Bear with me here.

[SecondmateFlint]

I'm an (American) English speaker by birth, barely learned enough German to say that I'm at least competent but here in college I've been learning American Sign Language. One fifth of the student population is Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing so I wonder if they actually think in sign? I know sometimes I dream in sign but none of my hearing friends can understand me. I will have to ask one of my deaf/h-o-h friends how they think.

OT I think in words running every hypothetical situation in my head starting with "what if..." then I run through statements and questions.

Off-topic, I think a couple was just making out in the hallway outside my door...thought I'd share that with you fine people.

 

[Elburzito]

Some people think in visuals as well, I'm not one of them but I've thought this before and looked into it a bit.

That's the only bit of information I remember, but yes people think in their own language when talking to themselves because it's how they communicate.

Seeing how babies and people who don't know a language think would be interesting.

I think in visuals, but in other times I think normally. I usually think in English but sometimes in German.

 

[Fellwarden]

I'm Norwegian, but I very often think in English. Some thoughts I even have in French or German. I switch language when I can't find the one I'm looking for in the language I'm currently thinking in, so sometimes I switch back and forth between English and Norwegian very much.

 

[Pandairon]

Non-english speakers do indeed think in their own langague first and then translate it to english if they are replying

Maybe you do
I sure as hell don't

Same here. Too complicated for a conversation!

*creepy bobbing face*

This and your avatar both made me laugh.

No I agree with the other guy. I am not a native speaker and my english isn't very good. It's so-so. I usually translate everyhting in my head because some words I don't know what they mean but from where it is in a sentence I can guess but it breaks my foucs, so I turn the whole think to my own language and then it clears what I should say. It's like readers block.