A paradoxal question.

Besides the excellent practical advice given above from experienced people, and having stated that a first key to success lays in a good structured lesson that allocates tasks in such way that keep students active, I would like to add some personal thoughts.

From the learner perspective:

First, consider that if in fact, in a broader sense, the term education implicates to show others how to do, how to learn by themselves, the final decision, i.e., to "do or not to do so" (e.g. "to learn or not to learn", "to apply or not to apply", "to think so or not to think in this or the other way"), will necessarily lay on the "other" side. It is the learner who actually decides, if they (he/she) feel CONVINCED, if they feel the NECESSITY, of if they feel INSPIRED to do or not to do so, in this case, e.g., to "think" in another language.

Not to understimate that a bounch of of external issues may impact the learning success of "thinking in another language": like personal expectations, social environment, personality, cognitive issues, health status, cultural values, etc., just to ennumarate some key aspects.

From the educator perspective:

As a language educator we may learn a wide range of activities and estrategies to keep students motivated to learn, focusing in reading, speaking, writing and yes, and of course of thinking in the SL, but finally it is the REAL EXPERIENCE of working with others, theaching others, that TEACHES you to ADAPT your teaching materials, strategies or style, because every group work differently: has an own dynamic, may learn and react different and while some may be very engaged others are more distracted and lazy.

I hope to provide you with some additional thoughts that may help you to answer your question.

You must allocate tasks in such a way to keep students active. Not merely watch video and make test but say u will prove understanding by every sentence in hearing in random order. Not merely read but u will ask every unknown word, not merely discuss topics but use new words and how they can be explained in language and so on

Designing a lesson plan aims to use the target language depends on the skill determined to apply the target language. In reading I think you can support students with key vocab and start reading for them.Then, they read and discuss. I attached a sample of lesson plan and you can modify.

This is a detailed and inconceivably professional lesson plan, thanks.

Yet, I still hope to be provided by personal ideas about the importance of thinking using , not the mother tongue, but the target language.

Here, we 're talking about a metacognitive level.

Don't you agree ..?

A paradoxal question.

Besides the excellent practical advice given above from experienced people, and having stated that a first key to success lays in a good structured lesson that allocates tasks in such way that keep students active, I would like to add some personal thoughts.

From the learner perspective:

First, consider that if in fact, in a broader sense, the term education implicates to show others how to do, how to learn by themselves, the final decision, i.e., to "do or not to do so" (e.g. "to learn or not to learn", "to apply or not to apply", "to think so or not to think in this or the other way"), will necessarily lay on the "other" side. It is the learner who actually decides, if they (he/she) feel CONVINCED, if they feel the NECESSITY, of if they feel INSPIRED to do or not to do so, in this case, e.g., to "think" in another language.

Not to understimate that a bounch of of external issues may impact the learning success of "thinking in another language": like personal expectations, social environment, personality, cognitive issues, health status, cultural values, etc., just to ennumarate some key aspects.

From the educator perspective:

As a language educator we may learn a wide range of activities and estrategies to keep students motivated to learn, focusing in reading, speaking, writing and yes, and of course of thinking in the SL, but finally it is the REAL EXPERIENCE of working with others, theaching others, that TEACHES you to ADAPT your teaching materials, strategies or style, because every group work differently: has an own dynamic, may learn and react different and while some may be very engaged others are more distracted and lazy.

I hope to provide you with some additional thoughts that may help you to answer your question.

Yes. To think in foreign language outside of country u study is not possible if u are not of course a bilingual (but even this is not provable exactly). We can for example translate or speak with ourself in mind but not think. This process must be inherent or deeply involved by total using of a language and culture per se.

Khalid Qenawy has shared an effective lesson plan in this regard. However, the aspects of their interest might compel the language learners (LLs)to think in the target language. Even if they think in their mother tongue and translate their thoughts in the target language, gradually they start thinking in the target language as well. If the LLs want to buy something and the sales person does not understand their language, the LLs would have no other way but to think in the target language to be able to communicate with that sales person. questions that they might like , to ask from speakers of other language, tasks that they simply need to perform in the target language, might stimulate them to think in target language.

Hello, fellows! Do we think in our languages or do we express our thoughts and/or our thinking in our languages? That is a question of focus. I hope the problem is to express one's own point of view and to capture a companion's view in response, i.e. communicate actually. Then, whatsoever language skill we are developing in our language lesson, we should consider the learner's need, his/her level in the learning process and the purpose of the lesson. With regard to the modern teaching/learning approaches, which focus on learner-centeredness and language actual use, let us get the learner fully involved in the learning and in orienting the teacher's teaching. Then, if we agree that we do not think in a language but we express thoughts and ideas in languages, let's obey communication principles (freedom, unpredictability, purpose, reason, reciprocal intelligibilirty, ...) and then let learners' freedom and involvement in the learning practice. This being, let's not fear some occurence of learners' previous language in their leaning English as a foreign language. However, let's instruct them use these languages when, and only when, they are unable to express their thoughts in English, the target foreign language.Meanwhile, as soon as they have resorted to their L1, let this become a source of contribution to the improvement of the target language. Play with question, 'What is this in English? Can(t you say it in English? What do you mean by this?' Instruct leaners not to translate but to map the thought within English, their 'English -their interlanguage'. Struggling to find the equivalent words and expression.discourse train learners think on the target language and express their thoughts in the target language. The church interpreters' game, where partners shift and reshift from L1 to L2 or Ln. In the end all the learners should be to report the fact in the target language. To elaborate a lesson plan format of highly thinking in English, as you call it, you should simply foresee 'discussion nodes' at each stage of the lesson plan, where learners would be allowed to slip and use express points of view in their L1 and next think about it in English, report it in English and interpret it other ways. this learners in English. This involvement strategy at each stage of the lesson, where the tolerated low doze of L1 becomes a sourse discussion, negotiation, interpretation and compromise in the target language would constitute a gate to thinking in the English the target language. This can do from the teaching opening stage, to the lesson close one, through the lesson development stage. I am positive tha this code shifting - reshifting is and should simply stand for an intermediate strategy that would lead to the final goal of the language learning process, i.e. target language actual use. The approch would not only develop what we usually call linguistic ecology, but it would also stimulate the learning of the target language with the assistance of the receptive (or resource) language, and furthermore, think about polyglotism, bi-/multilingualism and concentrate on what we are discussing about now (in our circle) as 'Polyglocy', the linguistics for polyglotism.

In short, don't hate nor rebuke violently learners' L1 in your English lessons, rather tolerate it at a low rate, take profit of it by thinking about the English of that L1, that would hopefully train your learners think in English.

Using task-based activities requiring grouping initiating cooperative learning and proactive interaction is the backbone of a lesson plan which aims at catering to critical thinking.

Dilubenzi Bitolo-Mabiala has offered a pragmatic technique, I would like to second some thought provoking questions for the language learners to think using the target language

(1) 'What is this in English?

(2) Can you say it in English?

(3) What do you mean by this?'

I would appreciate the following facilitations that the language teachers might offer:

(i) Help language leaners (LLs) not to translate but to map the thought within English, their 'English -their interlanguage'!

(ii) Encourage the LLs struggle to find the equivalent words and expression!

(iii) Let the LLs report facts and findings in the target language.

(iv) The language teachers must foresee 'discussion nodes' at each stage of the lesson plan, where learners would be allowed to slip and use, express points of view in their L1 and next think about it in English, report it in English and interpret it other ways.

(v) This involvement strategy at each stage of the lesson, where the tolerated low doze of L1 becomes a source of discussion, negotiation, interpretation and compromise in the target language would constitute a gate to thinking in English, the target language.

(vi) This code shifting - reshifting most probably stand for an intermediate strategy that would lead to the final goal of the language learning process, i.e. target language in actual use.

(vii) Never hate nor rebuke the LLs for using their L1 in your English lessons!

(viii) Tolerate, appreciate, facilitate! Let the LLs to take advantage of their L1 by thinking about the English version, that would positively train the LLs think in English.

Respects* for the handy thoughtful techniques!

So, basically there aren't any written literature about that . Is it !?

'Is there any written literature about devising a lesson plan that aims to push students to think using the target language?'. A good question that can be explored rigorously before giving a 'yes' or no 'answer'.

So, there is not? .Nailah

Fouad Zakraoui ! A lesson plan can be devised to stimulate the students to think and use the target language. Stimulation requires to undertake a few steps considering a number of factors already available for the purpose or to be made available to the students.

My following research paper might cater to your need

Riaz, N., Haidar, S., Hassan, R., (2019). Developing English Speaking Skills: Enforcing Testing Criteria. Global Social Sciences Review (GSSR), IV, (II), 183 – 197.

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2019(IV-II).18

Thanks

Nailah Riaz, Thanks a million.

I also would like to know your opinion about Diagnostic Assessements, and criticism as well.