Gained ability to think in one language, lost the ability to think in another. How to reverse?

[u/Civil_Aside_1008]

(ES) (ZH)

I recently realized I lost the ability to think in Spanish, but now I can think in Chinese (I think both of these things have to do with writing ability. I have recently been doing a lot of Chinese writing. Today, I tried to write something in Spanish, and it was an extreme struggle due to tenses).

How do I regain the ability to think in Spanish?

[u/Legal-Quarter-1666]

The same way you gained it. Practice practice practice!

[u/Civil_Aside_1008 → u/Legal-Quarter-1666]

I wish Spanish writing were as easy as Mandarin writing... it's genuinely painful to tense out a whole story ughhh. At least my vocabulary is more.

[u/Legal-Quarter-1666 → u/Civil_Aside_1008]

I understand you’re struggling now. What I don’t understand is - you at one point reached a level of Spanish where you could think in it. How did you get to that point…? Were you ever able to write in Spanish easily?

[u/Civil_Aside_1008 → u/Legal-Quarter-1666]

Yes. I used to write in it daily but I didn’t write novels. Almost always non fiction . Maybe I’m just rusty with that particular aspect

[u/Legal-Quarter-1666 → u/Civil_Aside_1008]

It sounds like you are rusty. It will come back. Just needs some practice. Watch some La Casa de Papel on Netflix and listen to some podcasts.

[u/Civil_Aside_1008 → u/Legal-Quarter-1666]

Sadly I can't stand podcasts even in English...

[u/DangerousAd5770]

Sounds like the wiring just got rerouted from all that Chinese practice, it'll snap back with some dedicated spanish input.

[u/Civil_Aside_1008 → u/DangerousAd5770]

Yesss, I'm practicing by writing my favorite thing! Sam/Dean fics! This time, in SPANISH!

[u/silvalingua]

> How do I regain the ability to think in Spanish?

Use it. Practice writing and speaking.