How to Finally Think in Arabic!

At least once a month, I receive this questions from one of my students: “Sam, how do I start to think in Arabic?”.

So I want to talk about what it actually means to think in another language and also 3 practical tips for you to get better at it yourself!

The first point is that humans actually don’t really think in language at all. We think in ideas, emotions and concepts and if we have the language capacity to express them, we can project them into the world via language using the most suitable words we have available.

Even native speakers may not have the right words to express what they are feeling or thinking. “I don’t know how to explain it” and “I can’t express how much I love you”, are examples of us admitting this very idea. 

What is really meant by “thinking in Arabic”, for us Arabic students, is having a direct link between the Arabic word and the concept in your brain. But beginner students who are new to Arabic are usually thinking in these three steps:

Step 1) Arabic word.

Step 2) Translate to English word.

Step 3) To concept in your brain.

The process of “thinking in Arabic”, is really just a practise of eliminating the need to go via English and building the connections in your brain directly between the concept and the Arabic word. However, that doesn’t happen over night, so here are some ways in which you can replace your use of English in your studies:

1) Use more images in your notes.

Often when students are reading a new text, they’ll make vocab notes around it and put boxes around words and write the English near to it, ect. But to start building more direct connections in your brain, it will help to draw the concept rather than write it. Of course this depends on how much space you have and to a certain extent, how good an artist you are. But don’t let that put you off, I am a terrible drawer and how amusing my pictures are just makes it all the more memorable.

1) Arabic word.

2) Image (inherently cross cultural). 

3) Concept in your brain.

2) Stop translating everything.

Students often feel the need to translate EVERYTHING into English in order to understand it. However, once they have a foundation in Arabic, it’s actually far quicker and more efficient to practise reading in Arabic, understanding in Arabic and then interacting in Arabic.

Rather than translating a news paper article, try reading it and then writing a commentary on it. Write about whether the article is fair, what is it about?, do you like the writer?, what political leanings does it have?

1) Arabic word.

2) Responses to the word. 

3) Concept in your brain.

3) Explain Arabic words, via different Arabic words. 

You may need to ask a teacher to help with this. But using an Arabic synonym or explaining something in different words is very very powerful. To use the template from above:

1) Arabic word

2) Other, more familiar Arabic words.

3) Concept in your brain.

Keep up the awesome work Arabic students! 

Sam