Shadowing Practice: STOP TRANSLATING IN YOUR HEAD | Tips For Thinking In English - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
Hey, in this week's English lesson, I want to help you, yes you, finally start thinking In English, you heard me right.
2
You're going to stop translating in your mind.
3
Instead, you'll start thinking in English and speaking English with confidence.
4
Are you ready?
5
Well then I'm teacher Tiffany.
6
Let's jump right in.
7
Tip number one, tip number one is to surround.
8
yourself. with English.
9
Let me break this down.
10
In other words, you need to immerse yourself in English speaking environments as much as possible.
11
This includes watching movies, listening to music and reading books in English.
12
The more you expose yourself, the easier it will be to start thinking in English.
13
Now, let me say something that will hopefully encourage you.
14
When I was teaching English in South Korea, I had thousands of students, but there was one student, one student that I will never ever forget.
15
This individual, he came into my class and when he started speaking to me, I literally wondered in my mind, why is he in my class?
16
That's how good his English was.
17
His pronunciation was great.
18
His thought process was amazing.
19
And the way he articulated his ideas blew me away.
20
So I asked him, I said, Have you ever lived abroad?
21
Did you ever study in America?
22
He said no. I've never lived abroad and I've never studied abroad.
23
So immediately I was curious, how are you able to speak English so well?
24
And you know what he told me?
25
This tip right here.
26
He immersed himself.
27
He surrounded himself with English, watching English movies, watching YouTube videos in English,
28
listening to English podcasts so much so that his English became amazing.
29
So if you're wondering, is this possible?
30
Yes.
31
It doesn't matter where you live.
32
There might not be any other English speaker around you.
33
Don't worry Remember this tip when you surround yourself with English,
34
your English will improve and your ability to think in English will also improve.
35
You got me?
36
Let's keep it moving.
37
Tip number two, tip number two is to speak.
38
Out loud.
39
Yes, you heard me speak out loud.
40
Listen closely.
41
It's important for you to practice speaking English out loud whenever you can.
42
For example, describe your environment.
43
Think of English words to describe various situations or simply talk to yourself.
44
In English, this will help you become more comfortable with thinking in English.
45
It will literally force you to organize your thoughts in English.
46
Before you speak, you have to think, right?
47
So it doesn't matter if you are living alone or
48
if you are living in a country where there's no one else around you while you're sitting there in your room,
49
in your kitchen, or maybe while you're at work, think about your activity. and speak about it.
50
Now, maybe if you're at work, your coworkers might look at you a little funny.
51
So try this when you're in an environment where it won't matter if you're speaking out loud, but it's important to articulate your thoughts.
52
It's important to say them out loud.
53
And when I say out loud, I don't mean.
54
Hey, my name is and how are you?
55
No!
56
Listen!
57
As your English teacher, remember, I believe in you and you need to believe in yourself.
58
When you believe in yourself, your shoulders go back.
59
You speak with more confidence, speak out loud and with confidence.
60
You have to believe in yourself.
61
So tip number two, speak out loud.
62
Makes sense right now, before we go on to tip number two,
63
I want to remind you that every week I send out tips that help English learners around the world improve their English.
64
So if you're not already getting my newsletter,
65
free newsletter via email, all you have to do is go to www .speakenglishwithtiffany .com forward slash newsletter.
66
I want to help you.
67
And if you'd like to get these free emails, please go to the link and join this email newsletter.
68
I want to help you even more.
69
All right.
70
So let's now go to tip number three.
71
Tip number three is to use your email.
72
Images use images instead of relying.
73
On translating words in your head, try to connect English words to their meanings by using actual images.
74
Yes.
75
Pictures.
76
You can also create flashcards in order to connect English words with their concepts.
77
Now I used this in my classroom all the time when I was teaching English in Korea.
78
I remember I was hired to help some, um, soldiers.
79
learn English and I used images and they absolutely loved it.
80
Why?
81
Because it was a fun way to learn English.
82
I'd show them a picture and then I'd ask them individually, Hey, Describe this picture.
83
Pick a word that describes this picture.
84
And they would start thinking of different words because there's something that happens when you use images,
85
it activates a different side of your brain and it makes the learning process more enjoyable.
86
So in order to start thinking in English, start using images and it will trigger certain things in your brain.
87
So no matter what word you say, or if you find a new word, that word will now moving forward, be connected to that image in your brain.
88
Makes sense, right?
89
Okay.
90
Let's move on to tip number four.
91
Tip number four is also an important one.
92
Think in English during everyday activities.
93
You see, when you're performing simple tasks like cooking or driving, it's important for you to try to think in English.
94
For example, describe the steps you are taking anticipate what you need to do next
95
and create simple English sentences to describe your daily activities.
96
I used to do this when I was in South Korea, studying Korean, whenever I had to take a taxi and the taxi was driving me from one destination,
97
from one location to another location.
98
I would, in my mind in Korean say, okay, he's about to turn left.
99
All right.
100
Now he's about to turn right.
101
Okay.
102
He's going to stop at this light.
103
But I was saying it in Korean.
104
Why to practice using Korean over and over again, and you can do the same thing.
105
Think in English during your everyday activities.
106
I'm pouring some water in my cup.
107
I'm calling my friend to tell them something.
108
Think in English and describe your everyday activities.
109
You'll be amazed how quickly you'll start thinking in English.
110
Make sense?
111
All right, here we go.
112
Let's go to tip number five.
113
Tip number five, another important one.
114
Tip number five is practice thinking in English during quiet moments.
115
You see, use the quiet moments of your day. to think in English.
116
This is a great tip because it will encourage you to be calm and when you think in English.
117
Let me break this down.
118
Thank you.
119
Normally when you get in a situation.
120
Where someone asks you a question in English, someone that's a native English speaker.
121
Or even another English learner that is maybe a little bit above you.
122
What happens?
123
You immediately feel a little nervous.
124
Maybe your palms start sweating and it seems like your mind goes blank, right?
125
Nervousness becomes attached to speaking English But now we are switching that emotion.
126
Tip number five again.
127
in your quiet moments, when you're calm,
128
When you're relaxed, Start thinking in English Think about your day Think about your friend, your family member, your spouse.
129
Describe that person, describe that situation.
130
Now a feeling of calmness, a feeling of relaxation will be attached to thinking in English.
131
Makes sense, right?
132
Speaking English.
133
Yes.
134
It's about learning words, expressions, but it's also about managing your emotions, staying calm.
135
There's an expression, cool, calm. and collected.
136
This is a tip that will help you starting today.
137
Let's move on to tip number six, tip number six.
138
Avoid using translation apps too much.
139
Notice I didn't say all together.
140
Translation apps are not bad, but don't use them too much.
141
Let me explain.
142
Translation apps can sometimes be helpful, but relying on them too much can hinder.
143
Your ability to think in English.
144
Instead, what I want you to do is to challenge yourself
145
to find alternative ways to express your thoughts in English without relying so much on translations.
146
Here's something interesting.
147
I was just teaching a class about two weeks ago.
148
And there was a new student that had joined our family and the student, I could tell they were looking for a specific word, but now I've spoke.
149
I've literally taught thousands upon thousands of students so I can read students quite well.
150
I know when it's important for me to help and
151
when it's important for me to simply wait and let them process it and let them figure it out.
152
It was that type of moment.
153
It was the moment where I needed to sit back and just listen and let her figure it out.
154
I could tell she wanted me to give her the word, but she could also tell by my facial expression
155
that I was simply going to wait and that I wanted her to figure it out.
156
So she didn't say the word she was looking for, but she found an alternative way, an alternate way of saying what she wanted to say.
157
And then I smiled.
158
This is what happens when you don't rely on translation apps too much.
159
When you don't rely on, Hey, let me stop and find the exact word.
160
It's okay.
161
Find other words in your database, in your brain that you can use to express yourself.
162
And then later on, look up that word, but in the moment.
163
It's okay.
164
Figure it out.
165
So again, tip number six, avoid using translation apps too much.
166
You don't want to rely on them too much.
167
Tip.
168
Number seven Use context clues.
169
We're talking about thinking in English.
170
So let me explain.
171
When you encounter unfamiliar words or expressions in English, don't get frustrated or nervous.
172
Remember we talked about being calm.
173
cool, calm, and collected.
174
Don't get frustrated or nervous.
175
Instead, try to understand their meaning based on the context in which they are used.
176
We're talking about thinking in English.
177
So look at the text, look at what the word, where the word is located and try to think about what's going on.
178
This will help you rely less on translations and focus more on understanding the overall message.
179
In other words, it will help you think,
180
more In English, remember these tips are going to help you transform your English.
181
It's possible.
182
My friend, I believe in you.
183
You can do it.
184
Just apply these tips that you're learning.
185
Tip number eight, Keep a journal.
186
Keep a journal.
187
I actually have tons of journals.
188
Now I have these journals sitting right here.
189
I use journals for many different aspects of my business, but I also use them for personal reasons.
190
I write down many things.
191
I write down things when I'm having my worship, studying the Bible.
192
I write down things that pop up into my head throughout the day.
193
When you keep a journal, you'll notice that you'll be able to start thinking in English.
194
Even more.
195
You see, start writing a journal in English on a regular basis.
196
For example, write about your thoughts, write about your feelings and your experiences,
197
this will help you practice thinking in English and improve your writing skills at the same time.
198
Remember it doesn't have to be long.
199
It's just getting into the habit of writing in your journal on a regular basis, forcing yourself to organize your thoughts,
200
to organize your ideas, to lay out you Using words, what you experienced throughout the day,
201
improving your ability to think in English.
202
Tip number nine, engage in conversations with native English speakers.
203
Now, before I break this down, I want to remind you of something.
204
Native English speakers, we're nice people.
205
Now there are always going to be some people that are not nice, but in general, we're nice.
206
Come on now.
207
Look at my smile.
208
Come on now.
209
Go ahead.
210
You can smile too.
211
Listen, we're generally, we're nice people.
212
So engage in conversations.
213
Don't be shy.
214
We'll talk to you.
215
Now, again, as your teacher, of course, a little bit different because I'm here, I'm teaching you a lesson, but we're speaking about When you are in an environment where English speakers are around you,
216
or even online, English forums or Facebook groups.
217
Engage in conversations.
218
Let me break it down.
219
It is important to seek opportunities to engage in conversations with native English speakers.
220
If you don't personally know any native English speakers, you can find online forums and start speaking to people there.
221
This will help you gain more confidence in your English and also help you think Faster in English.
222
This is the goal to think faster in English practice.
223
You can be at home having your keyboard and typing.
224
Start the conversation.
225
You can do it.
226
Tip number 10.
227
Tip number 10, I want you to pay close attention to be patient and persistent.
228
It is important to remember that thinking in English is a skill that takes time and practice to develop.
229
Please, my friend, please be patient with yourself and keep going even when it gets difficult because it will get difficult.
230
Over time, you'll start to notice how much easier it is for you to think in English.
231
In other words, don't Give up.
232
These tips that I'm sharing with you, put them into practice and be patient with yourself.
233
You're amazing.
234
You're learning another language.
235
You're already awesome.
236
You're amazing. Be patient with yourself.
237
You're learning a brand new technique, a brand new skill, and your brain needs time to adapt, but practice more now and more.
238
Practice makes.
239
progress.
240
You like that?
241
Practice makes progress.
242
I believe in you and I want you to believe in yourself.
243
I hope you enjoyed this lesson.
244
Remember to speak English and I'll talk to you next time.
245
Bye.
246
- Thank you.
247
Thank you.
248
I have decided...
249
Ayyyy!
250
You still there?
251
Ha ha!
252
You know what time it is.
253
It's story time.
254
Hey, I said it's story time.
255
All right.
256
So, I want to tell you this story and This is a story also about thinking.
257
So there's something very interesting about females, right?
258
We are very unique now guys.
259
We love you too, but there's something that females are able to do that.
260
I've noticed that guys, our brothers are not able to do.
261
Honestly, I haven't seen it happen ever, but maybe, maybe you're an exception to the rule.
262
Let me explain. So...
263
I was teaching this class in South Korea.
264
It was an early morning class, 6 :00 AM, very early.
265
And I had four students in the class, three gentlemen and one woman.
266
Now on this day, only two individuals came to class.
267
Sometimes, you know, it's a little early.
268
It's hard to get up in the morning.
269
So the female and one of the guys came to class.
270
Now I really enjoyed both of their company, right?
271
So on this day, I said, you know what?
272
Let's kind of just take it easy.
273
We took a break from the lesson and we just, Enjoyed having a conversation in English.
274
And during the conversation, the guy was telling us about his wife
275
and we were trying to explain to him how women think.
276
And he wasn't getting it.
277
I said, okay, I want us to stop really quickly and let's say his name was James.
278
Right?
279
I said, James, I want to show you something.
280
Now the woman was Korean, right?
281
I am African -American.
282
She was Korean.
283
I said, James, I want to show you something.
284
I said, women, we have a natural ability to know what each other is thinking.
285
No matter what, like we know what we're thinking.
286
He said, what do you mean?
287
He said, that's not possible.
288
I said, watch now we didn't plan this.
289
We didn't decide on the topic.
290
Nothing.
291
I said, James watch.
292
And I immediately turned my gaze to the woman.
293
I looked at her and I said nothing for about 10 seconds.
294
We just looked each other in the eye at the end of that 10 seconds.
295
I said.
296
Mm -hmm.
297
And I looked back at James, James was sitting there like, What just happened?
298
Then I asked the woman, tell me what I said.
299
And she said exactly what I was thinking.
300
Now, of course, James was in shock, but she and I, we just laughed.
301
Why?
302
Because as women, we already knew that we had this innate ability to understand each other,
303
to know what we were thinking without saying anything now.
304
Just as a sidebar, this is why to be very honest guys, We apologize.
305
We expect you guys to know what we're thinking because as women, we understand each other, right?
306
So guys, husbands, we understand.
307
Sometimes you get a little stressed because your wife's, they want you to know what they're thinking.
308
You just don't have that ability many times and it's okay.
309
So women as women, we have to do better.
310
We have to explain to our husbands and our spouse.
311
We have to explain to them when we're thinking, right?
312
So that's just, you know, truth.
313
All right.
314
So, but again, in that moment, he realized, oh my goodness, you guys actually understood each other.
315
And I laughed and she laughed as well, because again, it was not planned.
316
And I had always done it with American women because I'm an American, but I knew even though she was Korean, we would be able to understand each other even without saying words.
317
Honestly, I think it's a gift from God because I've seen it happen.
318
Another sidebar.
319
Whenever we play games and we have men against women, the women always win.
320
If it's anything dealing with like a mental game, the women win.
321
Not because the men aren't smart, extremely intelligent, but we as women have the ability to pass messages to each other without saying anything.
322
I don't know how it works.
323
I don't know what God did.
324
But it definitely happens, especially with my best friend from college.
325
Oh, my goodness.
326
We can be across the room, have a full conversation and never say.
327
a word.
328
So men, be careful.
329
But yes, so that's just an example of one of the amazing abilities that women have.
330
And gentlemen, we know you have amazing abilities too, but right now we're talking about the women.
331
I hope you guys enjoyed this story.
332
I hope you have an awesome week and I'll talk to you in the next lesson.
📺 Same Channel
B111
The Real Reason You Freeze In English - And It’s Fixable
American AccentInterview EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B13
REAL LIFE ENGLISH | Speak English Like A Native Speaker Episode 1
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B23
"How Was Your Day?" Is a Test. Are You Passing?
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B11
ENGLISH STUDY PLAN | Boost Your English Skills With This Morning Study Routine
American AccentBusiness EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B12
SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY | 3 Ways To Respond In English
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
![THINK & SPEAK IN ENGLISH | About Your Skills And Abilities [Episode 1]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/RLhtFBzxcS4/mqdefault.jpg)
B111
THINK & SPEAK IN ENGLISH | About Your Skills And Abilities [Episode 1]
American AccentInterview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B25
STOP Saying "My Name Is…" When Someone Asks About You in English
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B11
HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY | 2 SIMPLE STEPS TO SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY & CONFIDENTLY LIKE A NATIVE
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B111
The 7-Day English Plan That Finally Makes You Speak
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
A26
Welcome to the Course | Full English Lessons
American AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B23
ENGLISH SLANG FOR DAILY CONVERSATIONS
American AccentDaily Conversation
B19
HOW TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF IN ENGLISH | 3 SIMPLE STEPS FOR SELF INTRODUCTION IN ENGLISH
American AccentBusiness EnglishInterview EnglishUniversity Students
C110
LEARN ENGLISH LIKE A PRO: THE TOP WORDS YOU MUST KNOW FOR FLUENCY
American AccentWorking Adults
B21
REAL LIFE ENGLISH | Speak English Like A Native Speaker Episode 7
American AccentDaily Conversation
B13
The Trick To Sounding Fluent? Always Explain Why
American AccentBusiness EnglishInterview EnglishDaily Conversation
B11
From Basic to Fluent: Transform Your English Fluency with These 5 Elements
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B14
Getting Fluent In English By Yourself - Where To Actually Start
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B13
STOP Thinking In Your Language Before You Speak English
American AccentInterview EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B25
Think In English With Me | Episode 1: Motivation
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B13
Sound More Like A Native English Speaker Episode 1
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
✨ Recommend Video
B14
240 sentences
Speak English With Me – Think in English Day 2 | English Speaking Practice
American AccentInterview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B13
50 sentences
2 Tips For Improving Your *Listening* Skills
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B11
105 sentences
Cách tư duy bằng tiếng anh trong khi nói. How to think in English when speaking.
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B15
277 sentences
Why Your English Isn’t Improving (10 Real Reasons & Fixes) | English On The Way
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B13
57 sentences
Why I Teach English Differently
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B17
70 sentences
Stop Translating In Your Head - How to Think in English Naturally
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B12
147 sentences
Stop Translating in Your Head: The Easy Way to Speak Real English!
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B13
505 sentences
How to Make Your Brain Think in English Fast — Easy Method
Interview EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B1167 sentences
How to Start Thinking in English (Stop Translating!)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B14
58 sentences
How Listening Can Make You Fluent in English
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
Context & Background
In the quest to master English, one crucial skill is the ability to think in English rather than relying on translation from your native language. Teacher Tiffany shares transformative tips that guide learners towards this goal. By immersing themselves in English-speaking environments and practicing daily, learners can break through language barriers and cultivate fluency. The video draws upon Tiffany's extensive teaching experience, illustrating how one dedicated student exemplified the benefits of these techniques through immersion alone, achieving a high level of fluency without ever living abroad.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “Surround yourself with English” – Immerse yourself in English through movies, music, and books.
- “Speak out loud” – Practice verbalizing your thoughts in English to build confidence.
- “Describe your environment” – Use English to articulate what you see and experience around you.
- “Talk to yourself” – Engage in self-dialogue in English to improve thought organization.
- “Organize your thoughts” – Before speaking, formulate your ideas in English to enhance fluency.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively practice and improve your English speaking skills through shadowing, follow this step-by-step guide:
- Choose Your Content: Select a segment from Tiffany's video or another English-language resource that is engaging and clear. The context should feel relatable to you.
- Listen Carefully: Play the video segment and listen intently to how sentences are constructed, paying attention to pronunciation and intonation.
- Repeat Aloud: After listening, pause the video and try to repeat the phrases out loud. This mimics the shadow speech technique and reinforces language patterns.
- Use a Mirror: Stand in front of a mirror as you practice. This not only helps with your pronunciation but also boosts your confidence as you see yourself speaking.
- Reflect and Adapt: After practicing, reflect on your performance. Were there phrases that felt challenging? Make note of them and practice more until you feel comfortable.
Incorporating these strategies will not only enhance your English speaking practice but also improve your overall language skills. Soon enough, you’ll find that thinking in English becomes second nature as you embrace the rhythm and flow of the language, all while honing your improve English pronunciation effortlessly.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was hired · be connected · be amazed |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've never lived · have decided · I've noticed |
| Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past | was teaching · was driving · was saying |
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | start thinking · stop translating · started speaking |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.