Do foreign people who learn a new language think in their original language, or their new one? PLEASE ANSWER?

Question

what are foreign people thinking?

Answer 1

Actually, this is a really interesting topic that can be studied through sociology. I am Chinese American and I think in English. I'd say I'm pretty proficient in Mandarin... but Mandarin is a really connotative language and a simple one-syllable-long word can have many different meanings. That's why I find it so difficult to think in Chinese sometimes so I just prefer to think in English. I also think in Japanese sometimes because I find the language very easy. For the most part, it all comes down to how easy the second language is. But you also have to consider the thought process of each individual. If an individual is very quiet and keeps to themselves, they might prefer a language that is easy to think in, but if an individual is very outspoken and doesn't "think deeply" very often then it probably doesn't matter. Then again, would the individual want to analyze the language in their thoughts? Psychology plays a big role too.

Answer 2

I would say they think in the new language.

Answer 3

at first you do, but as time goes on, and the more and more you use it, the more and more you think of it.  Better yet, it is highly recommended that we start thinking in a foreign language so that we can communicate better.

Answer 4

It depends on how long they speak the second. Take my dad for instance. He was born in India, his native language is Marathi. He speaks Hindi and many other languages from a young age too though. He moved to America in his twenties and already knew English when he came here (but thought it Marathi). Know he is  47 he thinks in English because that is the main language he uses here. But, he said when he is talking in Marathi his thinking switches over to Marathi.

Answer 5

to think in a foreign language you should know the words well enough...

actually it's all the matter of practice...

imagine two words "a wood" and "a forest"...

which word does your brain get first?

same way it works with other languages

there is one object -- a book or a box or a bike

but there are just different words to call it

i mean different words due to different languages

so it will take some time to use a foreign word for "table" as easily as you use your mother tongue one

Answer 6

It depends on the foreign person. They might feel uncomfortable thinking in the new language or not know enough of it to think straight, so they'll think in their original language.

They might think in the new one to improve their speaking skills in the new language.

Or they might just think in the original b/c it's more familiar to them than the new one.

I'm foreign and I think in both English and my native language since I'm comfortable with both.

Answer 7

Depends, if I'm talking in English I think in English as far as possible to keep the flow of the communication. My main language is Spanish

Answer 8

They think in their original language. For example, I once worked with a man from southern Mexico for six years who spoke with a strong Spanish accent. I remember a conversation where he told me "You know English automatically but I have to think in Spanish first and then translate... I have to translate."

I have always felt that he was telling the truth. I also remember my supervisor saying to him on occasion:  "I swear, sometimes I think I'm going to have to learn Mexican to talk to you." (Her sense of humor).  

Answer 9

It depends on the level of skill they have in their new language. You never really master another language until you can think in that language.

Answer 10

to be able to truly express yourself, you have to think in the other language - its culture, its ways, its view of the world.

i do this fairly well in french. i sometimes dream in french (i'm a native english speaker). i also sometimes dream in german and spanish, but those are usually dreams about being unable to communicate. :-)

Answer 11

It depends a lot on how early they learned the new language and how often they use it compared to their "native" language. For people who learn new languages when they are relatively young, it is easier to switch their way of thinking from one language to another depending on the language being used. Those who learn a new language when they are much older tend to think primarily in their native language and then translate the meaning to the new language. There are exceptions, of course.