HOW TO THINK IN ENGLISH.

            "How can I speak English? What should I do to improve my vocabulary? Can only native speakers speak English?"

            We have come across such statements a million times and when I was asked a question on Quora , https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-think-in-English-instead-of-Hindi?__nsrc__=4
it provoked me to writing this article today.

            I have always told my students that thinking in English is mandatory to get a good command over the language and when I saw this question 'How'? I decided to write it out here in my own blog.

            This has to be cultivated young.

            Speak to your children in simple English. When you read English stories to children, never explain the story to the child in your mother tongue. There must be a natural assumption of the child's ability to comprehend English [even when you know he can't].

            If you see boredom on the child's face you can make a couple of sentences in your mother tongue but must revert to English as quickly as possible. This is for a child who is less than two. You must take efforts to simplify it as much as possible in English using action.

            For children who are above than two, mother tongue must never be used for explanations. [Even the occasional concession given for an infant cannot be given] .

            Actions can be used but words must carefully be selected in simple English and voice modulation and actions should entrance the young minds.

            Reading, exposure to good English and efforts to speak in English as much as possible are the only ways to help a person think in English. Once the habit is cultivated, it would stand in good stead all through his life.

            Having said that, how can an adult learn to think in English? Is it not too late? This is the most difficult part because as we all know habit dies hard.

            The person starts with a natural disadvantage of a lapse of fifteen or twenty years but motivation and diligence should do the trick.

            There is no substitute to reading.

As an adult, I would suggest that you make reading a compulsion for yourself. If you find it difficult to understand advanced English, do not worry. Read fairy tales, short stories, magazines, jokes anything insignificant.

            While you read, just read. Do not keep translating the sentences mentally. Let the picture unfold in front of your eyes. The stories should be at a much junior level than your age so that you won't labor hard to comprehend them. Only when there is difficulty to comprehend in English, you would revert to your mother tongue.

            You can gradually advance to senior books. Don't be ashamed if you are to be seen with an elementary book.'No one can disrespect you or demean you without your consent’. You are learning and would do what has to be done.

            Secondly, watch television channels that use Standard English, and try to comprehend that. Watch News channels. Try to understand the news in English.

            While discussing favorite topics with your friends do it in English and choose friends who are equally motivated.

            You may like to extoll the dance of Hritik Roshan, go 'gaga 'over the style of Rajinikant, have a hearty laugh over the current political scenario; whatever it is, do it in English. They are after all your friends. They won't mind ,especially if they are like-minded. It can be for a few minutes but it has to be done on a daily basis. Do not do this practice in front of others who would undermine your self-confidence.

            Start this today and time would do the rest.

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