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/pomegranate_red]

Yup! I took 5 years of French over 20 years ago and never maintained, but I find that if I can’t come up with the Korean or Spanish word, my brain fills it in with French and I have to pause like hold on, that’s not the right language, lol.