When we start learning another language, translating feels like the obvious thing to do.

You hear a word in Spanish, translate it into English, understand what it means, think of your answer in English, translate your answer back into Spanish, and then finally say it.

It works.

But it’s also a lot of work for your brain.

And if the goal is to eventually speak another language naturally, we don’t want translation to be the way your brain has to process every conversation.

Translation Adds an Extra Step

Think about a simple object like a cup.

When I say “cup,” you don’t normally stop and think about the definition of a cup. Your brain already understands the concept. You might even picture one.

Now imagine you’re learning French.

If every time you hear “tasse,” your brain has to go:

“Tasse means cup. I know what a cup is.”

You’ve added an unnecessary step.

What we want to develop instead is a direct connection:

“Tasse” → the actual concept of a cup.

No English word in the middle.

That’s one of the biggest differences between studying a language through translation and experiencing a language through immersion.

It’s How You Learned Your First Language

Nobody translated your first language for you.

When you were little and someone said, “Come here,” they probably used their hands, their voice, their facial expression and the situation to help you understand.

After hearing it enough times, you knew what “come here” meant.

You didn’t need a definition.

This happened with thousands and thousands of words.

You connected sounds to people, objects, actions, feelings and experiences. Eventually, those connections became automatic.

That’s what we’re trying to recreate when learning another language.

Translation Can Become a Habit

Translation isn’t bad. Sometimes it’s useful, and sometimes it’s the fastest way to clarify something.

The problem is when we depend on it for everything.

If your brain becomes accustomed to translating every sentence, it can be difficult to let go of that process later.

You might know quite a bit of the language and still find yourself thinking:

“What did she say?”

“Okay, that means…”

“Now what do I want to answer?”

“How do I say that?”

That’s why some people can do very well on vocabulary tests and still struggle tremendously with a real conversation.

They know the language, but accessing it takes too many steps.

You Don’t Need to Understand Every Word

This is especially difficult for adults.

We want to know exactly what everything means.

Children are usually much better at accepting that they don’t understand every single word. They’ll watch your face. They’ll look at what you’re pointing to. They’ll notice what everyone else is doing.

And they’ll figure it out.

That’s an important part of immersion.

If I say five words and you only understand three of them, but you understand what I’m trying to communicate, that’s enough.

Your brain is already working on the rest.

The more times you hear those unknown words in different situations, the clearer their meaning becomes.

This Is Why We Teach Through Concepts

At Verbalee, if we can help you understand something without translating it, that’s what we’re going to try to do.

We point.

We demonstrate.

We use facial expressions.

We show you the object.

We act things out.

We change our tone of voice.

We simplify what we’re saying.

And most importantly, we give you context.

If we’re in the bakery and I’m holding out a plate while asking you to give me the bread, there are a lot of clues helping your brain understand what I’m saying.

Eventually, I won’t need the clues anymore.

You’ll simply understand me.

Real Life Gives Words Meaning

This is also why our environment is such an important part of the Verbalee Method.

If a child is pretending to shop at the grocery store, vocabulary isn’t being introduced as a list of words to memorize.

Apple has an apple attached to it.

Buy has an action attached to it.

More has a need attached to it.

Heavy has a feeling attached to it.

Open has an action attached to it.

The language is connected directly to something happening in that moment.

And those connections become stronger with repetition and experience.

The Goal Is to Stop Thinking About the Language

I think this is ultimately what fluency feels like.

You’re not translating anymore.

Someone says something and you understand.

You have something to say and the words come.

Of course, that doesn’t happen overnight. In the beginning, your brain is working hard to make all these new connections. Sometimes you’ll still translate, and that’s completely normal.

But every time you understand something directly through context, you’re building another connection that doesn’t have to go through your first language.

Little by little, the new language starts standing on its own.

And that’s what we’re looking for at Verbalee.

We don’t want to teach you how to become really fast at translating.

We want to help you reach the point where you don’t need to translate at all.