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Vital words for understanding
Translate – to change words from one language to another
Recall – to remember something
Procedural memory – memory used for habits and automatic skills
Declarative memory – memory used for facts and information
Fluent – able to speak a language easily and smoothly
Comprehensible input – understandable language used for learning
Exposure – contact with something over time
Context – the situation around a word that gives it meaning
Shadowing – repeating speech immediately after hearing it
Visualisation – forming mental images to help memory
Muscle memory – body’s ability to do tasks without conscious thought
Prefrontal cortex – brain area for decision-making and focus
Neuroscience – the study of the brain and nervous system
Rewire your brain – to change brain patterns through practice
Have you ever noticed how often you get stuck while translating?
At the end of many of my sessions, we revisit new vocabulary or interesting phrases we used. Sometimes, a client will ask me for a Czech equivalent – and today, it happened to me. I could explain the word, its meaning, and how to use it in context, but I blanked on the Czech translation.
Interestingly, my clients often have the opposite problem – they can’t recall the English word. Why does this happen?
It’s because we’ve been trained to translate since the very beginning of our language learning journey. Remember those school vocabulary notebooks with two columns? English on the left, Czech on the right? The teacher would tell us to memorize a list and then test us. We thought we were learning a language. But in reality, we were only memorizing translations.
As a result, many learners reach a point where they constantly translate in their heads. First, they think of the sentence in Czech. Then, they translate it into English. Then (maybe), they say it aloud. That’s a lot of mental effort!
So – how can we break this habit?
The science behind translation
Let’s start with declarative memory – the part of the brain responsible for facts and rules, like vocabulary lists and grammar. Translation lives here. But fluent speakers rely on procedural memory – the kind used for skills like riding a bike or driving. It’s faster and automatic.
To stop translating, we need to shift English from declarative to procedural memory. Here’s how:
1. Listen to long podcasts (yes, long!)
When you start, your brain will try to translate everything. But as it gets tired, it can’t keep up – and that’s when the magic happens. Eventually, you’ll find yourself understanding without translating. You won’t catch every word, but you’ll get the gist – and that’s enough to grow.
Neuroscience shows that repeated exposure strengthens neural pathways. The more you hear a word in context, the more automatic it becomes.
2. Talk to yourself (really!)
You can’t just switch to thinking in English overnight, but you can train for it. Try describing what you see. Label objects. Narrate your actions. Most importantly – only use the English words you already know. If you don’t know the word, skip it. Don’t fill in with Czech.
This helps reduce mental switching, which tires out your prefrontal cortex – your brain’s decision-making center.
3. Try shadowing
Shadowing means repeating after native speakers without pausing. It’s like karaoke with speech. This technique trains pronunciation, intonation, and fluency — and it builds muscle memory in your mouth.
Think of it like playing the piano. My fingers remember the movements even when my brain is off – that’s procedural memory in action.
4. Learn new words visually
Instead of translating, try visualizing or even drawing new vocabulary. For example, don’t learn apple = jablko – picture a shiny red apple instead. This builds a direct link between English and meaning, bypassing Czech entirely.
This activates different areas of the brain and helps you build a separate English vocabulary bank.
5. Speak — even if it’s not perfect
Speaking puts your brain under real-time pressure, which forces it to stop translating. You can talk to friends, join a club, or even speak out loud while doing chores. The key is consistency. Studies using MRI show that when people become fluent, the brain processes the second language using the same areas as the native one. You’re literally rewiring your brain!
Bonus tip: Plan
Just like I mentioned in my previous article – planning works. People who plan when and where they’ll do something are 2–3x more likely to stick with it.
Try this: I will practise thinking in English at 8:30 a.m. while walking to work.
Make English a habit — not a decision.
Stop trying to translate. Start learning to experience English the way native speakers do – through repeated exposure, speaking, and real-life use. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to show up for your brain every day.