The multi-lingual brain: language bleed

One of the best examples to show a great system that is at work in our brain is when we learn multiple languages. Think about this example: James speaks English as his mother tongue. In school he learnt Spanish. Now after University he decides to travel to Japan. While studying Japanese, he quickly finds that when he tries to make a sentence in Japanese, his brain is inserting Spanish words! What is happening?

Point 1: The brain sorts out language according to sound (receptive system)

Your brain has to be taught to read and recognize words in your alphabet, however the sounds of a language are what your brain first knows about language as a child. In a simple way, your brain makes patterns of things which naturally go together. Sounds that go together are a pattern. 

Your brain will naturally mix patterns of sounds that aren't well-known.

Point 2: Learn a language through muscles of the mouth (productive system)

Building on point 1, if you learn a language, try to change the muscles that you use IMMEDIATELY to get the best results. When the brain understands that these sounds are made a different way, even a similar get allocated to the correct part of the brain.

The Spanish pronunciation of the word "IS" is completely different to the English pronunciation. Even though the word is not a challenge, you are able to practise accent and pronunciation through this very easily pronounced word.

Structure your language learning with good priorities and focus and you will never mix languages again.

Let me know your experiences with language bleed, when your brain gave you words from your second language and put them in your third language.