Restore to Factory Settings

Some years ago I was on a hiking holiday in Italy. Now, while I am not the world's most naturally gifted linguist, I always learn a few phrases of the local language. I can say hello, goodbye, yes, no, please, thank you and – crucially – two beers please, in about twenty different languages. The trouble is that it doesn't, for most languages, extend much beyond this most basic of basic vocabulary. In fact the only language in which I could claim any kind of proficiency, apart from English, is German. And therein lies the heart of the matter. In Italy, one morning, preparing for a day's hike, I went into a bakery to buy some bread. My Italian was restricted to the aforementioned phrases. The baker's English was an unknown quantity so when I found my Italian inadequate I switched to my default language.

And my default language was German. Now, why that should be I don't know. While I can get by in German I can't claim any high degree of fluency, certainly nowhere near native competence. So why did I switch to German rather than English?

I don't know, but it seems to happen time and time again. It's happened to me in countries as far apart as Peru and China. When my knowledge of the local lingo fails me I try German – NOT English.

I was discussing this with my friend John on Sunday over a few beers and it seems that the same thing happens to him. When in a foreign country and unable to communicate he automatically reaches for German rather than English.

My theory is that our brains are recognising two things, English and Foreign. Having realised that what they are hearing isn't English they aim for the only alternative available and go for German. (Actually John also speaks French, but that's by the by.)

It's really quite an odd phenomenon and I wonder if it afflicts anyone else. It's as if when I go abroad the settings in my brain get changed. The default setting gets switched to "foreign". When I return home the factory settings are automatically restored. Just as well really, I'd hate to find myself trying to communicate with my Dad in German as, rather bizarrely, his sole phrase in the language is "Frohe Weinachten", and that's a bit limiting in conversation.

Has anyone else ever noticed anything similar?