How to think in English

If you can think in English, this will help you to speak, write, listen and read without having to translate everything to or from Japanese. This will improve your comprehension abilities, and make the English which you speak and write more natural.

1. Learn vocabulary in phrases or sentences, not in single words.

2. Try not to translate everything to and from Japanese. If you cannot think of an English word, do not immediately use a Japanese-English dictionary. Try to express what you want to say or write in very simple Japanese, and then put this into English, using words which you already know. (We will practice this in class!)

3. Read passages which you already understand several times, trying to understand them in English, without translating them into Japanese.

4. Talk to yourself in English rather than in Japanese. For example, if the weather is cold, say to yourself 'It's cold today!'.

5. Listen to English as much as possible.