How to Think in Spanish

[Schwazforest]

Most people have to translate from English to Spanish in their heads in order to understand spanish. This is ok, but what I've found most helpful is to combine a Spanish word with it's picture. That way every time you see that object you learned in Spanish your brain instantly recalls the word associated with the image. With this approach you never need to translate in your head.

Please share your experience on how you transitioned or began thinking in the native spanish language. I'd love to here your stories.

[hermit]

Progressing from direct translation to thinking (hasta soñar) en español
for me required dialogue with native speakers, some fluent in both
English and Spanish...

[CrOtALiTo]

In my complete case, I have to think in Spanish and later in English for that I can write or speak something in English.
I can't think directly in English, because sometimes I tend to forget the words in English, but sometimes I try to recall the words in my brain when I'm very well rested for the night.

My method to remember the words in English is practice the words in English each time.
Because when I learn any word new for me, I try to write them a lot of here in the forums, of thus way, I can remember them and with the pass of the time, I achieve to record them in my mind.

At least that's my method.

[Equis]

associating words with pictures works very well

[chileno]

That's why watching movies (pictures) without subtitling is one of the best exercises.

[maravilloso]

One thing I did to learn certain words was I labeled things. Like the table I put a little sticky note on it that said "mesa." That way I saw the word and the object I associated with that word.

Maybe that might help you. It helped me with learning different objects.

[CrOtALiTo]

Yes I believe that you could relation the words with a label word, like as an user said you can use the picture and figure a picture or draw with a word and then it could works in your brain.

[jeanlerymc]

The first time I learned Spanish Language, I used to listen to to every person who talks with it. As I am listening, I been able capture some Spanish words and then will think of its version in English. It is not hard to memorize words in Spanish, just relate to the words.

[teepee]

Learning to think in Spanish takes time. For me, it’s not wrong to think about how you think in your first language, it just becomes easier as time goes by, It also helps to be living fully immersed in the language-learning environment.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by teepee

Learning to think in Spanish takes time. For me, it’s not wrong to think about how you think in your first language, it just becomes easier as time goes by, It also helps to be living fully immersed in the language-learning environment.

Exactly. You are not a baby who needs to start expressing him/herself.

At to your last statement, which is true, is not as valid as some years ago, since we have the Internet available to two of our senses, and if applied correctly, you don't even need to go out of your home to learn another language.

Of course, nothing beats "being there" ...

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by chileno

Exactly. You are not a baby who needs to start expressing him/herself.

At to your last statement, which is true, is not as valid as some years ago, since we have the Internet available to two of our senses, and if applied correctly, you don't even need to go out of your home to learn another language.

Of course, nothing beast "being there" ...

Chileno he's not a baby just he's a great learning.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

Chileno he's not a baby just he's a great learning.

Right.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

Of course, nothing beast "being there" ...

Yeah, that Chileno. He's a beast.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Yeah, that Chileno. He's a beast.

No, I am the beast.

Thank you for pointing that out. I am correcting that reply.

[vita32]

Originally Posted by Equis

associating words with pictures works very well

This is right. It will work for me and maybe I'll try this while memorizing the verb conjugation and picture the action in my head for each verb. Anyone has any suggestions on how not to confuse the different tenses?
Thanks.

[CrOtALiTo]

Ultimately I have tried the computer method where I can search all words in the on line dictionary and I can recognize the words immediately I can remember them.

Almost all the days, I write in a notes block the words that I don't recognize immediately, then I write them and when I want to use them, I get them directly of the note block.

Really it works for me and always it has worked for me.

[Chris]

@CrOtALiTo: Notebook or spiral notebook. Pad of paper or notepad can be used. Just like the Windows operating system has a writing program called Notepad.

I think that using an image to associate the word is the best thing. Sometimes it's difficult to retain the word without it. There are websites that have flash cards that are really helpful. They show a picture of a key and the word llave. It helps you set the word in your mind without thinking "key" and you start thinking llave instead. I have an Android powered phone and there is a program on it called StudyDroid. It is a flashcard application. You can build your own cards and even add images. Usually the words that I don't understand and go look up I have to look up again later because I haven't made that connection in my brain I guess.

TV and movies help a lot. When I first started listening to Spanish it sounded like gibberish. Now I don't understand a lot of words but it doesn't sound like gibberish and I can pick out a few words that I do recognize.

[Feliz]

Interesting topic and good ideas here. I found it useful. I use the "pause" and "re-wind" buttons a lot on my computer to watch Spanish movies in my DVD player. The ones with sub-titles reinforce my learning even a step further. For instance a woman is getting up from the table and she says: "Con permiso." I ask myself: "Did I hear right?" Then, I look at the sub-title and it verifies if I heard right or not. That's when I press the "pause button."--to take the time to think about it. The sub-title reads: "Excuse me." Every time this happens in a move I have to laugh because I know that my brain has captured another one. Knowing when to use the right "excuse me" was troublesome until I heard it many times in the movies in many different situations. I especially like the: "Perdoname." because I haven't seen it in print yet. I can still see the guy walking away from that group of people on the dance floor whom he has just met while saying: "Perdoname." I just wish all of Spanish could be learned this way. Please correct my Spanish, what little there is in this post. I also am learning how to post properly and hope that I get it right this time.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Feliz

Interesting topic and good ideas here. I found it useful. I use the "pause" and "re-wind" buttons a lot on my computer to watch Spanish movies in my DVD player. The ones with sub-titles reinforce my learning even a step further. For instance a woman is getting up from the table and she says: "Con permiso." I ask myself: "Did I hear right?" Then, I look at the sub-title and it verifies if I heard right or not. That's when I press the "pause button."--to take the time to think about it. The sub-title reads: "Excuse me." Every time this happens in a move I have to laugh because I know that my brain has captured another one. Knowing when to use the right "excuse me" was troublesome until I heard it many times in the movies in many different situations. I especially like the: "Perdoname." because I haven't seen it in print yet. I can still see the guy walking away from that group of people on the dance floor whom he has just met while saying: "Perdoname." I just wish all of Spanish could be learned this way. Please correct my Spanish, what little there is in this post. I also am learning how to post properly and hope that I get it right this time.

That's why a recommend reading a lot and also watching movies without subtitling.

[Rusty]

@Feliz: perdóname
You correctly suffixed the pronoun to the imperative (command), and I'm sure you pronounced the resulting word correctly. However, when a pronoun is suffixed to an imperative, we need to make sure the stressed syllable of the imperative is maintained even though a trailing syllable has "joined the ranks." This sometimes means that an accent needs to be written. Good job.

Have a look at these examples:

di (2nd-person imperative of decir)
dime (same imperative with a suffixed pronoun - no accent is needed in the imperative because the its syllable is still stressed)
dímelo (same impertaive with two suffixed pronouns - accent is needed in the imperative to maintain the stress in the proper syllable)

diga (3rd-person imperative of decir)
dígame (same imperative with a suffixed pronoun - accent needed to maintain the stress in the proper syllable)
dígamelo (you know the drill)