This interpretation is strictly language-based. Sure, in English, the multiplication symbol is read “times”, so according to grammar rules 5*3=3+3+3+3+3. But mathematics is a whole another language. Japanese-speaking mathematicians and students who learned mathematics in Japanese would always have the first number as the base and the second number as the multiple.

The point is, it doesn’t fucking matter. 5 multiplied by 3 is 5 added 3 times, and 5 multiplied by 3 is also 3 added 5 times. Mathematics doesn’t care about what language you speak. Your human language should not act as a crutch to misunderstand the theoretical world of mathematics.