Once you've mastered another language can you 'think' in that language?

Question

I am just starting to learn Spanish and i only speak my native language English at the moment. ( shame on me!) but i was wondering if a language is learned later on in life ( in other words - not as a second language from being a child) will i eventually stop saying the Spanish words and thinking about the English translation... does it really become totally natural to ourselves??? I hope i am making sense here??? Will i naturally say Mi nombre es mojo jo jo ( that is not my real name of course!!) without thinking about what it means in English? Can a second language become as natural as the first ( if learned properly) and not have to be interpreted by oneself but simply understood?
Hope the answer is yes and i'd be interested to hear about anyones experiences learning a foreign language and any hints and tips you have? ( i have bought a CD and book course to learn from )
thanks for all of your answers!

Hey thanks everyone for the answers so far, i have really enjoyed reading them - me alegro mucho!
I am even more excited to learn the language and am going to take the advice to listen to spanish radio and watch spanish films.
I am going to Spain for a holiday in May so am looking forward to putting my skills to the test.
Adios

Answer 1

I'm Italian and I'm fluent in English, French and Spanish (learned at school in Italy and then improved, without having lived abroad for long periods).
At my beginnings with all the 3 languages I was thinking in Italian and then I was translating into the foreign idiom.But this was just at my beginnings and at the moment I discovered I was no longer translating but thinking either in English or in French (or Spanish) then that was the signal that I had mastered them.
This is also necessary if you want speak fluently since any language has its own construction of the sentences and it's impossible to simply translate from our native to a foreign language. That's what they're more or less doing all the on-line translators and if you know the languages they're translating into then you'll know immediately what a bad job they're doing.
My best tip to learn an additional language is to listen the radio or watch TV and movies (better if subtitled at yr beginnings). Also reading books it's a good help since after a few pages you'll read them without translating (of course you must have an advanced level of knowledge of that language and this you'll achieve soon if you are interested in learning).
Good luck.

Answer 2

Well, yes and no at the same time. A definite factor is the age you start to learn a new language. It is common sense: the sooner the better. As an adult, your brain uses different cognitive areas to "digest" a new language; rationalization, comparison and contrast processes are being involved in a far greater scale as compared to the same work done by a child, who just "absorbs" the new language.
I'm trying to be realistic here. You can dream, think and even count in a different language, but you'll never come to the same level of proficiency you use your native language. However, I think you can live with that. Only people who have been raised in bilingual families could consider themselves as perfectly bilingual. What I think you would like to achieve, is the highest level of functionality in that language (Spanish).
As to how to improve the new language, much has already been said: read books, listen to radio programs, watch TV, get involved with people that speaks Spanish, and something that was not mentioned, try to write on different topics in Spanish; that will significantly enhance your vocabulary.

Be patient and keep practicing.

Answer 3

Hello! I got the best answer for you... Why? I have a couple of reasons...

I'll start saying that I was born in Venezuela, and I speak spanish [D'oohhh!]. My dad's family side has "that" to learn new languages. My grampa, dad, my cousing, and myself speak more than two languages. What i'm trying to say is that sometimes there's "something" that allow us to learn certain tasks easier and more efficiently than other people. Personally I can say that I'm sooo bad remembering song lyrics, but there's people that absorb a lot of words apparently without even having a problem [Rappers, etc...] Got me now? This does not mean that you can't learn another language, but it'll be harder and you'll get less out of it unfortunately.

Anyhow, I speak english and It was really easy to learn it for me [Well, i love culture, people and of course languages!]. It takes forever to learn a new language. It's a progressive, non-stopping learning process. Now, one could say that it doesn't... Well, unless you go to a country [in which the language you want to learn is spoken], just like I did coming to the US and learned while practing, I hardly see that anybody could learn fluently [including the so important slangs, specially in spanish where there are many countries and maaaany different words, etc...] a language 100%. The good news is that you don't need to worry about it! Why? You live in a country where spanish speakers are spreaded all over the states. Here's one... Hi!

Now, as far as the "think in spanish" thing, well yes. It'll happen to you.... if you study enough, and if you "understand" the structure. It just comes to you after practicing, and practicing.... Don't be afraid or discouraged if you make a mistake when talking! I personally feel good when somebody from another country tries to talk to me in spanish..... I love it! Anyway, I have been learning japanese, and even though everything is grammatically composed/arranged different than spanish or english, I can think in japanese with no problem whatsoever. Same thing when I tried mandarin....

Anyhow, I hope this works for you! And hit me aline or two in spanish if you want! I'll help ya..

Answer 4

Yes, it will eventually become natural, and if you speak it enough you will start to "think" in Spanish also. This has happened to many people. Here's an example: An English speaking missionary went to Russia, and leaned the language. After being in Russia for a while, she never even thought about speaking or thinking in English. When she returned to her home after many years in Russia, her family would have to continually remind her to speak in English, because halfway through a sentence she would start peaking in Russian again!

You mentioned that in your mind you had to think to translate the word from English to Spanish, and from Spanish to English. This is not the best way to learn Spanish. When I say, "hair" what do you think? Do you think of the Spanish word, and then go, "oh yes, hair!" No, you immediately think of the stuff that normally sits on top of a person's head. The best way to learn Spanish is to associate the Spanish word with what the word means, not associate the Spanish word with the English word. Such as someone says, "Pelo" and you automatically just think the stuff that normally sits on a person's head. The Rosetta Stone works this way.

I hope I helped!

Answer 5

Yes, of course! I speak, Spanish, Basque, English and French. But you must speak if is possible with native people. I'm Spanish but have been living to England. My English isn't very good but I'm still learning and for me go to England was the best way because I couldn't say or understand any word in English and now, after more or less one year I have the First Certificate. So, for my experience I suggest you to come to Spain if you can, even if at first moment could be a little difficult. For example, you can choose for a summer job in the beach or a school with accommodation, something like that. Is good experience and you will meet a lot of people.

Answer 6

I would even say that when you speak it fluently, can you imagine this : you receive an info in your new language, then you have to translate it into yours, then you have to think of an answer and to translate it into the other language. Can you think of the time it would take to do all this ? It does not take all that time actually, does it ? Then it means that you think in the new language.

So you do not have to translate, your mind does it automatically and you are not conscious of that.

All depends on the practise you have of course. The more you practise a language (speaking, listening, reading...), the more you improve it and the better you will know it. You will be able to speak it at the same speed as natives do, understand and express more and more things, read more and more things too.
Eventually, you may become bilingual and that's just great ! It's a matter of time and motivation. I can tell you it's possible !

Answer 7

English has become my second language when I actually spent a year in the States without being able to speak my native language. Ever since (and it's been over 13 years now) I do think in English. This also helped me in my profession since I am good at 2 languages - I've become an interpreter.
But I noticed this can only happen to a person who is relatively young - it's becomes harder for people as they age.

Answer 8

Yes. It takes a while. German was the last language I began learning, but the first I remember dreaming in. It may not be as 'natural' as one you spoke first, but it becomes natural in that you will realize you are understanding what is being said without having to stop and translate each and every word as you hear it.

Once you have gained confidence in your learning, add some other sources such as Spanish television programs and DVDs. These are great also since you can keep up with them and keep your use of your second language.

Answer 9

yes, I moved in Canada 3 years ago and asked myself the same question. The amount of "thinking in English" is much bigger every month. So to say, right now, most of my thoughts are in English language. I consider this one of my greatest transformations. It seems that I use my native language words when I don't know their translation into English. Some can say " you hate your native language". No, I love both languages but I find more useful the acquired language in an English speaking country.
There are other aspects about this: when do you start to count differently (!) or when you start to write your thoughts in a different language AT EASE and unconscious. Thinking is mostly an uncontrolled process. You can force yourself to think in a different language but it's a little didactical and phony. The interesting thing is when it comes naturally.
Th factors that contribute are: how much you still talk English with others ( for example many chinese students find harder to learn it since they make a compact group and talk Chinese almost all day), the duration since you started a different language,
how much interactive are you with English speakers and so on.
Now I referred to English but you can substitute with any other language, in your case, Spanish. I try to learn Spanish too. I have some friends who teach me some words, I have some books that I can read. I could read news in Spanish (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/news/ ), or go into chat rooms from Latin America. Tip: try to find similar words between English and Spanish.( example: pork/porco, labyrinth/laberinto) You can see these similarities at www.dictionary.com, search a word then scroll down at the page bottom( Kernerman dictionary).

Answer 10

I was 25 when I was transferred to Mexico. I had no choice but to learn the language. I was doing pretty good in a couple of months. (No English spoken!) After 10 years or so, I not only thought in Spanish, but my dreams were in Spanish too!

I also learned 2 other languages.

What is funny is when you are translating for someone and you translate in the same language as it was spoken in. Example to clarify: Someone spoke Spanish to you to translate to someone in English. You told the English speaker the translation in Spanish. Confusing? No?

I remember one old cowboy told me "one day you will be like the sordo mudo! Where you will find out how little Spanish you know and refuse to speak Spanish because of embarrassment, then you will try to speak English and find out that you forgot that language."

I moved back state side after 20 years of living abroad, and now I'm back to what I call normal???

My eldest son is certified in 12 languages. I asked him your question, and his reply was "whatever language I am speaking is what I am thinking."

All of my children speak at least 3 languages, and they all say the same thing. My daughter said she has problems of changing from one language back to another. Plus she can't translate a conversation very well.