Is fluency in Foreign Language skills related to automatic thinking in that language?

Question

From my experience when we first learned a foreign language, we tended to translate from our mother tongue. Consequently, we were quite slow to be fluent regarding our speaking/writing skills. I wonder if there're such problems for people learning/mastering your foreign language skills and what are some practical ways to improve your fluency. I sometimes tell my bachelor degree students, "Think in English, then write/speak in English"; or this approach is too difficult for them. I mean they need to read more, speak more so that they can immerse in that language till, over time, they can express themselves more automatically.

The Answers Team's informed me to extend for four more days, thanks.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, people have very different definitions of "fluency" sometimes. Some people think that fluency means speaking very fast. Other people think that fluency means saying everything correctly. Linguists consider fluency to be something more like you're able to get a lot of language out, but it's not necessarily accurate.

I also generally tell my ESL students not to try to translate from their native language when writing in English. But my goal isn't necessarily to control their thoughts; instead I'm trying to get them to prevent the very non-native-like constructions that happen when they try to translate sentences word-for-word from their native languages.

As for your methodological suggestions, we shall see. It's an empirical question.

Answer 2

I think so. I've been learning French for 5 years now, and still learning but sometimes for certain words, I would think of the French word instead of the English word.
I think it's a good idea that you've mentioned- think in that foreign language then write/speak in that foreign language. That will definitely help improve fluency. It may not be easy at first, but nothing is easy to begin with! And, for the learner, once they realise the mistake, the next time they try think in that language, (hopefully) they will remember that mistake and automatically correct it in their mind before saying the sentence out loud. At least, that's what happens to me anyway :)
My French teacher always tells us students to try figure out the French first, and not to translate straight from English, before asking or looking up the correct answer.
Now, I'm almost fluent whenever I think in French!

Answer 3

You are absolutely right. Unfortunately untill you have some level of fluency it is virtually impossible to think in the languague. You will find that once a person is able to think in a language thier vocabulary will often go ahead in leaps and bounds, The easiest way to do this is emerse yourself ENTIRELY in the language.I have found that it is much more tiring on the brain to switch between languages, than to pick one for the day

Answer 4

for my area , i think of it incredibly is once you could carry an precis communication e.g. approximately politics or philosophy in that language. A multilingual buddy of mine as quickly as reported that in case you commence dreaming in a much off places language then you definately be attentive to you're fluent in that language.

Answer 5

Yes if you think in one language most of the time it can be difficult to express yourself in another .It is worth attempting to think in the other language(s) that you want to speak in also.

Answer 6

Du bist richtig. Spot on. Right!