Museum of Knowledge blog, Speak English without translating 19052017

One of the key issues and barriers some students face when they decide to learn a language is thinking in their native tongue instead of the target language, in this case, English. The Museum of Knowledge employs various immersion techniques that aim to prevent language learners from adopting bad habits.

If a language learner is constantly thinking in Chinese for example, translating from Chinese to English in their head before speaking or writing in English, then the language learner is not truly adopting the correct techniques. It is true to say that in order to speak English, one must think in English. It is also helpful that to speak Chinese, one must be thinking in Chinese as Chinese is the target language.

The ability to think in English is related to language exposure. The more a student is exposed to a language, the greater the awareness of phrases and vocabulary and therefore the ability to express these thoughts without thinking in the native tongue. Immersion techniques offered at the Museum of Knowledge enable students to gain high levels of exposure to the language they are learning. These include vocabulary and terminology exercises as well as games.

The greater the level of practice the student undertakes, the greater the exposure and therefore the less need a student will have to consistently think in another language when the reality is their goal is to speak English.

 

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