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Today, we’re talking about this guy:
Do you know him? I’d say yes and no. Let me tell you a bit more about him. But first:
vital words for understanding
- Ally: a person or group that joins with another to support a common cause.
- Saboteur: someone who deliberately destroys, damages, or obstructs something.
- Inner: located on the inside; relating to one’s private feelings or thoughts.
- Bet: to risk something, usually money, on the outcome of an event.
- Foreigner: a person from a different country.
- Unconscious: not awake and aware of what is happening; relating to a part of the mind that is not currently in awareness.
- Lifesaver: a person or thing that provides help in a difficult situation.
- In a split second: happening very quickly.
- Nuance: a subtle difference in meaning, expression, or sound.
- Blurt out: to say something suddenly and without thinking.
- Brake: a device used to slow or stop a vehicle or machine.
- Drain: to cause a liquid to flow out; to deplete or exhaust resources or energy.
- Fatigue: extreme tiredness resulting from mental or physical exertion or illness.
- Misleading: giving the wrong idea or impression.
- Learning curve: the rate of a person’s progress in gaining a new skill or knowledge.
- Chunk: a thick, solid piece of something.
- Toward: in the direction of something.
- Befriend: to become a friend to someone.
- Whisper: to speak very softly, using one’s breath, without vocal chords.
- Foe: an enemy or opponent.
- Genuinely: in a truthful or sincere way.
- A speed bump: an obstacle or challenge that slows progress.
Why the voice in your head might be both your best ally and your worst saboteur in learning English.
Let’s face it – we all have the inner translator.
Think about it. What are you doing right now? You’re reading my words, yes, but is there a little man in the background making them sound Czech? Slovak? Polish? French? I bet there is.
It’s true for me too – when I read a French text, there’s a little man inside my head, translating into English. Whatever the language, the process works the same.
And now you’re probably thinking: It’s wrong to translate in my head.
It’s not. It’s natural. It’s how the brain works. Better to respect it than fight it.
Want to know a secret? Even native speakers ‘translate’ in certain situations.
- What? Michaela, come on – don’t play me.
I’m not joking. They don’t usually translate word-for-word, but they do translate ideas – like when explaining slang to a foreigner, matching a concept to another language they know, or finding an equivalent in a different dialect. It’s fast, unconscious, and only happens when needed.
When the little man is a lifesaver
Sometimes your inner translator is the fastest bridge:
- You hit a rare or technical word, and by translating, you get the meaning in a split second.
- You’re among people of different cultures and you want to check cultural nuances before blurting out something awkward.
- The details really matter – like work instructions – and you need to be 100% sure.
Even beginners can benefit from the little man – in small, strategic ways. There are moments when he genuinely saves the day.
When the little man becomes a speed bump
But he can also slow you down. Picture this: you’re driving, but something keeps forcing you to brake. Again. And again. That’s what happens when your brain gets stuck in a mental traffic jam – translating every. single. word. before you speak.
The result? You speak less, say less, and it’s rarely what you actually wanted to say. It also drains brainpower you need for fluency. Switching between languages is tiring – your brain gets fatigued fast.
And then comes the comfort zone. I see it often at the intermediate level: you know enough to speak, but you still translate everything. It feels safe. But at this stage, you have to step out of that comfort zone and start thinking in the language you’re learning.
The myth of stop translating completely
Now, when I say ‘stop translating,’ I might be the first to tell you: stopping completely is misleading. If you force yourself to think only in English too soon, you’ll feel lost and frustrated. Switching between languages is part of the learning curve – it fades naturally as you get more fluent.
I’m not saying ‘wait for Godot.’ Try. Fail. Try again. But know your limits, and be gentle with yourself.
How to manage the little man
Think of your inner translator as a helpful colleague – call him in for certain jobs, then send him home.
Practically, that means:
- Focus on chunks, not individual words.
- Use translation as a final check, not your main road.
- Gradually shorten the time between hearing/reading something and responding.
- Start with the long version: hear → translate → think → answer
- Move toward the short version: hear → understand → answer, with translation quietly in the background.
Your homework
Befriend your inner translator. Don’t silence him completely – let him whisper when needed, but don’t let him run the whole conversation.
It’s not about killing the little man. It’s about making him work for you, not against you.