Native English speaker - struggling to switch from Language X to Language Y rapidly - any ideas?

Hi Friends,

- Native English speaker
- Grew up bilingually speaking Cantonese with my parents
- Learnt French for several years and then studied and worked in French speaking places briefly.
- Learnt Mandarin off the back of Cantonese (rather than learning from scratch)

A very interesting situation happed at work today, one that I have only experienced once, 10 years ago, and never since again. Until today.

First 2013 Experience - whilst working at a hotel in France, I was speaking Cantonese with a guest and then had to carry out his request with my French speaking colleagues. I wasn't able to switch brains / languages and couldn't think / communicate into French all of a sudden, with my colleagues to get the thing I needed to get done.

Today's Experience - whilst working in an 90-100% English speaking office environment, I was speaking with some clients in French, and enjoying the chit-chat! I was going to get them some drinks from the pantry, and had to communicate with the Mandarin-only speaking tealady less than 30 seconds later. I simply could not communicate to her all of a sudden. French words kept wanting to come out of my mouth and I simply wasn't able to communicate in Mandarin all of a sudden, because my brain was 100% still thinking in French.

- Any one experienced this, working with two or more people with non-native languages?
- Anyone have any advice?! Do I simply need to go somewhere and switch between French and Mandarin on a rapid basis?! (Unlikely to happen but I could probably somehow replicate it at home?)

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