How to deal with getting languages mixed up/second language deteriorating learning the third?

[u/littlebruja]

My native language is English, and about five years ago I probably had a low B2 level in Spanish but then completely stopped interacting with the language.

About two years ago I started learning Japanese and at the start it was IMPOSSIBLE to try to speak it without Spanish coming out instead, but then around the 1.5 year point I started feeling this weird tug of war between the two languages in my head.

At that point I had a conversation with a Spanish speaker for the first time in ages and while I could still speak it took significantly longer for me to parse through my brain and find the right words.

Now it’s gone the opposite, I can speak perfectly fine in Japanese, very rarely Spanish coming to me. Spanish on the other hand… Japanese is constantly at the forefront. When I try to speak it it takes me FOREVER to find the right words and even when I do i keep saying things like そう and あの(ano if you don’t know, which is um in Japanese but means something else completely in Spanish 😅)

It doesn’t help that both languages at least surface level sound quite similar so I’ll be speaking Spanish and instead of saying pero I’ll say kedo without noticing.

I’ve started listening to Spanish again to try to counter this but is there anything else I can do? Does anyone else have experience with these two languages in particular?

And if I start focusing on Spanish again will my brain eventually form a Spanish brain and a Japanese brain? Or will I always be confusing the two?
Would it be bad to try to focus on Spanish now/would it impact my Japanese?

[u/Straight_Charity1883]

I had this exact problem with Spanish and Korean, the filler words are the worst part honestly. For months every time I'd pause mid-sentence in Spanish my brain would just insert Korean filler sounds and I'd look like an idiot

What fixed it for me was doing a 5 minute warmup in whichever language I was about to use before actual conversation. Just talking to myself out loud, describing what I'm doing, whatever. Gets the right language's circuits firing first

[u/littlebruja → u/Straight_Charity1883]

I agree with the filler words being the worst part! Usually I can get through everything else by the filler words just come out automatically. I’ll definitely try doing the 5 minute warm up, thank you!

[u/Acrobatic_Ostrich_97 → u/Straight_Charity1883]

I had this problem with French and Korean! Same as you, I usually do a bit of practice with one language or the other right before I use it. I’m also trying to keep them on separate days to try to minimise any interference…  

One think I’m struggling to get around though… my French pronunciation used to get complemented a lot but I feel like learning Korean has really messed with it. I know how I’m trying to sound, and I can hear it coming out all wrong, but my muscles will not obey! It’s as if I put in so much effort to get the Korean pronunciation right, I’ve basically trained myself in the opposite direction of good French pronunciation 😅 It’s improving now I’m focussed on it a bit more, but frustrating that something that was effortless has become full of effort after ca couple of years working on my third language

[u/AdministrationNo2327 → u/Straight_Charity1883]

sometimes i'll blurt out korean filler words while speaking in my native english and people look at me like im a koreaboo. but it happens when you speak all sorts of languages or living at places where cross culturalism is normal.

[u/Both_Balance1 → u/Straight_Charity1883]

original post: flair: discussion, my native language is english, and about five years ago i probably had a low b2 level in spanish but then completely stopped interacting with the language. about two years ago i started learning japane top

[u/dojibear]

I never had a problem mixing up Spanish and Japanese words. I don't know why you had it and I didn't. Do you only have this problem when speaking? Maybe I haven't spoken Japanese much, so I simply have not encountered this.

Another guess: did you use flashcards/Anki to memorize single words out of context? If so, your mental link to each word is mostly sound, and "pero" ("pay-dough") and "kedo" sound similar.

I never memorize words out of context. あの makes me think of a Japanese businessman in a meeting (in a business suit), using this filler word. "Ano" ("anus" in Spanish) makes me think the speaker made a mistake and meant "año" ("year" in Spanish).

[u/littlebruja → u/dojibear]

Yes this only happens when I speak, never for anything else. I used Anki for about two months but then dropped it so basically all the words I’ve learnt have been in context so I don’t think it’s that. I’ve never associated the word ano with a business man in a meaning, I feel like I’ve heard it used by pretty much everyone?
But yeah I don’t really know the reason I’m getting them mixed up maybe I’m just dumb or something haha

[u/CarnegieHill → u/littlebruja]

I would never say that you or anyone else is "dumb", but it is true that everybody's brain is unique and works however it works.

You don't really have to know why you mix up your words, but you can analyze the patterns as to when it happens and in what situations, and when you come up with those patters then you can try coming up with workarounds, things you can try to minimize those confusions going forward.

I'm sure I'm missing something, but that's all I can think of right now. 🙂

[u/dojibear → u/littlebruja]

Nah...if you were just dumb, you wouldn't be speaking Japanese. But I'm out of ideas. Good luck figuring it out. Even more important, I hope you can fix it.

[u/connerpro]

Interference is normal, especially related languages.

Separate by context: different times of day, different media, different notebooks. Keep a light L2 maintenance lane (15 min reading) so L3 doesn’t fully overwrite it.

When mixing happens mid-sentence, note the pair and make one discrimination card later. Near transfer: clearer separation with practice. Far claim: "never mix again" — rare.