087: How to avoid translating in your head

Pete asks: "I'm learning Portuguese, how can I avoid translating in my head?" In this episode: Translation is inevitable It's a useful strategy as a beginner Translation stops being useful as you move to higher levels, and you're dealing with nuances in the language which often don't have translations Stopping translating in your head is something that happens naturally over time Tips for moving away from translation: Be happy with a certain level of ambiguity in the language - fixating on understanding every word is counterproductive Look for patterns and phrases in the language, write them down, notice them being used in different contexts, the begin to use them yourself Deal in phrases and sentences, not single words When watching movies etc, relax and be present with the language, don't try to understand everything Spend time on all four skills