Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher , we answer a question from Hoang in Vietnam about how to think in English.
你好！本周，在“请教老师”节目中，我们回答了越南 Hoang 提出的关于如何用英语思考的问题。
Dear Teacher,
亲爱的老师：
People say that to speak English fluently , you need to think in English. So how can I think in English faster? When I talk with foreigners…with the first conversation , I talk very slowly and the remaining time I use for thinking. And with the second conversation (because I've been talking before), I feel natural and I speak more fluently.
人们说要说流利的英语，你需要用英语思考。那么如何才能更快地用英语思考呢？当我和外国人交谈时……第一次交谈时，我说得很慢，剩下的时间我用来思考。而到了第二次对话（因为我之前已经说过了），我感觉很自然，而且说得更流利了。
So how can I be fluent like the second conversation when I'm having the first conversation?
那么如何才能在第一次对话时像第二次对话一样流畅呢？
It can be difficult to fully explain how to think in a foreign language. That is because the explanation asks us to consider the relationship between thoughts and the language we use to express them.
完全解释如何用外语思考可能很困难。这是因为解释要求我们考虑思想和我们用来表达思想的语言之间的关系。
However, we can still notice what happens when we think in a foreign language. And we can compare it to times when we have to pause and translate from our native language.
然而，我们仍然可以注意到当我们用外语思考时会发生什么。我们可以将其与我们必须暂停并翻译母语的时候进行比较。
Consider what happens when you exchange simple greetings, questions, and answers in a foreign language. If someone asks you in English, “How are you today?” you can probably answer without pausing or translating from your native language. For example, you can quickly reply, “I’m fine, thank you. And how are you?”
想象一下当您用外语交换简单的问候、问题和答案时会发生什么。如果有人用英语问你“How are you Today?”您也许可以无需暂停或翻译您的母语即可回答。例如，你可以快速回复：“我很好，谢谢。你好吗？”
This example shows us the basic things we need for thinking in a foreign language. In this situation, you know all the words you need to say. You don’t need to stop and think about the grammar. And you have heard and said these phrases so many times that your response is automatic .
这个例子向我们展示了用外语思考所需的基本知识。在这种情况下，你知道你需要说的所有话。你不需要停下来思考语法。而且你已经听过并说过这些短语很多次了，以至于你的反应是自然而然的。
The reason the second conversation you talk about feels more natural is because you have already heard and used some of the vocabulary and grammar you need. So, for any subject you want to discuss, you will be able to think in English after you have learned and practiced what you need to say many times.
您谈论的第二次对话之所以感觉更自然，是因为您已经听到并使用了您需要的一些词汇和语法。因此，对于您想要讨论的任何主题，在多次学习和练习您需要说的内容后，您将能够用英语思考。
Steps for thinking in English
用英语思考的步骤
Here are some suggestions for learning to think in English:
以下是一些学习用英语思考的建议：
Choose a subject you are interested in discussing. Then, imagine you are speaking with another person. How easily and quickly can your mind find the vocabulary and grammar you need? Note when you need to pause to find vocabulary or think about grammar. Next, learn the vocabulary and grammar and then practice using them several times. Repeat the words until they become automatic.
选择一个您有兴趣讨论的主题。然后，想象您正在与另一个人交谈。您的大脑如何轻松、快速地找到所需的词汇和语法？请注意何时需要停下来寻找词汇或思考语法。接下来，学习词汇和语法，然后练习使用它们几次。重复这些单词，直到它们变成自动的。
If you can plan ahead and practice in your mind what you will likely talk about, then your first conversation might feel easier and similar to a second conversation.
如果您可以提前计划并在脑海中练习您可能会谈论的内容，那么您的第一次对话可能会感觉更容易，并且与第二次对话相似。
Keep in mind that, to think in English, you need to read, listen to, and speak as much English as possible. This will help your mind use English more easily.
请记住，要用英语思考，您需要尽可能多地阅读、聆听和说英语。这将帮助您的大脑更轻松地使用英语。