Today we're going to look at a hot topic of debate in the realm of language
learning and that is; when you are having a conversation in English can you, should
you, stop translating in your head from your own language to English? Well the
short answer is no because if you don't translate in your head where else are
you going to do it? In your feet? your hands? in your arse? ok I guess I'm being a
little bit flippant here but I know that a lot of you out there get frustrated
when you're having a conversation in English because before you say the
sentence in English you think of it in your language and then translate and, of
course, by the time you've got the right words out it's too late and the
conversation has moved on to another topic while you're sitting there like a
lemon waiting for their English sentence to get to your lips. But is there
anything you can do about it? Now instead of me telling you "stop translating in
your head don't do it guys" let's have a look at what the science says what
psychologists believe based on research of the human mind and how it works then
we're going to look at what you can do to use this science to speak more
fluently and learn english more quickly to find out more stay tuned!
Hello and welcome to LetThemTalk so can you stop translating in your head
when you're having a conversation? Let's have a look at a scientific explanation.
Psychologists tell us that there are two types of memory in your brain there's
system 1 memory and your system 2 memory. Let me explain. Let me ask you a question
can you drive a car? When you first got into a car I bet it was difficult, I bet
it seemed impossibly complicated you turn the steering wheel and at the same
time you indicate, check for drivers in the other lanes, change gears. Now when
you need all your concentration to tackle a task that's your system 1
memory. Ok but now you've been driving for a few years
bloody easy isn't it? You could do in your sleep. No, frankly, I don't recommend
that. Over time it has become automatic (not the car your memory, I mean) You no
longer need to concentrate on the mechanics of driving the ability to do a
complex task without thinking about each individual step is your system 2 memory.
If you leave your country and drive a car in a country where
they drive on the other side of the road, for example, I'm from the UK and they
drive on the left there but if I drive in France they drive on the right so for
the first few hours I will need to engage once more my system 1 memory
until it reverts to system 2 and it becomes automatic again. If you learn to
type in the beginning you look at each key and it's slow. slow
and now clack, clack, clack you don't even need to look at the keyboard
anymore. So fast that steam comes out of your computer that's system 2. when you're
learning a musical instrument you move from one note to another slowly and
methodically you still make mistakes that system 1 and now you play with
your eyes closed - that's system 2. when you're learning new software, learning
how to skate. System one, you learn it, it becomes automatic, you're on system 2.
ok I'm sure you can think of hundreds of examples of this so why do you think
it's any different when learning a language? it's isn't it's exactly the
same. Now I want to show you something we're going to cut open a
human brain and see what's going on inside. Ok I don't actually have a human
brain I don't have any permission for that and anyway, I'd just get blood all
over the carpet it would would be a terrible mess so we're going to use a
cabbage. We're going to cut open a cabbage and let me show you what
we find.
okay you ready for this we find.... cabbage leaves actually no! Let's look a
bit closer. Here we are the inside of your brain. Let's get a little bit
closer now you see these black pins that
represents language in your system 2 memory language that you can recall
instantly most of the time your native language.
now sometimes even in your native language you can struggle to remember a
complex word or phrase likewise foreign words can be in your system 2
memory. I don't speak Chinese but I know that Nihao means "hello" I
don't need to translate that every time I want to say hello in Chinese. same
with konnichiwa and jumbo Karp kun Krap okay I'm not translating I don't speak
those languages. now you see the the white drawing pins now when you learn a
new word or phrase it goes into your system 1 memory over here ok and every
time that you use that word you have to go from system 2, search for it in
system 1 and then bring it back and use it in conversation. Takes time but, big
but, every time you use that word it moves a little bit down along your
brain towards system 2 so in that way it becomes red before becoming black
So it's on its way from system 1 to system 2. Here we are
I learn that new word, it becomes red now it's
red it becomes black. Imagine you learn a new word FLUMMOXED. Do
you know what that means? it means confused or bewildered you check the
dictionary you learn in your language say Spanish that the closest translation
is DESCONCERTADO. Now the first time you use it in conversation it's
difficult the British Parliament seems to be completely...... flummoxed. Too late
they're talking about something else. Now they're talking about climate change, how
to make carrot cake, whatever it's too late. it took a few seconds get from
there today. but carry on using FLUMMOXED it moves from a system 1
to your system 2 memory. And now
you're using it all the time "when the computer stopped working and I couldn't
use my powerpoint presentation I was completely flummoxed I didn't know
what to say." Well now I've done it I think I've got it. Next the
million-dollar question is how many times do you need to use a word before
it goes into your system 2 memory? The answer
is seven. The magic number
seems to be seven if you use a word or phrase seven times then it will go into
your system 2 memory roughly speaking. Of course it differs from situation to
situation and person to person although psychologists
tell us that this is a fairly consistent figure. So how does this help us? Simply
put when you're learning new vocabulary you should use it as much as possible.
Use it in conversation, write it down in your emails, your correspondence, you can you talk
to yourself and use it that way yes absolutely you can, it doesn't matter.
just embrace new vocabulary new phrases use them all the time and they will pass
from your system 1 memory to your system 2 memory in approximately
7 times. So go out and use this method and you will no longer be flummoxed by
the English language don't tell yourself all that teachers or anybody else tell
you that it's a problem translating in your head no this is natural, it's normal
just take your time and you will move your English from system 1 to system 2
memory. It's a slow process but if you're constantly learning constantly
practising you will get better, you will get fluent in English.