.

They stick with beginner-level materials

because they're comfortable. But,

they're not being challenged. Right.

Their brain isn't growing because it's

not being pushed. And what's the second

error? The opposite. They jump to very

advanced content, like watching news

programs or reading academic articles.

And they get overwhelmed and

discouraged. Exactly. So, the key is

finding what's called comprehensible

input. Comprehensible input. I've heard

this term before. What does it mean

exactly? It means content that's

slightly above your current level. You

understand most of it, maybe 70 to 80%,

but there are some new words and

structures that challenge you. So,

you're comfortable, but also learning.

Exactly. This is the sweet spot for

brain training. How do people find

content at the right level? Great

question. For B1 learners, I recommend a

few strategies. I'm ready to take notes.

First, look for content that's designed

for language learners at your level.

There are podcasts, YouTube channels,

and graded readers specifically made for

intermediate learners. Like our podcast.

Exactly like our podcast. We design our

content to be accessible, but also

challenging for B1 learners. What's the

second strategy? The second strategy is

to use authentic content, but with

support. What do you mean by support?

For example, watching a TV show or movie

with English subtitles. The audio is

authentic, native-level English, but you

have the subtitles to help you follow

along. Oh, that's clever. You're

training your ear while having a safety

net. Exactly. And here's a pro tip. If

you're watching with subtitles, try to

read ahead slightly. Read ahead? Yes.

Glance at the next line of dialogue

before it's spoken. This way, your brain

knows what to listen for. Oh, so you're

priming your brain for the sounds you're

about to hear. Exactly. This is really

effective for improving listening

comprehension. What about reading? How

should people approach reading at B1

level? For reading, I recommend what I

call the 70% rule. The 70% rule? If

you're reading something and you don't

understand more than 30% of the words,

it's too difficult. Put it aside and

find something easier. So, you should

understand at least 70% naturally.

Right. At that level, you can guess the

meaning of new words from context, which

is how native speakers naturally expand

their vocabulary. That makes sense. If

you're stopping every sentence to look

up words, you're not really reading.

Exactly. You're just doing a translation

exercise, which doesn't help your

fluency. So, what kind of reading do you

recommend? For B1 level, I really like

graded readers. These are novels or

stories that have been adapted to use

vocabulary and grammar at your level.

Don't those feel a bit simplified,

though? Some do, but there are really

good ones that tell engaging stories.

The important thing is that you can read

them smoothly without constantly

stopping. Because fluency is what we're

after. Exactly. You want your brain to

experience the flow of English, not the

stop and start of looking up every other

word. What about more authentic reading,

like news articles or blogs? Those can

be great, too, especially if you choose

topics you're interested in. Why does

interest matter? Because when you're

interested in the content, your brain is

more motivated to understand it. You

push through difficulties more easily.

So, I should read about my hobbies and

interests in English? Absolutely. If you

love cooking, read cooking

blogs. If you're into technology, read

tech articles. If you follow sports,

read sports news. Your brain will work

harder to understand because it wants to

know the is key. Okay, let's talk about

one more crucial aspect of input. What's

that? Repetition and review. Oh, reading

or listening to the same thing multiple

times? Yes, but not in the way most

people think. What do you mean? Many

people think repetition means reading

the same article five times in a row

until they understand every word. And

that's not effective? It can be, but

it's boring. Instead, I recommend what I

call spaced re-exposure. Spaced

re-exposure? Yes. Listen to a podcast

episode today. Then listen to it again 3

days later. Then maybe once more a week

after that. Why space it out like that?

Because each time you return to it, your

brain is in a slightly different state.

You've learned more, you've practiced

more, so you understand it at a deeper

level. Oh, that's interesting. So, the

first time you might catch 70%, but the

second time you might catch 85%, and by

the third time, you're understanding

nearly everything, and it feels

effortless. And that feeling of

improvement is really motivating.

Exactly. Plus, you're reinforcing those

neural pathways each time. The English

patterns are getting stronger in your

brain. Yes. Okay, let's move on to what

might be the most important part,

output. Output. That's speaking and

writing, right? Right. This is where you

actively use the English that's being

built in your brain. I think this is

what scares people the most. You're

absolutely right. Many learners spend

years consuming English, reading,

listening, studying, but they're

terrified to actually speak. Why is

that? Fear of making mistakes, mostly.

Fear of sounding stupid. Fear of not

being understood. Those are legitimate

fears. They are, but here's the truth.

You cannot train your brain to speak

without actually speaking. It's like

learning to swim. You can't learn by

just watching videos of people swimming.

Exactly. At some point, you have to get

in the water. So, how should people

start? Not everyone has English-speaking

friends to practice with. That's true,

and that's okay. You can start by

speaking to yourself. We mentioned this

earlier with inner monologue, but you

mean actually speaking out loud. Yes.

But, let's go deeper. There are

different ways to practice speaking

alone, and some are more effective than

others. Tell me about the most effective

methods. One of my favorites is what I

call shadowing. Shadowing? Yes. You

listen to a native speaker, maybe a

podcast or a video, and you repeat what

they say, trying to match their rhythm,

intonation, and pronunciation. So,

you're mimicking them in real time.

Exactly. There are different levels of

shadowing. At the basic level, you pause

after each sentence and repeat it. That

seems manageable. At a more advanced

level, you try to speak along with them

in real time, like an echo. That sounds

challenging. It is, but it's incredibly

effective because you're training your

mouth muscles, your rhythm, and your

fluency all at once. And you're using

authentic native speech as your model.

Exactly. Your brain starts to

internalize the natural rhythm and flow

of English. What other solo practice

techniques do you recommend? Another

powerful one is recording yourself. Uh,

I don't like the sound of my own voice.

Most people don't, but this is really

valuable. Here's why. When you speak

without recording, you don't really know

what you sound like. True. I might think

I'm being clear, but I'm not sure.

Right. But, when you record yourself and

play it back, you can hear your

mistakes. You become your own teacher.

Exactly. You might notice that you're

speaking too fast, or that you're

dropping the endings of words, or that

your intonation sounds flat. And then

you can work on fixing those things.

Yes. Here's a specific exercise. Choose

a topic. Speak about it for 2 minutes

while recording. Then listen back and

note three things you want to improve.

Just three things? Yes. If you try to

fix everything at once, you'll get

overwhelmed. Pick three specific things.

Then record yourself again. Yes. Speak

about the same topic again, focusing on

improving those three things. And you

can compare the two recordings. Exactly.

You'll be amazed at how much you can

improve in just one session. That's

encouraging. What about practicing with

other people? That's the ultimate goal,

of course, but I know not everyone has

easy access to conversation partners.

Right. What if you live in a place where

English isn't commonly spoken? These

days there are lots of online options,

language exchange apps, online tutoring

platforms, conversation clubs. And what

should people focus on during these

conversations? Here's something

important that many people get wrong.

They think the goal is to speak

perfectly. And that's not the goal? No.

The goal is to communicate effectively.

Mistakes are actually good. How can

mistakes be good? Because mistakes show

you where your knowledge gaps are. Each

mistake is an opportunity to learn

something. So, we shouldn't be afraid of

making mistakes. Not at all. In fact,

I'd argue that if you're not making

mistakes, you're not pushing yourself

enough. You're staying in your comfort

zone. Exactly. The goal is to push just

beyond your comfort zone. Like with

input, finding that sweet spot. Yes. You

want to be slightly uncomfortable, but

not so uncomfortable that you freeze up.

How do you find that balance? It takes

practice and self-awareness. You need to

notice when you're feeling challenged in

a good way versus feeling overwhelmed.

And adjust accordingly. Right. If you're

in a conversation and you realize you're

completely lost, it's okay to say, "I'm

sorry. Could you speak a bit slower?" Or

"I'm not familiar with that topic. Could

talk about something else?" Taking

control of the conversation. Exactly.

This is a skill in itself. Now, let me

share one more powerful output

technique. I'm listening. It's called

self-talk narrative. Self-talk

narrative? Yes. Throughout your day,

narrate what you're doing, thinking, or

feeling in English, but do it out loud.

So, like a documentary of my own life?

Exactly. Now, I'm making lunch. I'm

going to have a sandwich. Let me see,

what do I have in the fridge? Oh,

there's some cheese and tomatoes. That

sounds good. I think I'll toast the

bread. This feels a bit silly, I have to

admit. It might feel silly at first, but

it's incredibly effective. Do you know

why? Why? Because you're practicing

real-time English production. You're not

thinking about what to say, you're just

saying what you're experiencing. So,

it's very spontaneous. Yes, and that's

exactly what you need to do in real

conversations. You need to be able to

speak spontaneously without

overthinking. So, this builds that

spontaneous speaking muscle. Exactly.

And here's a tip. Do this when you're

alone at home, in the shower, while

cooking, while cleaning. Times when I'm

doing something automatic with my hands.

Yes, because then your brain is free to

focus on the language. This is really

practical advice, Sarah. I feel like

we've covered so much ground. We have.

Let's take a moment to review the main

strategies we've discussed. We talked

about mental substitution. Right.

Catching our thoughts and expressing

them in multiple ways in English. We

discussed inner monologue and the

importance of connecting language with

emotions. Then we talked about input

quality, finding content at the right

level, the 70% rule, and spaced

repetition. And finally, we covered

output techniques, shadowing, recording

yourself, and self-talk narrative. But

you know what I'm wondering, Sarah?

What's that? How long does it take? When

will someone see results from all this?

That's the question everyone wants

answered, isn't it? It is. People want

to know, if I do this every day, when

will I be fluent? Here's the honest

answer. It depends. On what? On several

factors. How much time you practice each

day, your current level, your native

language, your learning environment. So,

there's no magic number. No magic

number, but I can give you some general

expectations. Please do. I think people

need realistic expectations. If you're

practicing these techniques for 15 to 30

minutes every day consistently, you'll

start to notice small changes within two

to three weeks. What kind of changes?

You might notice that some English words

or phrases start popping into your head

more naturally. You might find yourself

thinking briefly in English without

trying. Small wins. Yes, small wins.

After about two months, these moments

become more frequent. You might have

entire thoughts in English without

translating. And after 6 months? After 6

months of consistent practice, most

people report that English starts to

feel more natural. They're not

constantly aware that they're speaking a

foreign language. It becomes more

automatic. Exactly. But here's the

important thing to remember. Everyone's

journey is different. Some people might

progress faster, some slower. Right. And

that's okay. The key is consistency, not

speed. Better to practice a little bit

every day than to cram once a week.

Exactly. Your brain needs regular

exposure and practice to build those

neural pathways. It's like going to the

gym. You can't work out once a week and

expect to get strong. Perfect analogy.

Language learning is a marathon, not a

sprint. Speaking of challenges, what

about mental blocks? You know, those

moments when you just freeze up and

can't think of anything to say. Oh, this

is so common, especially for

intermediate learners. Why does it

happen? Usually, it's anxiety. Your

brain goes into stress mode, and when

you're stressed, it's harder to access

your language knowledge. So, what can

people do when this happens? First,

recognize that it's normal and

temporary. Everyone experiences this,

even advanced speakers. Okay, so don't

panic. Right. Second, have some filler

phrases ready. Filler phrases? Yes,

phrases like, "Let me think about that

for a moment." Or, "That's an

interesting question." Or, "Hmm, how

should I put this?" Oh, so you're buying

yourself time to think. Exactly. And

you're doing it in English, which keeps

the conversation flowing. Native

speakers do this all the time, don't

they? All the time. It's completely

natural. These phrases are like bridges

that help you get from the question to

your answer. What else can help with

mental blocks? Another technique is to

simplify what you're trying to say.

Simplify? Yes. Often we freeze because

we're trying to express something

complex, and we can't find the right

words. So, instead of giving up, you

break it down into simpler ideas that

you can express. Can you give me an

example? Sure. Let's say you want to

say, "I'm considering whether to pursue

a master's degree in engineering or to

start working immediately after

graduation." That's a complex thought.

Very complex. If you can't express that

exactly, you could simplify it to, "I'm

thinking about my future. Should I study

more or should I get a job? I'm not sure

yet." Oh, that's much simpler, but still

communicates the main idea. Exactly.

You've communicated the essential

meaning, and that's what matters. And

once you've said the simple version, you

might find it easier to add more

details. Yes. Often just getting started

helps your brain relax and access more

language. It's like priming the pump.

Exactly. Okay, we're getting close to

the end of our time today, but I want to

leave our listeners with one final

important point. What's that? The

importance of patience and

self-compassion. Ah, this is so

important. It really is. Many language

learners are incredibly hard on

themselves. They beat themselves up over

every mistake. Yes. They compare

themselves to native speakers or to

other learners who seem to be

progressing faster. And that's

discouraging. It's very discouraging.

So, here's what I want everyone

listening to remember. Learning a

language is one of the most complex

things your brain will ever do. It

involves memory, pattern

recognition, muscle coordination,

cultural

So, be kind to yourself. Celebrate the

small victories. Yes. Did you understand

a movie scene today that you wouldn't

have understood last month? That's

progress. Did you have a conversation in

English, even if you made mistakes?

That's progress. Exactly. Every time you

try, you're training your brain. Every

mistake is a learning opportunity. I

think people need to hear this. Language

learning can be frustrating, and it's

easy to feel like you're not improving.

Especially during what we call plateaus.

Plateaus? Yes. Those periods where you

feel like you're not making progress.

You're practicing, but your English

doesn't seem to be getting better. I've

experienced this. It's so frustrating.

It is. But here's the thing. Your brain

is still working during these plateaus.

You're consolidating knowledge, making

connections. So, you are improving even

if you can't see it. Exactly. And then,

suddenly, you'll have a breakthrough

moment where everything clicks. And you

realize you've actually improved a lot.

Yes. So, during those plateau periods,

don't give up. Keep practicing. Trust

the process. Trust the process. Your

brain is amazing, and it's working even

when you don't feel like you're making

progress. This has been such a valuable

conversation, Sarah. Let's recap the

main points one more time for everyone

listening. Great idea. So, we discussed

mental substitution, expressing thoughts

in multiple ways. Inner monologue,

connecting language with emotions. Input

quality, finding content at the right

level, the 70% rule. Output techniques,

shadowing, recording yourself, self-talk

narrative. Dealing with mental blocks

using filler phrases and simplifying

your message. And finally, patience and

self-compassion. Yes. Remember,

everyone, training your brain to speak

English is a journey. Enjoy the process.

Before we wrap up, we want to ask our

listeners to do something. Yes. If you

found this episode helpful, please

subscribe to our channel. Subscribing

helps us create more content like this

for you. And share this episode with

anyone who's learning English. Learning

is better when we support each other.

Also, we'd love to hear from you. Leave

a comment below and tell us, what's your

biggest challenge when speaking English?

Yes. We read all the comments, and your

questions help us create future

episodes. Thank you so much for

listening, everyone. Keep practicing, be

patient with yourself, and remember,

you're doing great. See you in the next

episode. Bye, everyone.