Maintaining focus in second-language meetings

Post date: 2025-02-18 09:29:42

In my new position, I have to attend meetings that take place in French. I can follow the French only if I maintain absolutely disciplined focus on what is being said. How can I do that?

I am extremely prone to distraction -- something or someone catches my eye and my mind wanders. In English meetings, this isn't a huge deal, I can sort of replay what I have heard in my mind and catch up, but my French barely allows me to understand what is being said in the first place, never mind remember it and replay it while also listening to more things being said.

In English meetings where distraction is an issue, I maintain focus by taking notes, but I have tried that in French language meetings (with notes in both French and English) and it does not work, it is itself too distracting and I lose the train of the French.

These are usually virtual meetings, but occasionally in person. It is easier in person because I can maintain a creepy and overbearing level of eye-contact with the speaker, but that doesn't seem to work in virtual meetings, even if I try staring at the video of the other person.

What are some other focus tricks that won't themselves become a distraction

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