Before we start learning how to speak in English, it is essential to think in English. The reason why many of us fumble while speaking in English is that we need to translate the words instantly and then speak in English. So if you are a non-speaker of English and you are to communicate in the language, your brain is burdened with a twofold task- translation, and speech. Now, as we think in the language we speak, it becomes difficult for us to find the right words at the right moment and then converting it to our dialogue delivery. For example, when we talk about ‘Water’, it is not the term ‘Water’ we are thinking about, even though we think of the same object meant by ‘Water’. If you are a German, it is ‘Wasser’ you are thinking about. If you speak in Hindi, it is ‘Paani’ you are thinking about. So you need to first translate this little word to English from the very word you use for the substance. Now to deliver a whole sentence, you need to translate all the words, find out the right composition and then express it with the proper body language. This is where it takes so much time and we start losing our confidence. We start believing that we cannot speak in English. So the next time we are to speak in English, we start with a poor confidence level and start messing up. The vicious cycle continues and we end up being poor speakers in the language which actually is one of the easiest languages to speak.

Now the question is how to think in English? There are multiple steps to think in English. First, think by individual essential words. I am providing you a list of a few words to start with.

Water, glass, drink, milk, tea, rain, bed, pillow, book, pen, sky, rain, apple, quiet, loud, take, give, lend, borrow, happy, sad, angry, cook, spice, oil, love, hate, nation, politics, green, yellow, red, orange, blue, peacock, tiger, examination, child, fever, cold, chill, heat, hot, father, mother, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, cousin, family, blood, money, picture, box, sound, light,mosquito, odour, tired, lazy.

Now seeing the list of the words above, you must have started laughing. You know all these words from your childhood. Now ask yourself- whenever you think of the person, emotion, action or object meant by the above words, you think in English for how many words. Please do this exercise. This is going to reveal one big secret. You do not think at all in English, except for a few words for which the English term is more common in the colloquial native language of yours. For example, in Bengali, the word ‘Cup’ is used as it is in the colloquial form. And if for you the total count of the words thought in English comes to nil, do not be worried at all. This is the case with all of those all over the world finding difficulty in speaking in English.

So, our lesson starts with the task of thinking in English. This is to be followed right from now. So whenever you are going to think henceforth, think in English. If you think of your father, emphasis should be on the very term’ Father’ and not on the word you use to mean the relationship in your mother tongue. If you are thinking about your wife, it is to be the word ‘Wife’ you have to think. Do this for the entire duration of this course and I am pretty sure, you are going to see a magical effect in a few days once your cognitive functions start adapting to the new linguistic command. Very soon while you attempt to speak in English, words will come to your mind spontaneously and your brain will be spared with the task of translating the words and you will save more time in delivering the dialogue in English. Start the exercise with simple words initially as already listed by me. Gradually we shall move to the more expansive zones.

Read: The Part 1of the series-

https://saptarshinag.in/2019/07/28/learn-spoken-english-in-15-days-part-1/

The Books I recommend for mastering Spoken English are named below with their Amazon links

1. Speak Better Write Better by Norman Lewis- https://amzn.to/2K3hbPs
2. Think English Speak English by Julia Northbrook- https://amzn.to/2YdCYwz
3. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis-https://amzn.to/2GxDFFZ
4. English Conversation Practice by Grant Taylor- https://amzn.to/319L3j3

To be continued…

Watch my video on the same topic