How do I think in Japnese with out having to translate it in English.

[XcapeLand]

Hello

Well just what the title says how do I learn Japanese without thinking in English first? What are some method that helped you learn the language naturally?

[Soup]

I think the only way to really do this is to immerse yourself to the point where you pretend you don't know English at all, and eventually you'll find yourself thinking in Japanese after years of being immersed.

[XcapeLand]

Originally Posted by Soup

I think the only way to really do this is to immerse yourself to the point where you pretend you don't know English at all, and eventually you'll find yourself thinking in Japanese after years of being immersed.

Your right but, I have heard of people learning Japanese close to fluently and never stepping a toe on Japanese soil. I want to know what made them so fluent while being in a English speaking environment without thinking in English for japnaese. I would really like to know the methods they use if anyone has accomplished it?

[ryuurui]

Originally Posted by XcapeLand

Hello

Well just what the title says how do I learn Japanese without thinking in English first? What are some method that helped you learn the language naturally?

it comes with time, you stop translating once you feel comfortable with the language, and it is settled well enough for you to be able to stop doing it. just keep learning.

[KyleGoetz]

I stopped having to translate in my head after a year or so of doing Japanese conversation over an hour a day, three times a week, with a university club. This was, of course, in addition to the five or six hours I spent in Japanese language classes at university and the hour or so of homework I worked on every night.

So probably twelve or more hours per week of practice for a year got me there, where about 1/3 of the time was with native speakers in native situations. 1/2 was in a classroom with a native-speaking professor only teaching using Japanese (no English).

Of course, this was only for a limited number of settings and conversations. Many topics were (and still are) outside my linguistic grasp. But that has little to do with thinking and more to do with plain ol' vocabulary size.

[Nyororin]

For me, I think there was only a very brief window where I translated... And to be honest, I can't actually remember ever doing it. (Although I am sure it happened at some point.)

My advice is to do your best to learn Japanese without it being "translated" to begin with. Learn it from context, learn it from observance, learn it *in* Japanese... Just don't learn it as "blah blah" means "blah blah blah" in English. Instead of the word being linked in your mind to the actual meaning, it will be linked to what you have been told is it's meaning - another word, instead of the actual thing.
A vaguely similar example would be two words with pretty much the same meaning. When you hear "dog", the object that it should be linked to is, well, a dog. When you hear "canine", the link should also be going to the same thing - a dog. Not to "dog" which then goes to the real thing.

It is something really difficult for me to explain, but I learned Japanese almost entirely from exposure and learning *in* Japanese (for example, looking things up in Japanese dictionaries, asking for clarification in Japanese, etc). So I seem to have two "pools" of language that only slightly overlap. There are things that I know and understand in Japanese, and things that I know and understand in English. They are mostly the same things, but there is no internal connection between them. There are strange moments of realization that such-and-such, that I am familiar with in one language, is the familiar something-or-other in the other language. The words aren't linked, so sometimes it feels strange to realize that A=B, even when I have known both words all along.

The ability to keep the languages separate is very important, in my opinion. I don't think it is a matter of thinking in one or the other. I don't "think" in Japanese any more than I "think" in English while speaking it. I only consciously think about what I am going to say before saying it in either language when I am trying to come up with a good way to word something difficult or sensitive. I don't think most people normally think about what they are saying or hearing, really.

Instead of aiming for thinking in one or the other, I say aim for not thinking in either. Try to just accept the information conveyed by the words.
I think this is why I seem to be quite good at translation. I seem to store information independent of the language I encountered it in. It makes it easy to regurgitate it in either language later on.
After spending the day at a bilingual friend's house, changing languages depending on whether others in our vicinity understood or not (my husband is monolingual as is my friend's mother-in-law, when they were talking with us we spoke in Japanese. When it was just the two of us we spoke in English.), I can remember all that we talked about but I can't recall which parts were in which language.

A very poor answer to your question, I imagine. I am up too late and rambling a bit.

[XcapeLand]

Thanks for the input everyone you all are really helpful I figure that I was just going to have to get myself more acquainted to the language. I really don't know any Japanese personally so maybe when I transfer to a four year school I will get the exposure I need. So hopefully it works out.

KyleGoetz
I stopped having to translate in my head after a year or so of doing Japanese conversation over an hour a day, three times a week, with a university club. This was, of course, in addition to the five or six hours I spent in Japanese language classes at university and the hour or so of homework I worked on every night.

So probably twelve or more hours per week of practice for a year got me there, where about 1/3 of the time was with native speakers in native situations. 1/2 was in a classroom with a native-speaking professor only teaching using Japanese (no English).

I will try to study as hard as you when I transfer to a four year then.

Nyororin

My advice is to do your best to learn Japanese without it being "translated" to begin with. Learn it from context, learn it from observance, learn it *in* Japanese... Just don't learn it as "blah blah" means "blah blah blah" in English. Instead of the word being linked in your mind to the actual meaning, it will be linked to what you have been told is it's meaning - another word, instead of the actual thing.
A vaguely similar example would be two words with pretty much the same meaning. When you hear "dog", the object that it should be linked to is, well, a dog. When you hear "canine", the link should also be going to the same thing - a dog. Not to "dog" which then goes to the real thing.

This makes senses I will keep this in mind when I am studying. I am trying to teach my self the language at the moment and I don't want to get into the habit of translating Japanese in to English when I hear it.

After spending the day at a bilingual friend's house, changing languages depending on whether others in our vicinity understood or not (my husband is monolingual as is my friend's mother-in-law, when they were talking with us we spoke in Japanese. When it was just the two of us we spoke in English.), I can remember all that we talked about but I can't recall which parts were in which language.

Interesting how long did it take you to get to that level of fluency? When did it start feeling natural for you to speak the language?

Also I don't mind your rambling at all it rather interesting

[Realism]

Originally Posted by XcapeLand

Your right but, I have heard of people learning Japanese close to fluently and never stepping a toe on Japanese soil. I want to know what made them so fluent while being in a English speaking environment without thinking in English for japnaese. I would really like to know the methods they use if anyone has accomplished it?

Immersion is a MINDSET. It has nothing to do with where you live.

You can avoid English 95% of the time if you want, even if you live in America.

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by Realism

Immersion is a MINDSET. It has nothing to do with where you live.

You can avoid English 95% of the time if you want, even if you live in America.

Well put. I learned most of the English that I know today without leaving Japan AND did so when there was no such thing as Internet.

[asqkcom]

this might not be an answer but since it worked for me and I know two other people like this let me tell you.
so if you go to japan and make japanese friends you'll be thinking in japanese in no time.
specially if you put your self in a situation where you are forced to not speak english it will be like second nature.

it reminds me when I first came to america.
I was forced to speak english and made a few american friends.
then in just a few weeks I had a dream and I was dreaming in english. lol
I remember speaking and thinking in english in my dremas because my american friend was in it.
so I guess you should make a japanese friend who don't speak english at all.
and hopefully he/she will be in your dreams one day