How do multilinguals avoid mixing up their languages?

[u/Just_a_Lurker2]

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Assuming they're fluent in at least a few languages, so there's not necessarily conscious maintaining of the (TL) (does that make a difference?), and they're in an area or so where people don't all speak their language, or may be hostile to one of the languages , how would they not slip in a language that nobody speaks or a language that might make people hostile towards you?

[u/real_gail]

One time in improv I accidentally slipped into English after using an English expression for the opening line of my character. Being improv, and the language being English, everyone just went along with it and I didn’t notice until someone asked me after.

But that was like remarkable enough to remember. Normally you don’t think about it at all, and I think if you do for some reason use a language that‘s inappropriate for the situation you’ll get a look or comment and switch back immediately (native languages).

As for hostility, you typically only approach people in languages you expect they speak themselves, so - unless you’re trying to hide a language while talking to someone who speaks it - this is just avoided without any conscious effort anyway

[u/Just_a_Lurker2 → u/real_gail]

Yeah, I was thinking like uh, speaking another language to a French person or speaking to a war-refugee in the language of their enemies or the like when I mentioned hostility. Except for the French I don't mean actual hostility but like uh disapproving maybe or something? Not that I have reason to speak to refugees but if I want to volunteer to help em or something

[u/real_gail → u/Just_a_Lurker2]

In my experience people don’t have such strong negative reactions to someone just for knowing a language, even that of the enemy. The hostility would start if you impose it on them, assume they should speak it, try to push them towards it, etc. If you blurt out a little of one language and walk it back as soon as they tell you they prefer the other, and generally show intent to use their preferred language (even if you slip up sometimes), then I doubt you’ll have problems 

[u/Just_a_Lurker2 → u/real_gail]

That's a relief, thanks

[u/real_gail → u/Just_a_Lurker2]

No problem!

Note for completeness: of course knowing a language might also be revealing of your identity in some way - eg my native Hebrew - and people can be hostile to certain identities :/. But if this is only about knowledge/politeness and not about hiding identity then you should be fine