Direct Thinking Method in a Foreign LanguageDirect Thinking Method in a Foreign Language
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This article shares methods for practicing direct thinking in a foreign language based on neuroscience. The core principle is understanding that language shapes thought; therefore, it is essential to build a solid foundation of vocabulary and grammar. The author encourages prioritizing two active skills—speaking and writing—to activate the brain to stop silent translation, while simultaneously developing all four skills to achieve depth. Finally, building a diverse environment and maintaining a mindset of effort without pressure are the keys to achieving natural thinking abilities.
Direct Thinking Method in a Foreign Language
Summary from The Present Writer
2. Focusing on Active Skills: Speaking & Writing
This is the key to getting the brain to stop silent translation [00:04:11]. When Speaking and Writing, the brain must actively synthesize your own information [00:04:28].
Columbia University Research
The brain regions controlling Speaking and Writing are close but distinct. Being good at one skill does not automatically mean being good at the other [00:05:47].
Double Benefit
Thinking clearly in English helps improve logical reasoning in your mother tongue significantly [00:06:42].
3. Developing All 4 Skills Equally
Speaking and Writing help you start, but Reading and Listening elevate your thinking to a deeper level [00:07:39].
| Skill | Value Provided [Timestamp] |
|---|---|
| Read More | Provides academic vocabulary and research instead of just basic communication [00:08:42]. |
| Listen Well | Builds natural two-way communication reflexes [00:08:15]. |
Note on Code-switching: The phenomenon of inserting English into your native language will naturally decrease when thinking in both languages becomes clear at a high level [00:09:41].
4. Building a Diverse Thinking Environment
Don’t just learn from books; make your surroundings “breathe” in the foreign language [00:11:07].
5. Secret: Effort Without Pressure
Thinking in a foreign language is a process, not a result achieved overnight [00:13:54].
DAILY ACTION + RELAXING YOURSELF
One day, you will naturally find yourself dreaming or thinking in a foreign language unconsciously. Don’t force it, enjoy the journey!
1. Opening Question: What is Thinking in English?
Recently, I received an email from a viewer who is an English teacher. They asked a very thought-provoking question:
“How can we increase the ability to think in English for learners?”
If you have followed my previous content, you know I always emphasize the importance of thinking in a foreign language—not just English, but any language you are learning.
2. Personal Experience Starting to Think in English
When I first started learning English, I faced many difficulties. At that time, I primarily learned in school using textbooks and had almost no opportunity to interact with native speakers. However, at a certain stage, I began to notice a clear change:
- 🔹 Writing thoughts directly in English without translating from Vietnamese.
- 🔹 Inner monologues appearing in English.
- 🔹 Sometimes even dreaming in English.
From that moment on, my thinking changed dramatically. My English level progressed much faster; I could write long essays, participate in seminars, and do things I had never thought possible before.
3. Scientific Perspective: Language Shapes Thought
Many people believe that humans think first and then use language to express those thoughts. However, neuroscience research shows the opposite: Language is the factor that shapes thought.
As your linguistic repertoire becomes richer, your thinking becomes deeper, more multidimensional, and more precise.
The writer Oscar Wilde once asserted:
Language is the foundation that creates thought, not a product born from thought.
4. The Role of Vocabulary and Grammar
When you have a rich vocabulary and a solid grammatical structure, language becomes more flexible, and thinking develops accordingly. When I first learned English, due to limited vocabulary and weak grammar, I was forced to think very simply; many of my writings back then sounded like the expressions of a child.
5. Speaking and Writing – Two Core Skills for Thinking
To practice thinking in a foreign language, the two most important skills are speaking and writing. These are active skills that force the brain to process information, synthesize, and express it in the language being learned, rather than translating through the mother tongue.
6. Brain Processing of Speaking vs. Writing
Research at Columbia University shows that speaking and writing belong to two different regions of the brain:
Therefore, to think well in a foreign language, it is necessary to practice both skills simultaneously.
7. Reading and Listening to Elevate Thinking
If you only stop at speaking and writing, your thinking often only reaches a basic level. To develop further, you need to read more and listen more. Exposure to high-difficulty content helps expand vocabulary, linguistic structures, and abstract thinking abilities.
8. Building a Foreign Language Thinking Environment
If you don’t have the condition to live abroad, you can still actively create a learning environment for yourself through 4 activities:
9. Important Notes in the Practice Process
Expose yourself to many different types of content and combine multiple skills at once. This helps the brain adapt better and form flexible thinking.
10. Conclusion
Thinking in a foreign language is the result of a long process, not a quick tip or forced effort. When you focus on the process, learn naturally and comfortably, the ability to think in a foreign language will come when you least expect it.
EFFORT WITHOUT PRESSURE – BELIEVE IN YOUR OWN JOURNEY.
Recently, I received an email from a viewer who is an English teacher, asking how to improve the ability to think in English. If you’ve watched my videos, you know I emphasize the importance of thinking in a foreign language. Personally, when I started learning English, I struggled significantly because I only learned in school with textbooks, with limited exposure to native speakers or media.
However, when I began to realize I could think in English—writing my thoughts directly in English instead of translating from Vietnamese, and even dreaming in English—I naturally felt my proficiency skyrocket. I started writing long scholarship essays, speaking at seminars, and doing things I couldn’t do before.
Therefore, I always stress the importance of practicing thinking in any foreign language you are learning. In today’s video, I want to motivate you by sharing some neuroscience insights. To practice thinking in a foreign language, you must understand a truth few know: language shapes thought.
Point 1: Language Shapes Thought
Many believe we think first and then find a language to express it. However, research, particularly in neuroscience regarding writing and the brain, shows that language helps form our thoughts, allowing us to write, speak, and express ourselves better.
Specifically, knowing more vocabulary and grammar structures makes your language more flexible and rich, helping you practice complex, multidimensional thinking. As the famous writer Oscar Wilde wrote: “Language is the parent, and not the child, of thought.” You need to be good at a language for your thinking to be coherent and fluid.
This is why learning vocabulary and grammar, though it sounds boring, is essential to start thinking in another language. I remember starting English seriously in high school. My Vietnamese was already highly developed, yet when I touched English, my limited vocabulary forced me to think more simply, almost like a child.
Point 2: Focus on Active Skills – Speaking and Writing
To practice thinking in a foreign language, focus on active skills: speaking and writing. While reading and listening are vital, active skills force the brain to synthesize information and express it in your own words in the foreign language.
This active operation increases reflexes and helps the brain start thinking in the target language instead of translating from the mother tongue. Research from Columbia University shows that speaking and writing involve different brain regions. This is why you should practice both simultaneously.
Being fluent in both doesn’t just help with foreign languages; it improves communication in your native tongue. My experience shows that clear thinking in English actually makes my Vietnamese reasoning more coherent. It’s about logic and argumentation, which transcends individual languages.
Point 3: Develop All 4 Skills Equally to Enhance Thinking
While active skills help you start thinking, developing all four skills equally elevates that thinking. Reading more provides academic vocabulary and advanced structures, while listening well improves conversational reflexes.
Just like in your native language, if you only read comics, your vocabulary remains basic. To upgrade your thinking, you must read university-level texts or complex literature. This also addresses the issue of “code-switching.” As your thinking becomes more coherent in both languages, the need to mix them decreases.
Point 4: Build an Environment That Forces Foreign Language Thinking
The best way to practice is to create an environment that requires you to think in another language. If you can’t move abroad, you can still immerse yourself by:
- Reading international books and news regularly.
- Watching TV and listening to music in the target language.
- Speaking only the target language with specific groups of friends.
- Starting an English Journal.
- Writing poetry or telling stories in the foreign language.
It is crucial to diversify the genres you consume—from science to poetry—and coordinate multiple skills at once, such as speaking about what you’ve just read.
