# Mixing languages / Mezclas de Idiomas



## xxatti

I didnt see a general questions forum, so I wasnt sure where to post this. But I was wondering if anyone might have any ideas as to why I keep confusing my languages? For example, I was speaking to somebody in Spanish today, and I kept substituting Czech words for Spanish without even realizing it. Then the person would have no idea what I said, and I'd be like "dammit Im speaking in Czech again". Ironically, I did the same thing when I was learning Czech, except it was the other way around. 
 
Anyways, is this just because I havent spoken in Spanish for a while, or is something bigger going on here?


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## mytwolangs

Probably when the word(s) or phrase is easier to say in one language or makes more sense. Is that possible? 

With several protocols, it is easy to mix things up.

So when you NEED to speak Czech, just make sure and keep your Czech in check
HAHAHAHA!!! I am such the comedian...


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## .   1

Many years ago my wife was returning from a holiday and was quite sleep deprived by the time that she made it to the plane.
She then found that she could not speak English at all and her friends were all amused at her.
After a good nights sleep she was fine.
Even now she struggles slightly if she is tired and sometimes flips words around.

.,,


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## Ed the Editor

Hi Xxatti, 

I learned Spanish a long time ago, starting in sixth grade (age 11). By the time I started studying Russian in college (at 17), I was pretty fluent in Spanish.

During all four years in college, I took both Spanish and Russian courses at the same time. I found that I'd sometimes mix the languages up, just for one word, like saying "kniga" (Russian) for "book," instead of "libro" (Spanish). More often, when I tried to speak Russian, the Spanish word for something would occur to me instead. I think that's because I knew Spanish so much better.

Sometimes, I'd even accidentally apply a Spanish conjugation to a Russian verb (many Spanish verbs end in -ar, and many Russian verbs end in -at). My Russian teacher would look at me, sigh, and say "pa-rooski, Ed" ("in Russian, Ed").

Now I don't have that problem, simply because I forgot almost everything I knew about Russian years ago. But I'm sure that if I took up Russian now, I'd amuse and/or disconcert people again by trying to use Spanish words.

Regards,
Ed


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## french4beth

I had a similar experience to Ed's - I started learning French in the 3rd grade, and started studying Russian in the 7th grade.  Since everyone in my Russian classes was also studying French, we were constantly coming out with French words in Russian class, and Russian words in French class!  Luckily, our teachers were all very understanding!

I would tend to agree with Ed - whatever language you know better, the words seem to pop up more quickly!  Our teachers told us that this was a good thing, it showed that we were acquiring new languages.

Even at work, sometimes my co-workers will speak to me in Spanish without realizing it - and when I was at my last translator's gathering, the same thing happened!

xxatti, don't worry - it's perfectly normal!


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## Etcetera

mytwolangs said:
			
		

> Probably when the word(s) or phrase is easier to say in one language or makes more sense. Is that possible?


It's my case, actually. 
I sometimes use English words instead of their Russian equivalents, even when there are any. It can be not only because the English word makes more sense - in fact, much more often I just can't remember the Russian word!


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## caravaggio

some times the world in other language are more beautiful...happend me like in spanish the bus stop is "paradero" but in italian sound more beautiful "fermata".


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## hohodicestu

Hi,

When I talk to people, I sometimes use Spanish words without thinking of them, them just come out so natural; that's because Spanish is my first language and I feel so comfortable with it. Also, I started learning Chinese a few years ago, and some new Chinese vocabulary come out during my Spanish conversations. I think that french4beth is absolutely right, this kind of behavior is completely normal.


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## xxatti

Ed the Editor said:
			
		

> Hi Xxatti,
> 
> I learned Spanish a long time ago, starting in sixth grade (age 11). By the time I started studying Russian in college (at 17), I was pretty fluent in Spanish.
> 
> During all four years in college, I took both Spanish and Russian courses at the same time. I found that I'd sometimes mix the languages up, just for one word, like saying "kniga" (Russian) for "book," instead of "libro" (Spanish). More often, when I tried to speak Russian, the Spanish word for something would occur to me instead. I think that's because I knew Spanish so much better.
> 
> Sometimes, I'd even accidentally apply a Spanish conjugation to a Russian verb (many Spanish verbs end in -ar, and many Russian verbs end in -at). My Russian teacher would look at me, sigh, and say "pa-rooski, Ed" ("in Russian, Ed").
> 
> Now I don't have that problem, simply because I forgot almost everything I knew about Russian years ago. But I'm sure that if I took up Russian now, I'd amuse and/or disconcert people again by trying to use Spanish words.
> 
> Regards,
> Ed


I think this is what is happening with me. I find myself substituting words that come more naturally to me (or that I can remember) from the other language. It's just kind of annoying when it happens, especially when you dont mean for it to.


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## panjabigator

This happened to me VERY OFTEN! When I was a freshmen in college, I would always reply "haan" instead of "si" in Spanish class...it was the strangest thing. All of a sudden I Panjabi just flowed to the tip of my tongue...quite embarressing! That was the extent of that but it happened quite often that year. Maybe I was nervous and shifted to a language I was more comfortable with (I am much more fluent/conversant in Panjabi than in Spanish even though I know more Spanish vocabulary).

I do not usually mix Hindi and Panjabi although sometimes it happens. I will be speaking to my mother in Hindi and then usually I automatically shift to Panjabi for my father. But sometimes in mid conversation with both it becomes mixed. I try my hardest to be aware and speak slower to avoid any problems.


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## ukuca

It sometimes happens to me if I'm occupied deeply in one language those days if I'm speaking another one at the moment. All the sentences can suddenly spill in the other language without notice. But certainly it occurs only in foreign languages, I never mixed up with my native language.


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## danielfranco

Eso never happens to me. Tengo una amiga que cada rato se va de vacation to Italy. Goodness knows how she affords to be gone más de dos o tres semanas a la vez. Como el español es como el third or fourth language she speaks, when she returns from vacation and tries to speak Spanish, cada rato mete palabras en italiano y nadie le entendemos. Creo que eso nada más le pasa a pocas personas.
I think...


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## vince

For me, it only happens when the two languages are really close. Like I won't add in German or Mandarin words while speaking Spanish. I usually mix up Spanish/French/Portuguese, it's hard for me to speak in only one of them at a time.

"En effet j'ai habité près d'*aquí*."
"Je le connais *también*" (*también* actually came out in French pronunciation, so it sounded almost like Portuguse *também*)
"mon visage ne *sale muy* bien dans cette photo"

"*Falaba *con él ayer"


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## mytwolangs

Think of this - 
Sometimes even in our first language, it is hard to pick the right words. 

SO, the more words we have (in any lang) the harder it can be to pick, especially when a word sounds better (like say, paradero versus fermata)


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## Etcetera

mytwolangs said:
			
		

> Think of this -
> Sometimes even in our first language, it is hard to pick the right words.
> 
> SO, the more words we have (in any lang) the harder it can be to pick, especially when a word sounds better (like say, paradero versus fermata)


That's it! That's it!
In fact, sometimes a foreign word just suits better. The only problem is if the person you're talking to understands you or not.


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## danalto

It doesn't happen to me as well.
But according to me it depends -maybe- on how you learned a foreign language.
For instance, I attended a very good School of Languages, here in Rome, I had 2 teachers each language, one Italian, the other native speaker. We learned NOT TO THINK in Italian, and then translate, but to think directly kin the other language!

So, when I talk, or write in English, I think in that language


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## Blehh.

Panjabinator, the same thing happens to me! One time in Spanish class, my teacher was asking me if I knew how something was said, and I replied, "Si, mein janti hoon." Every Indian kid in the class started laughing & my teacher just looked at me funny.


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## panjabigator

Did your head do the bobble thing that acompanies haan?  Man I had to fight that back!


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## Etcetera

danalto said:
			
		

> So, when I talk, or write in English, I think in that language


So do I. 
I don't remember when I learnt to think in English, but it really helps!


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## Victoria32

Etcetera said:
			
		

> So do I.
> I don't remember when I learnt to think in English, but it really helps!



I started learning German when I was a child, and had reached the happy stage of thinking in German (but for many years I have not had the chance to use my German.) Now, I am learning Italian and trying to achieve that state in Italian... I had an English student who is an Italian, who told me he thinks in English, bless him!


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## Etcetera

OK, folks, if we're talking about confusing languages, let me tell you what happened to me just today. 
In the school I'm working currently, we teachers have to speak to our students only in English, but we're free to use Russian when talking with each other, so we normally don't use English outside the classrooms. 
So, today I finished a lesson with my student and then I had to return an eraser I had taken in the middle of my lesson. The man who is looking after erasers and markers was rather surprised to see me returning the eraser so quickly and asked me - in Russian! - for the reasons for it. I began to answer, and only then I realised that I was answering in English!!
We both laughed, and then I switched to Russian.


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## shoam

*¡HOLA!!*

Vivo en USA y me gustaría escuchar la opinión de otros sobre una observación.

He notado en estos años en USA, que mucha gente mezcla mucho. Estamos hablando español amenamente, somos todos nativos hispanoparlantes y meten palabras en inglés todo el tiempo.
Entiendo que hay una cantidad de nombres de cosas o expresiones que son mas fáciles de usar en inglés que en español, pero no me refiero a esos casos.
Tampoco hablo de gente que usa el espanglish con palabras del tipo "CUORA", "traila", "raite" o "llamar para atrás". Tampoco me refiero a conversaciones llenas de términos técnicos. Es gente de Latinoamérica que se desenvuelve perfectamente en inglés y que tiene títulos universitarios y/o bastante cultura.

Ejemplos:
- Que linda tarde, ¿vamos a ver el sunset a la playa? 
- Vamos al donwtown que hay una marcha anti-war.
- No podía creer lo que me decía, estaba tan UPSET...

He notado que la gente que no sabía hablar inglés antes de llegar a este país, mezcla más. En cambio, los que ya sabían, no lo hacen. Y es esta mi teoría, que lo explicaría. Los que no sabían ingles al llegar, se vieron tan necesitados de aprender y pusieron tanta energía que ahora les es difícil deshacerse de todo ese proceso de asimilación que tanto les costó.
Pero no lo he podido comprobarlo con certeza ni encontrar nada para leer al respecto.

Me gustaría escuchar OPINIONES.
Gracias


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## Westerner

I think in general, such language mixing is inevitable when moving to new environments. It's kind of fun when you hear an entire conversation in Spanish (as you noted) peppered with obviously English words. I do it myself when thinking in French, and lacking the word for X, and the desire to look it up in a dictionary.


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## Hereandthere

I am so glad I am not the only person who has a box in their brain labeled "Foreign Languages" that everything gets dumped in!

I speak passable French, and have been learning Spanish for two weeks.  I will be going to Mexico next week for work, and I am sure I will be quite _amusing_ with my French/Spanish/English sentences.  ¿Donde está nous going por le déjeuner?

I think I bring mixing languages to a new level though.  I sometimes speak Spanish with a French accent.  A coworker of mine who speaks fluent Spanish is greatly amused by this.


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## jess oh seven

when a certain foreign language is at the forefront of your mind it tends to creep into any other languages you attempt to speak/learn. 

this happened when i started learning Portuguese - every other word i said came out in Spanish... but then when i studied in Portugal and attempted to speak to Spanish people, every second word was Portuguese...


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## shoam

*si ...*
*PERO, mi pregunta es:*

Que puede ser que determine que YO no mezcle casi nada y otras personas que hablan tanto ingles como yo, si lo hagan. Yo entiendo que haya productos o expresiones determinadas que vienen "como anillo al dedo", si. 
..................  Pero...

¿Porque algunos lo hacen y otros no?
¿cual es el determinante? ¿ES que... hay un razon o no la hay?


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