do people who speak different languages think in their 1st language?

Question

just wanna know

Answer 1

usually unless it has been a long time and they were young when they learned their 2nd language.

Answer 2

I speak 3 different languages and I agree with Tabun.When I speak English my thoughts are in English only if there is a difficult word then I think in German.I noticed that I have a hard time thinking in a different language when I am very upset.German will come in first and I have to concentrate on the language I am using at the time it's like reprogramming your brain sounds weird.

Answer 3

Generally yes, but there are some exceptions. My father's first language was Italian, but he was schooled in the United States & lived here for most of his life so that at a certain age he began to think in English.
BTW, he continued to speak to some people in Italian -so it's not that he ever discontinued using that language (it just became a secondary language to him).

Answer 4

Yes, unless they use "immersion" which is when they do "everything" possible in their new language. After a while they actually begin to think in their new language, immersion is not a commonly used method as most people who do this tend to move to the country and speak ONLY that language and nothing else for a period of time. So, learning immersion in the U.S. is rather difficult unless you move to a Swedish or German area, etc.

Answer 5

The longer I speak another language I have spoken a few depending on the need the more I think in that respective language even dream in it. But it depends on how much I have been using that language as to how much it affects me. Generally I tend to echo in my mind in the other languages whatever I say in the language I am speaking in. But I have been known to talk in my sleep in the language of the country that I resided in speaking another language for as long as a year afterwards. I think it depends upon just how deeply dependent one is and how totally immersed one is in that other language.

Answer 6

No. I don't understand why there are so many "yes" answers on here, because by the time you become fluent in a language, and sometimes even quite a bit before, you stop translating in your head, except when you might come across an especially difficult grammatical construct.

Answer 7

Yes. Ask someone who speaks different languages to count to 10 in someother language than their native tongue. One of two things will likely happen, either thell stop to think so the can saywhat you want in the other language or the will count out in their native language.

Answer 8

No, after an extended period of immersion in a new language ones thoughts start to come in the new language. Of course this only occurs if they discontinue speaking in their old langauge for a long period of time.

Answer 9

I had a boss who was from South America and had been here about 10yrs and spoke English fluently. His wife didnt speak his language and when his mom came to visit, he mentioned that he was having a hard time, because when he was translating between his wife and mom, that he was having to translate in his head from English to Argentinian. I remember thinking it was odd that he no longer thought in his native tongue. But other people I know who speak other languages, say they think in the native tongue.

Answer 10

thats a great question...i have always wanted to kno

as for me...i can speak 3 languages and i always think in my english (which is my first language)

Answer 11

the answer is: It depends ... I think in whatever language I learned that concept or idea 1st -- which can be confusing sometimes and can be embarassing.