【地道英式Podcast】提升英語最快的方法：打造你的英文腦，擺脫翻譯思維|學習必聽攻略！|聽懂英語、敢說出口，一次解決學習痛點｜B1聽力Podcast|Mind the Gap系列

Hello everyone and welcome back to Mind

the Gap. It's really lovely to have you

with us again. I'm Jen

and I'm Casey. So Jen, I've been hearing

this from so many learners recently and

I think it's such a big worry. They say,

"Why do native speakers talk so fast? Is

it because we don't know enough words?"

Ah, yes. That question comes up all the

time, doesn't it? And honestly, I

completely understand why learners feel

that way. you sit in front of a film or

maybe you're listening to a conversation

on the bus and it just feels like

everything is racing past you. It can be

so frustrating. But here's the good

news. It's not just you and it's not

that your English is bad. This is

something almost every learner

experiences. In today's episode, we're

going to unpack this problem step by

step. And more importantly, we'll share

some practical ways to deal with it. By

the end, you'll know exactly what to

focus on and how to train your brain to

keep up with fast English.

That sounds perfect. I'm already curious

to know if it really is about vocabulary

or if something else is going on.

Exactly. So, let's dive in.

So, Jen, let me put this to you. A lot

of people genuinely believe that the

reason they don't understand native

speakers is simply because they don't

know enough vocabulary. The thinking

goes, if I just memorize more words,

I'll finally get it. Is that true?

Well, vocabulary definitely helps. I

mean, if you don't know the word

umbrella and someone asks you, "Have you

got an umbrella?" you'll be lost. So, of

course, vocabulary is part of the

picture. But, and this is really

important, it's not the main problem

when it comes to fast native speech.

Not the main problem. Then, what is

going on?

Think about this. Sometimes you know all

the words in a sentence, but you still

don't understand what the speaker means.

For example, if I say to you, "It's on

me." Now, the words are simple, aren't

they? It, you know, on, you know, me,

you know that. But unless you've learned

that as a phrase, you probably wouldn't

realize it means I'll pay for you. I'll

treat you.

Right. So, the problem isn't the words

themselves. It's more about how they're

used together.

Exactly. Language isn't just Lego bricks

of vocabulary. It's patterns. It's

chunks. It's expressions that carry a

meaning bigger than the individual

words. Learners often get frustrated

because they're trying to decode each

word separately, then translate it into

their own language. And by the time they

finish that process, boom, the

conversation has already moved on.

That sounds familiar. I've definitely

had that moment when I'm still

translating the first part and I've

already missed the second part

completely.

Yes. And that's why simply adding more

words to your memory isn't enough.

Imagine watching a film in English. You

recognize the words go, home, late, bus.

But if the actors are speaking quickly,

linking words together, or using an

idiom, you suddenly feel lost. The

problem isn't your vocabulary list. It's

the way your brain is processing the

language.

So, would you say the real challenge is

what you sometimes call thinking in

English?

Spot on. I like to call it building an

English brain. Instead of stopping to

translate each word into Chinese or

another language, you want to train

yourself to react directly in English.

That way, when someone says, "Fancy a

cuppper?" Your brain doesn't go fancy

equals shiuan cupa equals char. and then

try to glue it all together. It just

jumps straight to they're asking if I

want a cup of tea.

That makes so much sense. So, the real

danger here is not a lack of words, but

relying too much on translation.

Yes, that's exactly it. Translation is

like carrying a heavy backpack. You can

move forward, but very slowly. To really

keep up with fast English, you need to

drop that backpack and build a quicker

route in your brain. And that's what

we're going to explore today. How to get

rid of the constant translation and

start thinking directly in English.

So, Jen, you've mentioned this idea of

an English brain a few times now, but

what exactly is it?

Good question. When I talk about an

English brain, I mean the ability to

understand English directly without

having to stop and translate it into

Chinese or any other language first.

It's that mental switch where English

goes in and meaning comes out straight

away. No middleman involved. So it's

like cutting out the translation step.

Exactly. Let me give you a comparison.

In Chinese, if someone says,

you don't stop and think, hm, chu means

eat. Fan means rice or meal. Ma is a

question particle. No, you instantly

know it's just a friendly greeting. You

don't even consciously notice the words.

That's your Chinese brain at work,

right? So in English, we want the same

thing.

Yes. When you hear how's it going, the

goal is not to pause and translate each

word how zama it t going.

If you do that, you'll be painfully

slow. Instead, your English brain should

jump straight to oh, they're just saying

hello, asking how I am.

That makes sense. So, it's more about

instinctive understanding, isn't it?

Absolutely. Think of it like this. When

you first start learning English, it

feels a bit like riding a bike with

training wheels. You wobble. You have to

check every movement. You keep stopping.

That's translation. But once you train

your English brain, it's like the

training wheels come off. You don't

analyze each pedal stroke. You just

ride.

I love that metaphor. So, how do we

actually practice that?

Let's try a mini exercise with our

listeners right now. I'm going to say a

very British phrase, fancy a cuppper.

Now, don't translate word by word. Don't

think fancy equals shiuan cuppper equals

char. Just try to feel what it means.

All right. Shall we give people a

second?

Yes. Let's pause for a moment.

Okay. If your English brain kicked in,

you probably got it. Fancy a cuppper is

just a friendly way of asking, "Would

you like a cup of tea?" Very British,

isn't it?

So, it's really about reacting naturally

rather than analyzing.

Exactly. And the more you practice, the

quicker your brain makes these direct

connections. At first, it feels slow and

a bit awkward, but over time, it becomes

automatic. Just like when you learn to

recognize, okay, you don't translate it

anymore. It just means how. That's what

we want with whole phrases in English.

So, the English brain is basically

training yourself to link English sounds

directly to meaning without Chinese

getting in the way.

That's it. No dictionary in the middle,

no delay. And once you build that

reflex, suddenly fast English doesn't

feel impossible anymore. It just flows.

But Jen, let me play devil's advocate

for a moment. Can't we just take our

time? I mean, what if I just slowly

translate everything in my head? English

in, Chinese out. Isn't that fine?

Oh, I get why you'd think that. And yes,

technically you can do that. But here's

the problem. In real life, English

doesn't wait for you. Native speakers

don't press pause while you translate.

By the time you've worked out the first

sentence, they're already three steps

ahead.

Yes, that's exactly the problem I've had

when watching British dramas. I'm still

chewing on one line and the characters

have already fired off two more.

Exactly. Native speech is naturally

quick, especially in the UK. We love to

link words, swallow sounds, throw in

expressions. It's not because we want to

make life difficult. It's just how

people talk dayto-day. And if you rely

on translation, you'll always feel like

you're chasing a train that's already

left the station.

So, the speed is one reason. What else

makes translation tricky?

Well, another big reason is context.

English is full of phrases that don't

make sense if you translate word by

word. Let me give you an example. I'll

give you a bell.

A bell? Like like a church bell.

Exactly. If you translate it literally,

you'll picture me handing you an actual

bell. But in British English, it just

means I'll give you a phone call. Unless

your brain can make that direct leap

English phrase straight to meaning,

you'll get completely confused.

That's a really good example. So, if I

tried to translate that step by step,

I'd totally miss the point.

Yes. And that's the danger. Translation

often produces nonsense because

languages don't map perfectly onto each

other. And then there's the third

reason, thinking styles. English tends

to be more direct and structured. For

example, we'd say, "I don't agree very

clearly." In Chinese, you might just say

something softer like,

which is less direct. If you keep trying

to process English through a Chinese

lens, you'll always feel a mismatch.

So, it's not just about words, it's

about culture and communication style as

well.

Exactly. That's why an English brain

isn't a luxury. It's not something nice

to have. It's absolutely essential if

you want to keep up with real English.

Without it, you'll always be

translating, always behind, always

secondguessing. With it, you'll finally

be able to follow conversations

naturally and respond in real time.

So really, it's the only way to bridge

that gap between what we learn in

textbooks and how people actually speak.

That's a brilliant way to put it. The

English brain is your ticket from the

classroom into the real world.

[Music]

All right, Jen. So far, you've convinced

me that we do need an English brain, but

here's the big question. How do we

actually build one?

Yes, that's the heart of it, isn't it?

And the good news is it's not some

mysterious talent. Anyone can train

their brain to think in English. I like

to break it down into three core

ingredients.

Okay, go on.

Number one, stop translating word by

word. Number two, focus on chunks, not

individual words. And number three, get

as much natural input as possible. Real

English, not just textbook sentences.

Let's unpack those one at a time. The

first one, you said, stop translating

word by word. But that's easier said

than done, right?

True. It's a tough habit to break. But

think about it like this. If you see the

word dog, what happens in your head? You

don't really think, "Oh, go equals dog."

You just instantly picture a dog. Maybe

a Labrador, maybe a little corgi. That's

the direct connection we want. English

to meaning no Chinese in the middle.

So instead of thinking dog means go, we

should jump straight to the image of a

dog.

Exactly. And once you start doing this

with longer phrases, it really speeds

things up. Which brings me nicely to

ingredient number two. Learn chunks, not

just words.

Chunks meaning groups of words that

naturally go together.

Yes. For example, instead of memorizing

take, bus, work as three separate items,

learn the whole chunk, take the bus to

work, because that's how people actually

use it. When you hear it, you won't

waste time assembling it piece by piece.

You'll just recognize it as one familiar

unit.

That really does sound more efficient,

and it must make listening easier, too,

because you don't have to decode every

single word.

Spot on. In fact, research shows that

native speakers rely heavily on chunks.

That's why learners often feel

overwhelmed. Natives aren't really

speaking in words. They're speaking in

ready-made blocks. The more chunks you

know, the faster your brain can keep up.

So, it's like having pre-built Lego

structures instead of single bricks.

Yes, lovely analogy. If you've only got

bricks, it takes ages to build

something. But if you've got ready-made

pieces, say a window or a door, you can

build a house in no time.

All right, so that's translating less

and shunking more. What about your third

ingredient, natural input?

Ah, yes, this one's crucial. A lot of

learners spend years reading grammar

books, but they rarely listen to how

people actually speak. And then when

they finally hear real British English

with all the linking, the slang, the

humor, it's a shock. So you need to

flood your brain with real input.

Podcasts, radio shows, conversations.

But won't that feel impossible to follow

at first?

It will, and that's completely normal.

At the beginning, you might only catch

10 or 20%. But the point isn't to

understand every word. It's to train

your ear to let your brain get used to

the rhythm, the intonation, the common

phrases. Over time, what felt like noise

starts turning into familiar patterns.

So, it's about exposure, not perfection.

Exactly. And if you combine those three

things, stop translating, learn chunks,

and get natural input, you're already

halfway to building an English brain.

The rest is just practice.

So, Jen, we've talked a lot about why we

need an English brain and what it

involves, but can you give us something

practical like a stepbystep method that

people can actually follow at home?

Yes, definitely. I think it helps to

imagine this as a journey with three

main stages. The early stage, the middle

stage, and the advanced stage. And the

point is you don't have to do everything

at once. You build it up gradually,

brick by brick.

All right, let's start with the early

stage then. What should learners

actually do?

In the early stage, the focus is very

simple. Connect English words directly

to images or feelings, not to Chinese

translations.

For example, if you hear the word apple,

don't think, "Oh, apple equals ping

wall." Instead, picture a red apple in

your mind. Maybe imagine the crunch as

you bite into it. That direct link

trains your brain to cut out the

middleman.

So, it's about retraining your brain's

first reaction.

Exactly. You can do this with all sorts

of everyday words. chair, dog, school,

bus. It might feel childish at first,

but that's exactly how native speakers

built their language as children. They

never translated into another language.

They just linked sounds with meaning.

That makes sense. And what about the

middle stage?

Now, in the middle stage, you move

beyond single words into chunks. This is

where shadowing comes in, too. Let's say

you're listening to take the bus to

work. Instead of breaking it into four

words, you practice recognizing it as

one block. Then you shadow it. Repeat it

immediately after you hear it, matching

the rhythm and the intonation.

That sounds tricky at first.

It is. You'll stumble, you'll mumble,

you'll feel a bit silly, but that's the

point. It's training. You're teaching

your mouth and your ears to move at the

same time, like a dancer copying the

steps. And the more you do it, the more

natural it feels.

And it helps with listening, too. Right.

Oh, massively. When you shadow, you're

not just copying sounds. You're training

your brain to predict what comes next.

So, you start noticing patterns at the

end of the day. On top of that, I'm not

sure if these chunks become familiar

friends and you no longer need to

process them word by word.

Okay, so that's the middle stage,

shadowing and chunk learning. What about

the advanced stage?

Good question. In the advanced stage,

you add two powerful techniques,

predictive listening and self-talk.

Predictive listening is what I like to

call the pause predict play method. You

listen to a podcast or a video, then

pause it for a few seconds and ask

yourself, "What do I think they're going

to say next?" Then hit play and check.

That sounds fun. Like a guessing game.

Yes, exactly. And it forces your brain

to stay one step ahead, just like in

real conversations.

The second technique is self-talk. It

sounds odd, but it's really effective.

You basically narrate your life in

English. For example, while making tea,

you might say to yourself, "I'm putting

the kettle on. I'll grab a mug. Where's

the milk?"

So, you're turning everyday life into

practice time.

Spot on. And here's a small but powerful

tip. Do at least 10 minutes of micro

output every day. That could be self-t

talk, recording a short voice note, or

telling a story out loud. It doesn't

have to be perfect. The point is to use

the language so your brain gets used to

producing English without stopping for

translation.

I like that. 10 minutes feels very

doable.

Exactly. If you think I have to study

for 2 hours, you'll never start. But 10

minutes of micro output, everyone can

fit that in. And if you do it daily, it

adds up quickly.

So to sum up, early stage, link words

directly to images, no translation.

Middle stage, shadowing and chunks.

Advanced stage, predictive listening and

self-talk, plus 10 minutes of daily

micro output.

That's it. And if listeners stick with

this path stage by stage, they'll find

themselves moving from slow

translationbased thinking to fast

natural understanding. That's how you

grow an English brain.

Jen, I imagine some of our listeners

might be thinking, "All right, this all

sounds great, but when I actually try

it, it feels impossible." What kind of

problems do you think learners usually

run into? Yes, that's such an important

question because struggles are part of

the process. Let me share three really

common ones. First, a lot of learners

tell me, "I know all the words, but I

still don't understand the sentence."

That's when context comes in. For

example, if you only focus on the word

cold, you might miss the meaning. I've

got a cold doesn't mean

it means.

So the trick is to store words together

with the situation. Learn in context,

not in isolation.

So instead of memorizing single words,

it's better to remember them as little

stories.

Exactly. The brain loves stories. The

more you tie a phrase to a situation,

the faster you'll recall it in real

conversations.

Now, the second struggle, shadowing.

Many learners try it once and then say,

"This is too fast. I can't keep up. My

advice, slow it down. Use the playback

speed button. Drop it to 0.8, even 0.7

if you need to. And don't start with 5

minutes. Start with just 10 seconds. 10

seconds is enough. Once you can do 10

seconds confidently, you add another 10

and so on. That feels much less scary,

like breaking a big mountain into small

steps.

Exactly. And it's the small, consistent

steps that make the biggest difference.

The third struggle is about speaking.

Learners often freeze because they're

worried about grammar. What if I make a

mistake and then they say nothing? My

tip is to use sentence starters, little

chunks that buy you time. things like

the thing is what I'd say is from my

point of view once you've started the

rest of the sentence tends to follow. So

it's about giving yourself permission to

speak even if it's not perfect.

Yes, language is for communication, not

perfection. No native speaker is judging

you for missing an article. They care

about the message, the feeling, and the

more you speak, the smoother it gets. I

really like that. So, if we bring

everything together, what's the big

takeaway from today?

Here's the key. If you don't understand

nita speakers, it's usually not because

you don't know enough words. It's

because your brain is still stuck in

translation mode. Building an English

brain is the way forward. And if you

follow the steps we shared, stop

translating, learn chunks, shadow,

predict, self-t talk, you will get

there.

So it's not about talent, it's about

method and practice.

Exactly. And remember, even 10 minutes a

day is powerful. Don't wait for a

perfect study plan. Just start.

Okay, listeners, here's a challenge for

you today. Right after this episode, try

30 seconds of English self-t talk.

Describe what you're doing. Maybe making

tea, maybe walking to the bus. It

doesn't matter how simple. Just do it.

Yes, 30 seconds is enough to prove to

yourself that you can think in English.

And if you keep building on that day by

day, your English brain will only get

stronger.

And that's pretty much it for today's

episode. We've covered a lot. So, if you

found it useful, do give this episode a

like and don't forget to subscribe to

Jen's English Hub.

Yes. And please do share it with friends

or classmates who are also learning

English. The more people join us, the

more fun it gets.

And of course, if there's a topic you'd

really like us to talk about in future

episodes, just leave us a comment below.

We'd love to hear from you.

All right, thanks so much for listening.

We'll see you in the next episode.

Bye for now.

Bye for now.

[Music]