📘 Part 3: Concentration

This episode's vocabulary

Detrimental (adj.) - causing harm or damage.

Permissive  (adj.) - allowing a wide range of choices, esp. in an area where there have traditionally been rules that had to be obeyed.

Curation (noun) - the selection and care of objects to be shown in a museum or to form part of a collection of art, an exhibition, etc.

Supposedly (adverb) - used to show that you do not believe that something you have been told is true.

Detail-oriented (adj.) - very interested in and paying a lot of attention to details.

To preserve (verb) - to keep something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or being damaged or destroyed.

Cognition (noun) - the use of conscious mental processes.

Eternal (adj.) - lasting forever or for a very long time.the use of conscious mental processes.

Temperament (noun) - the part of your character that affects your moods and the way you behave.

To go through the roof (idiom) - to rise to a very high level.

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Questions and Answers

M: Let's talk about concentration. Do you think technology will harm children's ability to concentrate?

R: Oh, in and of itself, no. But of course, anything, if not used properly could have a detrimental effect like, if you have a constant flow of novelty, especially novelty that is attractive, then you might not focus on things which are important, like schoolwork or writing in a schoolwork book, for example.

M: Why is it more difficult for children to concentrate nowadays than in the past?

R: I'm not really sure, to be honest, the generation before always complains about the current generation. However, let's assume that that's correct. We have a greater access to new forms of entertainment than before. And the formats are equally varied. There's also the question of increased access and more permissive social norms. So that might be why it's more difficult if indeed it is.

M: How can we help children to stay focused?

R: Well, that will entirely depend on what you want them to focus on. If it's schoolwork, then maybe varying the modes of input and presentation and practice will be helpful. If we talk about entertainment, then that's a problem, which basically takes care of itself.

M: But what do people usually do to help children stay focused like on a regular basis, like parents, for example?

R: Well, they might give them some motivation to stay focused, so some sort of reward or they could, well, the teacher in this case, might change the format and make it more engaging.

M: What kinds of jobs require high concentration at work?

R: Well, they probably all do now. And if not, then at least a degree of concentration. I suppose the typical answer is something that involves details like art curation, or editing, any job where people have to notice the small things since that's where the devil is supposedly. You know, to be honest, it depends on your table as well. Some teachers are extremely detail-oriented. But if you're like me, then you just put the big ideas in place and move on to the next thing.

M: What can employers do to help employees to stay focused?

R: Well, there's a variety of carrots and sticks that we could go on about a great length. But really, you just need to hire the right people. I mean, ideally, you would get someone invested in the business and its culture, and they will likely work very hard to preserve it after their basic needs, like job security and money or med.

M: Can exercise help people improve concentration?

R: I suppose to improve cognition, but I'm not too sure about concentration, specifically. I mean, you need a lot of concentration to get good at exercise and improve, but whether that's the result of the exercise or vice versa, or perhaps they feed into each other, you would have to ask an expert. I'm not sure how you would measure or prove the connection one way or the other.

M: What distractors are there in people's life these days?

R: It's probably easy to say what isn't distracting, there are some things which are eternal, like family members, issues related to immediate needs. Nowadays, I suppose social media and constant notifications demanding attention are modern, but they all relate to social interaction, which has always been with us. So perhaps it's easier to say that the distractors are the same, but the format has changed.

M: Why can it be hard for some people to focus?

R: Well, we already talked about temperament. Some people are less able to focus on one thing, but compensate by being extremely creative. In a minority of cases, there might be medical issues or mental illness, and if the media is to be believed then the number of distractions is going through the roof right now. So that's just a few of the reasons why it might be difficult.

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Discussion

M: Excellent, thank you, Rory! Wow, you were so focused. Dear listener, were you focused? Or you started, you know, thinking about the sea, and some milkshakes, somewhere in the middle of Rory's soothing answers. Rory, your answers are like a lullaby to us, lulling us to sleep.

R: But if you weren't able to concentrate, we can go over some of the grammar and vocabulary that might help you.

M: Yeah. So and then if you want focused, it's high time you focused now. Okay? Yeah. So first of all, an interesting phrase in and of itself. In and of itself? Rory, what, what is this? How do we use it? And what does it mean?

R: That just means by itself.

M: By itself.

R: Like as a result because of itself.

M: So, does technology harm children's ability to concentrate? And you go by itself, no. In and of itself, no. Yeah?

R: Yeah.

M: Okay, cool. And remember about a detrimental effect. It's good both for essays and our speaking. So whenever the question is about harm, or does it have a negative effect, you go, oh, it could have a detrimental effect. Detrimental - damaging, negative effect. If you have a constant flow of novelty. That's a nice one. Flow - like a river flow. Novelty - new things.

R: But that just means that there always new things.

M: Yeah. Instead of saying, if there are always new things, you say, if you have a constant flow of novelty. Oh, I smell band nine here. Smells like band nine.

R: Oh, it's if. Does that mean that there's a conditional lurking in there?

M: Your favourite conditional.

R: Is it the first conditional?

M: Yes, it's the first conditional.

R: Yay.

M: The first one. If you have a constant flow of novelty, then you might not focus. or maybe it's a zero conditional.

R: I was going to say...

M: Oh, gosh, I don't know my conditionals anymore. Rory, what have you done to me?

R: It is contagious.

M: It is contagious.

R: It doesn't matter if it's still a conditional.

M: Ah, I'm surprised what happened. It's your fault. It's your influence.

R: It probably yes, because I said, is it the first conditional? You said yes.

M: Don't forget about your intonation, dear listener. Especially in speaking part three, you can show off your beautiful intonation. For example, with a short and simple sentence as this. I'm not really sure it is, to be honest. So for example, the question is, why is it more difficult? And you go, I'm not really sure it is, to be honest. To be honest, goes up, right? Rory, could you model the pronunciation for us? Listen to Rory's sentence and repeat.

R: I'm not really sure it is, to be honest.

M: To be honest, you see, to be honest. And we are flying high, because we're polite. And it's just nice to end on a rise, right? To be honest.

R: End on a high.

M: And on a high. Yeah, on a rise... On a high. I'm high. When we talk about children today and children in the past, we can use the generation before and the current generation. So the generation, right? The current generation tends to be blah, blah, blah. And then you can talk about all these millennials. Millennials, yeah, they're called?

R: Millennials.

M: Millennials. Yeah. Permissive, permissive social norms. So it could be more difficult for children to concentrate. Because today we have more permissive social norms. Permissive like they permit, they let us do more stuff, right? So children can just run around wild and crazy. They are not beaten at school anymore. Teachers are not allowed to shout at them. So they just can do whatever they want. Is this what you meant?

R: I think people are allowed to do what they want. I don't think it's that people aren't allowed to do things, it's more people can, like they have a greater choice in terms of what they can choose to do.

M: Social norms, okay. And our concentration could be high, right? So certain jobs could require high concentration. What would be an antonym? Low levels of concentration?

R: Yeah, really. Or poor concentration.

M: Poor concentration. And then, if you're not sure, you can always say that it depends on your temperament. Again, temperament like your nature, your character. What is temperament? How, how, what's the definition of temperament?

R: Temperament is like just how well you manage your emotions and your reactions to things. So you might have a poor temperament, which means you get angry or upset really easily. Or you might have a good temperament where you're quite patient and calm.

M: Yeah, temperament refers to differences in behaviour. So and then Rory told us about jobs which involve details like art, editing, and any job where people should notice small things. And then he goes like this, since that's where the devil is. The devil is in the detail. Yeah?

R: So I'm mixing my idioms here.

M: Yeah, you did. But that's fine. Right? So this is okay in this context?

R: Well, I think it's fine.

M: Because usually we can't change the idiom and the idiom is the devil is in the detail, right?

R: Yes.

M: But here it's like a creative, I don't know, expression, a creative sentence Rory made, so that's nice. Another idiomatic expression is carrots and sticks. And you might know about carrot stick approach. This is what they call it? Carrot stick approach, right?

R: Yeah. So that means there's ways to make people do things. And one of them involves positive things. That's the carrot and one of them involves negative things, which is the stick.

M: Yeah, if, for example, I was Rory's Russian teacher, and I would praise him for something, I would give him a carrot.

R: Would you though?

M: Maybe some bananas. And then if he hasn't learned all 200,000 words in one week, I would just stick, I will give him the stick. You know, I would beat him with a stick. Bad Rory, bad Rory. You didn't learn 10,000 Russian words. Yeah. Rory, how would you like such education from me?

R: I would not like this education. Thank you!

M: Right, so we won't have any classes, Rory. That's it. You pretty much, you can't afford such classes. So that's fine.

R: Thanks.

M: Okay. What can improve our concentration? And there was an interesting question about exercise. So sport. And Rory says like, hm, it's supposed to improve cognition. Cognition is...

R: Thinking.

M: Thinking, yeah, so mental processes. And then Rory says, okay, I really don't know. You'd have to ask an expert. Right? So what's the connection between exercise and concentration? Right? So we don't know. If you do know, you can lecture the examiner and tell them about science. So yeah. Then surely, we're gonna talk about distractors. So different distractions, or distractors? They're the same thing. Right? distractors and distractions? Or no?

R: Mostly. Yeah. I mean, there must be a big difference, there must be a difference between them if we're using separate words.

M: Can people be distractors?

R: Probably not intentionally.

M: So if, for example, you're sitting there working and children distract you. So they are distractors, right? And something can distract you from your work or studies.

R: I think we can use them interchangeably for the purpose of the exam in the real world. A distractor is something that is placed in an exam in order to mislead you. But because that's the only context I've seen it in. However, a distraction is basically something that distracts you. So they're all very close together. And they sound similar.

M: True. So you can say, like, different distractions as like phones, notifications. Rory said that constant notifications, which demand our attention, right? And there are some things which are eternal. Eternal things, like all the time things, like family matters, issues related to immediate needs, maybe you need to go to the bathroom all of a sudden, right? So these things could distract you. And then like, why can it be hard for some people to focus? And then you go, well, it depends on a person's temperament. So temperament is the key strategy. It depends on a person's temperament. Some people are less able to focus, other people have higher levels of concentration, you know. Maybe because of genetics. So yeah. Can you actually, can you be born with like high levels of concentration? It's kind of your innate ability, superpower.

R: That's a good question. You'd have to ask an expert.

M: So you're using your tricks on me?

R: I'm using half of them. It's not... How would you know? Like how would you know? I suppose you could collect various genetic information, sorry, various pieces of genetic information from people and then match it up with the blood work of a small person. But that sounds like a lot of work.

M: It does. So we can't measure concentration. We can't measure happiness. No, actually, we can measure if we put some people, like 10 people together in one room, and then ask them kind of to read without, you know, start studying fidgeting or looking up from the book.

R: To read what, though? I mean, if you asked me to read a science fiction book, then I could sit and read it for hours. But if you asked me to read something about, I don't know, quantum mechanics, then I would be bored out of my mind.

M: Interesting. Right, yeah. So this kind of natural concentration and then like forced concentration, when you kind of make yourself focused on something that you don't like, right? But if you enjoy it, you'd be like, focused on it naturally. This is the secret, dear listener. Oh, my God, on this podcast for you for free.

R: What? You're interested in things that you like?

M: Yeah. So like, do something that you like, and you won't have any problems focusing on it.

R: I wish life was that simple.

M: Ah, life is a box of chocolate. Dear listener, thank you very much! We hope that our podcast and Rory and I improve your concentration levels. Thank you for listening! Hugs and kisses! Bye!

R: Bye!

M: Bye-bye-bye-bye-bye!

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