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Can bilinguals think in both of their languages?

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Reply 160
Original post by cashcash871
No. We speak English. My dad taught me German.


And now you can speak german fluently?
Reply 161
Original post by Goaded
My boss speaks 4 lanugauges to a very high standard, and he says he thinks in them all 'depending on his mood':biggrin:


I'm guessing he is indian.
Original post by fg45344
And now you can speak german fluently?


Yes
Original post by fg45344
I'm guessing he is indian.


He is indeed :biggrin:
Reply 164
Original post by cashcash871
Yes


So did you dad talk to you in german, when you were young? Do you think faster in English or faster in German?
Original post by fg45344
So did you dad talk to you in german, when you were young? Do you think faster in English or faster in German?


Yes. I think more in English. I don't really think in German unless I am talking in German. I'd say I think 'faster' in English.
Reply 166
Original post by cashcash871
Yes. I think more in English. I don't really think in German unless I am talking in German. I'd say I think 'faster' in English.


Can you think in german when thinking on your own?
Original post by fg45344
Can you think in german when thinking on your own?


I could choose to do so, yes.
Reply 168
Original post by cashcash871
I could choose to do so, yes.


But usually you think in english when thinking on your own, right?
Original post by fg45344
But usually you think in english when thinking on your own, right?


Yes.
Reply 170
Original post by cashcash871
Yes.


What is it like thinking in German?
Original post by fg45344
What is it like thinking in German?


It's the same as thinking in English I guess
Reply 172
Pictures
I can do it. It's not always a good thing though. In a French writing exam, I finished a 3 page essay in Spanish. Had to delete whole page.
Reply 174
Original post by cashcash871
It's the same as thinking in English I guess


But your natural instinct is to just think in English, right? Do you think in German when speaking because you need to reply in German? But when thinking on your own, you could pick between the 2 languages if you wanted?
I speak English and Swedish but I only think in English.. Although I've started swearing out loud in Swedish..

Probably because no one can understand me haha


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Reply 176
Original post by AdamCW
I speak English and Swedish but I only think in English.. Although I've started swearing out loud in Swedish..

Probably because no one can understand me haha


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But can you think in Swedish? What age did you learn English and Swedish?
Original post by fg45344
But your natural instinct is to just think in English, right? Do you think in German when speaking because you need to reply in German? But when thinking on your own, you could pick between the 2 languages if you wanted?


Yes my natural instinct is English. Yes I think in German when speaking German. Yes I could pick between the two.
I'm 24 and have been living in and learning Swedish for the past 18 months..

And, yes I can, but I don't unless I'm with other seeded I guess


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Reply 179
Original post by fg45344
So here is my question....

If you speak only english, you will think in english. If you speak only spanish, you will think in spanish. If you speak spanish and english fluently, say being bilingual from birth, can you think in both languages?


Yes you can. It depends mainly on where you spend most of your time and which language you are using most. If you are in Spain speaking Spanish all the time you will think in Spanish more, whereas in England you will think more in English.

Personally my Spanish isn't good enough for this to happen; I always think in English. I have dreamed in Spanish though which was weird.

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