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Do bilinguals think in their weaker language?

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I'm perfectly bilingual in English and Spanish and can think in both without a problem as well as transitioning instantly from one language to another.
Original post by Plantagenet Crown
I'm perfectly bilingual in English and Spanish and can think in both without a problem as well as transitioning instantly from one language to another.


So do you normally think in Spanish or English?
welsh and french are very weak but i sometimes randomly say my thoughts then translate them subconsciously in my head
same :redface:
Original post by ImagineCats
Yeah I think and count in German, and when I'm stressed I speak German


Counting! That's something I have to admit is quite a feat if it's your second language. For the life of me I cannot count in English or any other language than my native as naturally as I can think or talk in them. Fun fact, I was in this project with some international trainers, and even though they were all good at English and the sessions were in English, whenever they had to count something they always did in their native language. Interesting.
Original post by maracatinca
Counting! That's something I have to admit is quite a feat if it's your second language. For the life of me I cannot count in English or any other language than my native as naturally as I can think or talk in them. Fun fact, I was in this project with some international trainers, and even though they were all good at English and the sessions were in English, whenever they had to count something they always did in their native language. Interesting.


Woah really? I find it easier to concentrate if I do it in my 2nd language, or French (3rd). Funny thing is I can speak/survive in German, but my AS grade was not as good as I'd hoped (C) despite me using it so much in life. Full marks in my speaking, but screwed up listening/reading/writing :frown: I did it when I was younger as a sort of 'boasting' thing to other people, but now its become a habit!
Original post by Plantagenet Crown
I'm perfectly bilingual in English and Spanish and can think in both without a problem as well as transitioning instantly from one language to another.


Can you think in Spanish?
Bump
Original post by momoneyme89
....
I stupidly wrote an entire french paper in German once so yeah I think so.
Original post by ImagineCats
Woah really?


I have seen a lot of people say it is difficult to get into the habit of counting in a foreign language and I would greatly agree. I myself can just about do it with German, although certainly when it gets to bigger numbers I revert to English, but it is definitely not an easy thing to do.

Once you start reading numbers in your target language tho you feel like youve made so much progress.
Reply 90
Yeah I do actually. I think more in English or a mixture of English and Korean, but there are also times when I think in Korean. Oh and when I'm Korea I tend to think more in Korean.
Original post by GKwon32
Yeah I do actually. I think more in English or a mixture of English and Korean, but there are also times when I think in Korean. Oh and when I'm Korea I tend to think more in Korean.


So you can think in 2 languages?
Reply 92
Original post by momoneyme89
So you can think in 2 languages?


Yep
Original post by GKwon32
Yep


So you can think in Korean and English, you can't think in any other languages?
Original post by Inexorably
I have seen a lot of people say it is difficult to get into the habit of counting in a foreign language and I would greatly agree. I myself can just about do it with German, although certainly when it gets to bigger numbers I revert to English, but it is definitely not an easy thing to do.

Once you start reading numbers in your target language tho you feel like youve made so much progress.


Noo the bigger the number the more fun it gets :tongue: Being in the habit now is pretty annoying, especially in biology when dealing with statistic questions in an exam so I'm a tad panicky so I switch into German without thinking. Pretty sure I've written "daher" or "und" in geog essays too :wink: In my mocks I had so many red underlines in bio/geog from where I do my plans in German sometimes because I need to think fast :angry:
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Reply 96
Original post by Plantagenet Crown
I'm perfectly bilingual in English and Spanish and can think in both without a problem as well as transitioning instantly from one language to another.


Can you think in any other languages (apart from English and Spanish)?
i can think in english and my language :u:
Reply 98
Original post by 123teddy
i can think in english and my language :u:


what is "my language"?
malayalam , its an indian language :h:

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