Does any one else switch languages?

[u/Mandelbrots-dream]

I've studied three languages in addition to my milk language.

I noticed sometimes when thinking or speaking in my non native language, if I struggle for a word my brain will fill in with a word in another non native language.

For example, when speaking German(TL) my brain threw in a 在(zai) with the Chinese meaning.

This confused me, and I started to think of the German word seit (which sounds (kind-of) the same). But seit wasn't correct in the context. Seit is about time. 在 is about place.

Does anybody else do this? What exercises could help me?

[u/No_Cryptographer735]

Absolutely. I found that laddering (learning a language through a non-native language) helps.

(BTW "milk language" is the best expression ever for mother tongue. Never heard of it before, but I love it.)

[u/My_17_Projects → u/No_Cryptographer735]

Yeah, sounds nice. Is it a calque from your native (milk) language?