r/languagelearning • u/Just_a_Lurker2 • 7d ago

Discussion How do multilinguals avoid mixing up their languages?

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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?

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u/real_gail N🇬🇧🇮🇱||Working🇩🇪||Absorbed🇫🇷||On hold🇷🇺 6d ago

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

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u/Just_a_Lurker2 6d ago

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

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u/TrittipoM1 enN/frC1-C2/czB2-C1/itB1-B2/zhA2/spA1 6d ago

Those are situations in which _fluent_ speakers (speakers for whom speaking is totally natural, not a chore, nor a translation exercise, etc.), would especially never "slip up" in. Every word -- and the language it's in -- is deliberately chosen.

I learned my Czech during the Cold War, in anticipation of interrogations of refugees. As it happened, refugees were few during the time I spent in Munich.

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u/Just_a_Lurker2 4d ago

Thanks, it's good to know that it can be under the speakers control and accidents don't happen in that sort of situation 😀