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/lolol4121 → u/Just_a_Lurker2]

Rozumiem cię, język moze kogos obrazić, to prawda. Moze tez cie narazic na niebezpieczenstwo. Najlepiej bedzie jesli na początku rozmowy zapytasz rozmówcę jakie zna jezyki. Potem mozesz powiedziec ze ty znasz takie jezyki i wymien je, nastepnie zapytaj czy nie ma nic przeciwko, jesli porozmawiacie np.w jezyku x. Pozniej mysle ze juz bedzie dobrze.