What language do you think in?

Jeff · Aug 22, 2003, 07:12 PM

I've often wondered this.

I mean; I always think in english, but what about bilingual people, do you switch your thinking language? And what about babies, do they just think in instinct?

I don't mean how you like move your arms and stuff, but when you are like "Talking in your mind."

Any insight would be appreciated

**MIG-31** · Aug 22, 2003, 07:22 PM

somedays i havn't a clue!depends on what mood i'm in.mostly english which comes to no surprise.

can be a pain having a identical surname aswell!

~~HawK~~ · Aug 22, 2003, 07:49 PM

Well, being dutch *if it ain't dutch it ain't much*

, I do most of my thinking in dutch,
if posting in english forums etc., I do switch over to thinking in english, a habbit I got from being in the R.D.Navy
& twenty years working with computers, did help a bit too

but sometimes talking to family or friends I can't find the right dutch word, which I know in the english,
and try to translate to dutch makes it sometimes very confusing

dipstick · Aug 22, 2003, 07:55 PM

Well, I can speak both english and greek pretty well, but all brain activities are done in english. Not sure why to be honest, it just happens like that. I try to think in greek but it no good, it's like my thoughts turn english half way through. I think it depends on what you're more used to. Not too sure about babies, I think they use the doodoo-dada language

Judas · Aug 22, 2003, 07:56 PM

..... i don't think i even think in any language talking to myself in my mind.... it's just ....there....?

shuki · Aug 22, 2003, 08:14 PM

95% English 5% Hebrew. With babies my experience has been in whatever language they are taught in their early years I'd say 10 years and under. Our oldest son is 7 and both parents are american. Even though he is starting his third year in hebrew public school system his thought process is still English... may right well change as his time goes more into Hebrew speaking world than English as he spends more and more time away from "home". Talking teen years ...

Jeff · Aug 22, 2003, 08:17 PM

When I mentioned babies, I meant, before they learn a language at all.

the_penguin · Aug 23, 2003, 04:24 AM

does gibberish count???? i mean sometimes you think and it is just a bunch of words at once and all???

Judas · Aug 23, 2003, 06:29 AM

.... really.. man.. i must just thinking completely utterly different.... i "see" movies run through my head before i hear words... and i have to consintrate to hear em..... everything feels instinctual

Falstaff · Aug 23, 2003, 06:33 AM

sometimes in nihongo, I spoke japanese to my coworkers in the library in yokohama, and even now some of the humorous things they said seem so well placed now...funnier now than then...but I can speak a little greek and german because I lived overseas during my youth...there is so much profanity out there in different languages, but also a great deal of humour

Judas · Aug 23, 2003, 06:35 AM

humor is a universal language...... Although... sometimes racists....

MikeDaMan · Aug 23, 2003, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Judas
.... really.. man.. i must just thinking completely utterly different.... i "see" movies run through my head before i hear words... and i have to consintrate to hear em..... everything feels instinctual

I know what you mean man. It's like I dont think out full plain english sentences, it's more like it just comes to me w/ out any words.

Like you said more like a movie versus language is the way i think. Although when I ask myself questions I speak actual words to myself. Weird huh.

Logla · Aug 23, 2003, 07:47 AM

for me, 1s and 0s. It's all been binary from an early age.

Vengeance · Aug 23, 2003, 07:49 AM

Jabberwokkie

Jeff · Aug 23, 2003, 08:09 AM

Judas I know what you mean, a lot of times I think that way too, but I guess it just depends.

RIV@NVX · Aug 23, 2003, 08:46 AM

Well, it depends... sometimes english, sometimes croatian, sometimes switching during the sentence

Judas · Aug 23, 2003, 09:27 AM

actually, i'll find myself editing post after post because nothing of what i think flows to my fingers...or to my mouth.. i have a real big problem talking on a phone... or in person.... alot of people get mad because i had an even worse problem trying to explain something in person.... i miss words..... i mispronouce them..... If only someone could read the thoughts i'm trying to say or show.....

Dom · Aug 23, 2003, 01:41 PM

Limited to English.

toddsmack2k · Aug 23, 2003, 02:25 PM

Same here, English! If I tried any other language my brain would quit!

DallasStar · Aug 24, 2003, 03:16 AM

My first spoken language is Urdu. English is my second language. French is my third language. However, I usually think in whatever language I'm working with. For example, if I'm in Pakistan and with my relatives, I may begin thinking in Urdu. But in America, I usually think in English. Sometimes, when I'm in an awkward mood or just feel weird, I catch myself thinking in French

.... Really though, thought is only in a language if you try to THINK about what you're thinking. In fact, if you just thought, but didn't think about what you thought, but only about what you thought ABOUT, then thought is languageless

...

Judas · Aug 24, 2003, 05:44 AM

...... thought speach is a language..... it can be any similare or exact to any spoken language...

Weird.... i think dictionary has to come up with a better meaning of it....

**Roadee** · Aug 24, 2003, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DallasStar
My first spoken language is Urdu. English is my second language. French is my fourth language. However, I usually think in whatever language I'm working with. For example, if I'm in Pakistan and with my relatives, I may begin thinking in Urdu. But in America, I usually think in English. Sometimes, when I'm in an awkward mood or just feel weird, I catch myself thinking in French .... Really though, thought is only in a language if you try to THINK about what you're thinking. In fact, if you just thought, but didn't think about what you thought, but only about what you thought ABOUT, then thought is languageless ...

Damn.......now you are speaking in tongue's!!!

Dyre Straits · Aug 24, 2003, 06:02 AM

I'm totally English and so my thought processes are in English......or music.

As for babies: Being the father of 4 and a grandfather of 4, I can tell you this much -- babies hear long before they're born. If you ask most moms who listened to music a lot when pregnant, I think they'd vouch that at one point the babies start responding to the rhythmn of the music they listen to. In fact, on more than one occasion if there was a loud BANG due to a door slamming or something falling on the floor, the baby would jump.

So, with that in mind, babies are actually exposed to language prior to birth. Recent reports have indicated that the gibberish that babies produce is actually an attempt to speak. They just haven't learned yet how to discipline their vocal chords and mouth muscles, etc, in order to produce intelligible speech.

All this aside, however, I don't think that babies actually think in terms of language, but, rather from a more primitive level of emotion -- something feels good or it feels bad; it looks good or looks bad, etc. So, a baby's 'thinking' would be more of an emotional level than a true thought process. That is, until they can begin to associate what they hear and see.

ToshiroOC · Aug 24, 2003, 07:13 AM

I think that you people who like this sort of stuff should read some of Chomsky's language aquisition work (or Pinker's book "The Language Instinct"). Very good books on how language is broken down in the mind to a sort of "mentalese", and also on how children acquire language.

BWX · Aug 24, 2003, 08:07 AM

I think in english while writing, or talking with someone. But what about while drawing a picture? Or working on your car? In many situations I think in terms of shaped, distances, force, and pressure. (I guess physics) -How do think when you are trying to unfasten a rusty nut off a rusty bolt? -you imagine how much more pressure you can put on that thing before it breaks- (through sense of touch), and how much of a pain it's going to be if it breaks and you have to get a torch or drill out. Not in words at all.

What about when you are taking a photograph of something- I think in terms of balance, composition color, distance, motion, light/darkness. No word there-

What about problem solving? Do you guys actually sit there and think to yourself in words? Probably not. I think that's what makes using different parts of your noggin (what everyone does) for doing different things so effective- it would take too long to use the part of your brain set aside for speech to be active while doing things/ thinking about things that require no speech at all.

Then there's MATH- UHG- think in numbers/quantities lateley? That's a whole different ball game.

But I guess the question is referring to when you ARE actually talking to yourself, and which language you use. Wouldn't that have to be your native language? Or are some people SO evenly bi-lingual that they have NO native language and it's a toss-up as to what language they will be thinking in at any given time? They must be few and far between... I woudn't know- I'm only speaking one language at the moment.

Then there's EQ- or Emotional Intelligence-- Oh yes my friends, there is such a thing. They even think they can measure it- with a NUMBER! like your IQ!-- BS I say- But that beg's the question- What words describe anger, jealousy, love, hate, fear, compassion, emapathy, comradery, disgust- And I mean when you are thinking that way or FEELING that way- What words are you saying to yourself? what language? Maybe you are thinking about a song- humming a tune? No words there either.

Some things we think about transcend all language, and those things are a language all of their own as far as I know- only very techincal things require what most people think of language. Or expressing yourself with words- That's what makes us human isn't it?

Hey- what about my cat? Or my dog? I think they think in english to a certain extent- Hey, they no a allot of words- believe me- They might not be able to say the words, but they sure as hell know what they mean. - do they "think" the word "treats" when I say "treats" and open the package they are very familiar with that is full of those things they love to eat? I've often wondered about that- I think they might. They know their names- - If I wisper the cat's name from across the room- she will turn around and look at me- If I wisper another word she ignores me-

Man - why'd you have to ask us such hard questions? Now my head hurts from thinking too much.

***craig5320*** · Aug 24, 2003, 01:55 PM

Quote:

but when you are like "Talking in your mind."

Take him away boys.

DallasStar · Aug 24, 2003, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BWX232
I think in english while writing, or talking with someone. But what about while drawing a picture? Or working on your car? In many situations I think in terms of shaped, distances, force, and pressure. (I guess physics) -How do think when you are trying to unfasten a rusty nut off a rusty bolt? -you imagine how much more pressure you can put on that thing before it breaks- (through sense of touch), and how much of a pain it's going to be if it breaks and you have to get a torch or drill out. Not in words at all.

What about when you are taking a photograph of something- I think in terms of balance, composition color, distance, motion, light/darkness. No word there-

What about problem solving? Do you guys actually sit there and think to yourself in words? Probably not. I think that's what makes using different parts of your noggin (what everyone does) for doing different things so effective- it would take too long to use the part of your brain set aside for speech to be active while doing things/ thinking about things that require no speech at all.

Then there's MATH- UHG- think in numbers/quantities lateley? That's a whole different ball game.

But I guess the question is referring to when you ARE actually talking to yourself, and which language you use. Wouldn't that have to be your native language? Or are some people SO evenly bi-lingual that they have NO native language and it's a toss-up as to what language they will be thinking in at any given time? They must be few and far between... I woudn't know- I'm only speaking one language at the moment.

Then there's EQ- or Emotional Intelligence-- Oh yes my friends, there is such a thing. They even think they can measure it- with a NUMBER! like your IQ!-- BS I say- But that beg's the question- What words describe anger, jealousy, love, hate, fear, compassion, emapathy, comradery, disgust- And I mean when you are thinking that way or FEELING that way- What words are you saying to yourself? what language? Maybe you are thinking about a song- humming a tune? No words there either.

Some things we think about transcend all language, and those things are a language all of their own as far as I know- only very techincal things require what most people think of language. Or expressing yourself with words- That's what makes us human isn't it?

Hey- what about my cat? Or my dog? I think they think in english to a certain extent- Hey, they no a allot of words- believe me- They might not be able to say the words, but they sure as hell know what they mean. - do they "think" the word "treats" when I say "treats" and open the package they are very familiar with that is full of those things they love to eat? I've often wondered about that- I think they might. They know their names- - If I wisper the cat's name from across the room- she will turn around and look at me- If I wisper another word she ignores me-

Man - why'd you have to ask us such hard questions? Now my head hurts from thinking too much.

Very well said. I agree with you wholeheartedly; I just wish I had thought about it in as much depth as you before responding. You deserve a cookie

.

You made some very good points. When drawing, I'm usually more emotional than I am when not drawing, yet I think in colors and shapes. I see images that are incomprehensible, but represent everything that I'm thinking: they make perfect sense to me. When doing math, I don't think in words either, but rather, my thought process is somewhat like a binary tree that you would deal with in programming and ... um.... it's hard to describe

...

... and in case you're interested... my "emotional IQ" is 121

... and IQ (regular) is about 160

.

**MIG-31** · Aug 24, 2003, 05:17 PM

always got my tongue twisted if i even attempted another language.english by name english by nature is me.

Rayder · Aug 25, 2003, 01:53 AM

English for me. I took a year of French in school, but I never got any good at it. I hated taking French because I wanted to take Spanish, but they said the class was full. I figured Spanish would have been more useful to me as I know alot of people that speak Spanish and NONE that speak French.

The closest I can get to speaking other languages is to mimic their accents when speaking English.

Aug 22, 2003, 07:12 PM	#1
Jeff Yarr... I be blind! Join Date: May 2002 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 3,191 Rep Power: 80	What language do you think in? I've often wondered this. I mean; I always think in english, but what about bilingual people, do you switch your thinking language? And what about babies, do they just think in instinct? I don't mean how you like move your arms and stuff, but when you are like "Talking in your mind." Any insight would be appreciated __________________

Aug 22, 2003, 07:22 PM	#2
MIG-31 HardwareHeaven News Mod Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Nottingham,UK Posts: 56,818 Rep Power: 471 System Specs	somedays i havn't a clue!depends on what mood i'm in.mostly english which comes to no surprise. can be a pain having a identical surname aswell! __________________ Please Post Your News Submissions Here

Aug 22, 2003, 08:17 PM	Thread Starter #7
Jeff Yarr... I be blind! Join Date: May 2002 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 3,191 Rep Power: 80	When I mentioned babies, I meant, before they learn a language at all. __________________

Aug 23, 2003, 06:33 AM	#10
Falstaff Old Codger Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: USAFA Posts: 19,048 Rep Power: 207	sometimes in nihongo, I spoke japanese to my coworkers in the library in yokohama, and even now some of the humorous things they said seem so well placed now...funnier now than then...but I can speak a little greek and german because I lived overseas during my youth...there is so much profanity out there in different languages, but also a great deal of humour __________________ "Inspiration is always a surprising visitor."

Aug 23, 2003, 07:49 AM	#14
Vengeance DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fort Worth TX Posts: 643 Rep Power: 0	Jabberwokkie __________________ [color=red]Rage3D Super Moderator[/color] [color=red]BFG 6800 GT [/color]

Aug 22, 2003, 07:49 PM	#3
~~HawK~~ Banned Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 2,092 Rep Power: 0	Well, being dutch if it ain't dutch it ain't much , I do most of my thinking in dutch, if posting in english forums etc., I do switch over to thinking in english, a habbit I got from being in the R.D.Navy & twenty years working with computers, did help a bit too but sometimes talking to family or friends I can't find the right dutch word, which I know in the english, and try to translate to dutch makes it sometimes very confusing

Aug 22, 2003, 07:55 PM	#4
dipstick HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: USA Posts: 3,609 Rep Power: 71 System Specs	Well, I can speak both english and greek pretty well, but all brain activities are done in english. Not sure why to be honest, it just happens like that. I try to think in greek but it no good, it's like my thoughts turn english half way through. I think it depends on what you're more used to. Not too sure about babies, I think they use the doodoo-dada language

Aug 22, 2003, 08:14 PM	#6
shuki DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: in the hidden place Posts: 1,975 Rep Power: 0	95% English 5% Hebrew. With babies my experience has been in whatever language they are taught in their early years I'd say 10 years and under. Our oldest son is 7 and both parents are american. Even though he is starting his third year in hebrew public school system his thought process is still English... may right well change as his time goes more into Hebrew speaking world than English as he spends more and more time away from "home". Talking teen years ...

Aug 23, 2003, 04:24 AM	#8
the_penguin DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: usa Posts: 161 Rep Power: 0	does gibberish count???? i mean sometimes you think and it is just a bunch of words at once and all???

Aug 23, 2003, 07:47 AM	#13
Logla HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 3,311 Rep Power: 0	for me, 1s and 0s. It's all been binary from an early age.

Aug 23, 2003, 08:09 AM	Thread Starter #15
Jeff Yarr... I be blind! Join Date: May 2002 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 3,191 Rep Power: 80	Judas I know what you mean, a lot of times I think that way too, but I guess it just depends. __________________

Aug 23, 2003, 08:46 AM	#16
RIV@NVX Freedom is a feature. Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Croatia, Rijeka Posts: 4,476 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Well, it depends... sometimes english, sometimes croatian, sometimes switching during the sentence __________________ -- Vedran

Aug 23, 2003, 01:41 PM	#18
Dom DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 12,940 Rep Power: 0	Limited to English.

Aug 23, 2003, 02:25 PM	#19
toddsmack2k It Never..... Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Kentucky Posts: 3,173 Rep Power: 0	Same here, English! If I tried any other language my brain would quit! __________________ [color=blue]*Bleeding From the Inside Pouring Out, The* *DriverHeaven* Spiral, We Shall Never Let Go Of.[/color]

Aug 24, 2003, 03:16 AM	#20
DallasStar Junior Join Date: May 2002 Location: Wave Existence Posts: 2,065 Rep Power: 0	My first spoken language is Urdu. English is my second language. French is my third language. However, I usually think in whatever language I'm working with. For example, if I'm in Pakistan and with my relatives, I may begin thinking in Urdu. But in America, I usually think in English. Sometimes, when I'm in an awkward mood or just feel weird, I catch myself thinking in French .... Really though, thought is only in a language if you try to THINK about what you're thinking. In fact, if you just thought, but didn't think about what you thought, but only about what you thought ABOUT, then thought is languageless ... __________________ "A picture of my existence... would show a useless wooden stake covered in snow... stuck loosely at a slant in the ground in a ploughed field on the edge of a vast open plain on a dark winter night." --- Franz Kafka Last edited by DallasStar; Aug 24, 2003 at 04:45 PM.

Aug 24, 2003, 07:13 AM	#24
ToshiroOC Unbiased. Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 4,812 Rep Power: 0	I think that you people who like this sort of stuff should read some of Chomsky's language aquisition work (or Pinker's book "The Language Instinct"). Very good books on how language is broken down in the mind to a sort of "mentalese", and also on how children acquire language. __________________ [img][/img] [color=White]Peace be with you, Joe.[/color] Driverheaven Staff Member (Supermoderator)

Aug 24, 2003, 08:07 AM	#25
BWX unplugged Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: USNY Posts: 19,669 Rep Power: 110 System Specs	I think in english while writing, or talking with someone. But what about while drawing a picture? Or working on your car? In many situations I think in terms of shaped, distances, force, and pressure. (I guess physics) -How do think when you are trying to unfasten a rusty nut off a rusty bolt? -you imagine how much more pressure you can put on that thing before it breaks- (through sense of touch), and how much of a pain it's going to be if it breaks and you have to get a torch or drill out. Not in words at all. What about when you are taking a photograph of something- I think in terms of balance, composition color, distance, motion, light/darkness. No word there- What about problem solving? Do you guys actually sit there and think to yourself in words? Probably not. I think that's what makes using different parts of your noggin (what everyone does) for doing different things so effective- it would take too long to use the part of your brain set aside for speech to be active while doing things/ thinking about things that require no speech at all. Then there's MATH- UHG- think in numbers/quantities lateley? That's a whole different ball game. But I guess the question is referring to when you ARE actually talking to yourself, and which language you use. Wouldn't that have to be your native language? Or are some people SO evenly bi-lingual that they have NO native language and it's a toss-up as to what language they will be thinking in at any given time? They must be few and far between... I woudn't know- I'm only speaking one language at the moment. Then there's EQ- or Emotional Intelligence-- Oh yes my friends, there is such a thing. They even think they can measure it- with a NUMBER! like your IQ!-- BS I say- But that beg's the question- What words describe anger, jealousy, love, hate, fear, compassion, emapathy, comradery, disgust- And I mean when you are thinking that way or FEELING that way- What words are you saying to yourself? what language? Maybe you are thinking about a song- humming a tune? No words there either. Some things we think about transcend all language, and those things are a language all of their own as far as I know- only very techincal things require what most people think of language. Or expressing yourself with words- That's what makes us human isn't it? Hey- what about my cat? Or my dog? I think they think in english to a certain extent- Hey, they no a allot of words- believe me- They might not be able to say the words, but they sure as hell know what they mean. - do they "think" the word "treats" when I say "treats" and open the package they are very familiar with that is full of those things they love to eat? I've often wondered about that- I think they might. They know their names- - If I wisper the cat's name from across the room- she will turn around and look at me- If I wisper another word she ignores me- Man - why'd you have to ask us such hard questions? Now my head hurts from thinking too much. __________________

Aug 24, 2003, 05:17 PM	#28
MIG-31 HardwareHeaven News Mod Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Nottingham,UK Posts: 56,818 Rep Power: 471 System Specs	always got my tongue twisted if i even attempted another language.english by name english by nature is me. __________________ Please Post Your News Submissions Here

Aug 25, 2003, 01:53 AM	#29
Rayder Mostly lurking lately.... Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 2,161 Rep Power: 73	English for me. I took a year of French in school, but I never got any good at it. I hated taking French because I wanted to take Spanish, but they said the class was full. I figured Spanish would have been more useful to me as I know alot of people that speak Spanish and NONE that speak French. The closest I can get to speaking other languages is to mimic their accents when speaking English.