[Music] hey everyone welcome back to the English Learning Podcast I'm Brain and I'm Anna We're so excited to be with you today for another episode that'll help you speak English with more confidence and ease Absolutely And today's topic is one I really love Speak the way you think It sounds simple right but it's actually a gamecher for anyone learning English Yes So many learners struggle because they try to translate every word from their native language before they speak and that slows them down makes them nervous and just takes the fun out of speaking Exactly In this episode we're going to show you how to flip that around We'll help you stop translating and start thinking and speaking directly in English We'll break it down into easy steps give you real life examples and even do a fun roleplay to show you the difference Plus we'll give you a little speaking challenge you can try this week So grab your headphones relax and let's dive into today's episode Speak the Way You Think Ready Anna ready let's go All right Before we teach how to speak the way you think let's talk about the big problem that stops most learners from doing it Yeah And that problem is thinking in your native language first It's such a common habit I've seen it in my students all the time Same here Let's say someone wants to say "I'm hungry in English." But before they speak their brain says it in their first language Then they try to find the English words And by the time they do that the moment's already awkward right that delay creates hesitation stress and often silence You can know the words but if you're always translating it feels like your brain is walking through mud That's a good image walking through mud And what's worse sometimes the translation doesn't even work perfectly What makes sense in your language might sound strange in English Exactly I remember a student once said "I have hunger." because that's how it's said in their language Technically it's understandable but it's not how native speakers talk And that creates frustration Learners think "I studied so hard Why can't I speak fluently?" But the real issue isn't knowledge It's the habit of thinking in the wrong language And you know what this habit is totally natural at the beginning It's not your fault Our brains are trying to help by using what we already know But at some point we have to train it to think directly in English Yes And the sooner you start training your brain to stop translating the faster you'll become fluent It's all about reprogramming your thought patterns It's kind of like switching gears in a car At first it's clunky You stall You make mistakes But after a while your brain just drives You don't even think about it That's a great metaphor And later in the episode we'll show you how to switch gears and make English your default way of thinking But first let's talk about what it actually means to speak the way you think Let's do it So we've talked about the problem translating from your native language Now let's get into the heart of today's topic What does it really mean to speak the way you think great question To me it means that your thoughts and your words are connected directly There's no middle step You're not translating or hesitating You're just expressing your thoughts as they come But in English exactly Think about how kids speak They don't overthink grammar They just say what's in their head That's what we want learners to aim for Not perfection but natural flow Yes When native speakers talk they don't plan every sentence in their head before speaking They think in the language and speak at the same time That's the goal Here's a simple analogy Imagine your brain is like a water tap When you speak the way you think the water flows directly But if you stop to translate you're turning the tap off then back on again every few seconds That's a good one And it's why people feel so frustrated They know what they want to say but they can't get the words out quickly Right speaking the way you think means training your brain to think in English even before you open your mouth Let's give an example If I'm thinking I need to go to the store I want that thought to happen in English Not first in my language then changed Just boom I need to go to the store Exactly And here's the cool part The more you practice this the more natural it becomes Just like muscle memory when you learn to dance or play an instrument Totally At first it's slow You have to catch yourself but later your brain gets faster You hear something in English and your response comes in English automatically and that's when speaking becomes fun You feel more confident conversations flow and you don't get stuck on every word So speaking the way you think isn't magic it's mindset and practice It's building the habit of forming your thoughts in English and trusting yourself to speak them out Beautifully said And don't worry we're going to guide you through how to develop that habit step by step in the next part Stay with us because up next we'll break down how to actually train your brain to do this in daily life You don't want to miss it All right let's get practical So far we've talked about what it means to speak the way you think Now let's break it down How do you actually start doing it exactly We're going to walk you through five simple steps you can follow every day to train your brain to think and speak directly in English Let's jump into step one Start small You don't have to think about politics or philosophy in English right away Just begin with simple daily thoughts Yeah like I'm tired I need coffee Or it's sunny today These little thoughts happen all the time and they're perfect for practice It's about creating the habit The more often your brain hears itself using English the more natural it becomes Once you're comfortable with small thoughts move to common topics Your day your plans what you're cooking For example while brushing your teeth you can think after this I'll make breakfast I have eggs Maybe I'll make an omelette Exactly It's not about being perfect It's about building fluency and comfort This is a powerful technique Listen to short English clips TV shows podcasts YouTube and repeat after the speaker right away Try to copy their tone speed and rhythm Don't pause don't translate just echo what you hear This helps your brain and mouth work together It trains you to think and speak at the same time This is a big one So many learners stop mids sentence to ask "Wait is this correct?" That breaks the flow Yes Don't worry about perfect grammar when you're training your speaking brain Mistakes are part of the process Fluency comes before accuracy Speak freely first Fix mistakes later One of my favorite tips talk to yourself in English out loud or in your head Yes Describe what you're doing I'm opening the fridge H I need milk It feels silly but it really works And journaling is great too Write your thoughts in English even simple ones It connects thinking and writing which supports speaking If you follow these five steps consistently you'll start to notice a huge shift English won't feel like a second language It'll just feel like language Exactly The goal is to make English your thinking language not just your study language And remember this is a practice not a test Be patient keep going and it will get easier every day Coming up next we'll show you a fun roleplay that compares the difference between translated speaking and natural thinking You'll hear the change All right it's time for a fun little role play We're going to show you two versions of the same conversation First we'll do it the way many English learners speak by translating from their native language Then we'll do it again but naturally by thinking and speaking directly in English Listen carefully to the difference in speed tone and flow Uh hello Anna Um how is your day going my day it is good I went to the um shop I buy No I bought vegetables and um milk Ah yes I also go no I went to supermarket for eggs but they not have yeah this happened many times the eggs are finished I mean out of stock yes yes I understand you hey Anna how's your day going pretty good I went to the store this morning and grabbed some vegetables and milk nice I went out too tried to buy eggs but they were out gh that always happens I feel like eggs disappear the second I walk in Seriously maybe we need to wake up earlier next time Or just buy a chicken Problem solved Now that conversation flowed It wasn't perfect but it was natural quick and easy to follow That's the power of speaking the way you think You don't overanalyze You just express If you're listening at home try this with a friend or even by yourself Record yourself doing both versions You'll feel the difference and you'll sound more confident more fluent and definitely more natural All right up next let's talk about how to practice this every day even if you live in a non-English environment Before we move into daily practice tips we've got to talk about something huge your mindset Yes this is one of the biggest barriers we see Many learners are so afraid of making mistakes that they stop speaking altogether It's like they think if I make a mistake I'll sound stupid or people will laugh at me But here's the truth Nobody speaks perfectly all the time Not even native speakers That's so true Even we mess up We forget words We restart sentences It's totally normal The key is don't let the fear of mistakes silence you Exactly Making mistakes is not failure It's proof you're trying Every error is a step forward It means you're practicing not just watching videos and reading textbooks And honestly most people admire you for speaking a second language They're not judging you They're impressed So if you're trying to speak the way you think you have to let go of the need to be perfect Think of yourself as a learner not a performer Let's try a little mindset trick Instead of thinking I hope I don't make a mistake say "It's okay to make mistakes I'll learn from them." I love that Here's another one Fluency is not perfection Fluency is flow Yes So if you say something like he go to school yesterday sure the grammar's off but the meaning is clear That's a win Exactly You communicated And that's what language is all about So remember mistakes are part of the process Embrace them learn from them and keep speaking because the only real mistake is staying silent Okay time to put all of this into action If you're listening right now wherever you are we want you to do this with us So here's how it works We're going to say a sentence in English Then we'll pause During that pause we want you to say your own version of the sentence based on your real life It doesn't have to be perfect It just has to be real and in English Are you ready all right First sentence I wake up at 7 a.m every morning Now you try What time do you wake up say it out loud Great Next one After I wake up I brush my teeth and make coffee Now you say what you do after you wake up Now let's talk about today Listen to this Today I feel a little tired but I'm excited to record this podcast Your turn How do you feel today what are you doing today nice See you're thinking and speaking in English Let's do one more Here's a future one Tonight I'm going to relax and watch a movie What about you what are you doing tonight awesome Even if your answers were short or simple that's okay You're practicing how to speak the way you think in real time This kind of practice done daily builds fluency fast And the best part you can do it anywhere while walking cooking or even just thinking All right take a deep breath and give yourself a little smile You're doing great Let's move into our final section Some closing thoughts and practical advice to help you stay consistent All right so let's wrap things up with some practical daily habits These are small easy things you can do every day to train your brain to think and speak directly in English right no need for big textbooks or long lessons just daily habits that fit naturally into your routine We mentioned this earlier but it's worth repeating Talk to yourself in your mind or out loud Narrate your actions like I'm washing my face or I need to buy bread today Keep it simple Make it part of your life Pick one short audio clip a day maybe from this podcast a movie or YouTube and shadow it Repeat what they say as quickly as you can Try to copy not just the words but the tone and rhythm It helps your brain and mouth stay in sync This one's fun Ask yourself things like "What did I do today?" or "What do I want for dinner?" Then answer in English Even 5 minutes of this a day makes a big difference You're training your brain to stay in English not jump back to your native language At the end of your day write three simple sentences in English Don't worry about grammar Just write what you think Example I went to work I felt tired I ate noodles Done It builds the thinking speaking writing connection If you can stick to even two of these habits you'll be amazed how fast your English thinking improves It's not about big changes It's about small daily steps That's what builds fluency that lasts All right it's time for our listener challenge of the week And this one is all about taking action Here's your challenge For the next seven days speak to yourself in English for at least 3 minutes every day No translating Just speak whatever comes to your mind You can do it in the morning while walking cooking or even in the shower Just talk about your day your plans your thoughts in English And don't worry about mistakes Remember fluency comes from practice not perfection Here's a bonus If you want to take it further record yourself each day You'll hear your progress by the end of the week If you're feeling brave share your progress online post a short clip and tag us at Englishlearning Podcast We'd love to cheer you on So are you in say it out loud right now I accept the challenge Yes that's the spirit Let's grow together one sentence at a time And that brings us to the end of today's episode We hope you enjoyed learning how to speak the way you think Remember fluency isn't about perfection It's about being comfortable with your own voice your own thoughts expressed naturally in English The real magic happens when you stop translating and start thinking directly in English It's not always easy but every small step counts Exactly Keep practicing those daily habits Accept your mistakes and don't be afraid to speak up And don't forget our listener challenge Speak to yourself in English for just a few minutes each day You'll be amazed at the progress you make Thank you so much for joining us today If you found this episode helpful please like share and subscribe to the English Learning Podcast We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences so drop your comments below or connect with us on social media Until next time keep thinking in English and keep speaking your way to fluency Bye for now