Thinking in Japanese

[Tsukemono San]

Hello again,

I've heard that the best way to learn another language is not to memorize lists of words and phrases, but to think in that language as often as you can.
One way I am trying to do this is by making flashcards with pictures on them instead of English words, so that I associate the Japanese word with the concept/object rather than the English word. The only problem is that it's hard to make an illustration for "sakuya" or "raishuu"...
Does anyone else have advice for someone trying to absorb the language in this way?

 

[Mike Cash]

In your mind's internal dialogue, just insert the Japanese words into your English thoughts, replacing the equivalent English word. After a while they become like just another synonym instead of a foreign word and you don't have to struggle (as much) to recall meanings, as your mind will have come to associate a meaning with the sound.

 

[KirinMan]

One other thing to keep in mind is that as you learn the language there will come a time when you will eventually learn words or phrases or parts of conversations that you can understand in Japanese without having to translate them into another language.

There is much I know and understand in Japanese that I can not translate very well into English, and the only time I really use English at all is when I am either talking with an English speaking foreigner like myself (rarely) or when I am posting on a forum like this, (double rarely as well)

 

[Rei Yahya]

Thinking in Japanese gets easier with practice. Force yourself to refer to things by their Japanese words instead of the English equivalent.

 

[visser300]

In your mind's internal dialogue, just insert the Japanese words into your English thoughts, replacing the equivalent English word. After a while they become like just another synonym instead of a foreign word and you don't have to struggle (as much) to recall meanings, as your mind will have come to associate a meaning with the sound.

I'm afraid that my English skills would disappear with this method

 

[Tsukemono San]

Thanks for the reply!

It has been helpful to think about the about the Japanese word every time I'm thinking about the English equivalent -- although my family is worried about me talking to myself so often.
Also, I am starting to understand how different communicating an idea in Japanese is from saying it in English.. Learning lots of words via flashcards is helping me to understand more of what I hear--and helps me get farther away from comparing it to English.
Thanks for the advice!