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Can bilinguals think in their weaker language?

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Reply 20

twz

Original post by Abclkj

I speak 3 langauges and I mainly think in english because it is the one I speak in the most.

Can you think in the other 2 languages? What ages did you learn all 3 languages?

Reply 21

username2512877

My native language is English but I speak Spanish fluently and lived in South America for 8 years, as well as having a Spanish-speaking mother, and I can easily think in any of the two with no difficulty whatsoever. When I'm in Chile I generally think in Spanish as most of the people around me are speaking in Spanish, but when I'm back in England I seldom think in Spanish.

Reply 22

twz

Original post by Settle

What about when thinking on your own, which one do you use? Can you choose?

Reply 23

username2512877

Original post by twz

What about when thinking on your own, which one do you use? Can you choose?

I almost always use English. When I'm alone I'll sometimes think in Spanish if I've recently had a conversation in Spanish or read in Spanish or was involved in any recent activity which involved me using Spanish. But 98% of the time I'm thinking in English. And yes, I can choose, but I don't really - it's much more of a subconscious, automatic decision more than a conscious one. But if I was thinking to myself, and chose to start thinking in Spanish, I could if I wanted to.