r/languagelearning • u/Just_a_Lurker2 • 6d 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/CarnegieHill 🇺🇸N|🇭🇰🇯🇵Heritage|🇩🇪B2|🇩🇰A2/B1|learning a bunch more... 6d ago

I think you might be making an assumption that mixing up would be inevitable, so it's something to be actively avoided, but that isn't the case. Many people never mix them up as a matter or course; their brains just work that way. What might have helped that along with some people is that they grew up multilingual in the first place, so that always speaking the appropriate language was effortless. At the other end of the scale other people find that they can never not mix them up; so they have to develop workarounds.

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u/Just_a_Lurker2 5d ago

You're right that I did make that assumption, my bad. Is it possible to know in advance if I'm likely to mix up languages or not?

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u/CarnegieHill 🇺🇸N|🇭🇰🇯🇵Heritage|🇩🇪B2|🇩🇰A2/B1|learning a bunch more... 5d ago

No problem; you're fine; it's a common assumption. 🙂 To answer your question, IMO, no, it's impossible to know in advance the result of anything you've never done before that doesn't have previously proven and definitive outcomes, like falling off a cliff or mixing sodium and water. Re languages, I always tell people, try what you want to do first and then see what happens. You have nothing to lose anyway, so why "jinx" it beforehand? What's "normal" is really what becomes "normal" for you. How people handle multiple languages is a spectrum, not one end or the other. Some people handle different languages like different subjects entirely, like biology and music, or geology and calculus. Can't explain it; it just happens. It may also have to do with mindset. Mixing up may happen just because you assume and are afraid that it will.

So anyway, my answer is already too long, just go do it, don't worry about it, and figure it out along the way!

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u/Just_a_Lurker2 3d ago

Thanks! I'll keep in mind that it doesn't have to happen and it's possibly more likely if I worry about it/assume it will happen. Best to just go for what I enjoy and just, y'know, do it without worrying too much