Practicing teachers of English as a Second Language know that fluent speakers are those who ‘think in English’ and not those who frame the utterance in the mind in the mother tongue and then translate it to English. Do Indian teachers of English in schools and colleges ‘think in English’? If the teachers think in English, are they familiar with the strategies to be employed for developing in learners the ability to think in English? If fluency in speaking is a proposed goal of teaching English as a Second Language in India, do teachers take the extra effort to nurture this ability in students? The investigator, a teacher educator by profession recently attempted a review of responses given by teachers regarding ‘thinking in English’ and compared it with years of learner responses in own class rooms and   arrived at the conclusion that teachers seldom take the extra step to foster in their learners the ability to ‘think in English’. It was also found that those who ‘think in English’ are ones who had meticulously nurtured the habit of activating an ‘inner voice’ in which they frequently practiced utterances in English when they are alone. This study begins by highlighting the significance of ‘thinking in English’, underscoring its benefits for speakers of English as a Second Language. This is followed by a brief review of the habit of thinking in English among learners and teachers of English. Before concluding, it reviews certain workable strategies for nurturing the   ability to ‘think in English’. It is hoped that the presentation would sensitize participants to the need for developing the ability to ‘think in English’ and also trigger an interest to employ the proposed strategies for developing own fluency to speak in English.

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Keywords: Fluency, Learners, Speaking, Teachers, Thinking.