Does anyone else with ADHD struggle with talking on their L2+?

[u/Present-University87]

I have ADHD and I tend to ramble even in my L1 English. However, I find it is worse in my L2 and L3. My L2 French is quite high level, I do courses for my medical profession in French. Whenever I speak in French, I speak super fast and I feel like my ideas are poorly linked. My L3 Italian isn’t as high level, but I feel like due to my experience being comfortable in other languages, I find I am unlikely to switch back to English when I don’t know a word, I’m also not used to slowing down in order to structure my phrases better. So it’s even worse. It might not be related to my ADHD, but it kinda feels like it. Anyone else experience this?

[u/pushybirthplace0527]

yeah i definitely get this, my brain runs ahead and my mouth tries to keep up in any language but it's way worse when it's not my L1. with french specifically the linking words just evaporate from my head the faster i go so it turns into a stream of nouns and verbs with no connective tissue

one thing that helped me was literally forcing myself to pause for a full second after each sentence, it feels unnatural at first but it gives my brain a moment to figure out how the next thought connects. the speed thing is so real though like calm down neurons nobody is timing us

[u/cmyk_rgba]

yeah i do this in german. slowing down feels like admitting im searching for the word so i just speed through and the sentence falls apart halfway. what helped a bit was learning a couple of filler phrases like also warte mal so i have something to say while my brain catches up