B2 – Upper Intermediate
Ever wondered what happens to your brain when you’re multitasking? It turns out, our brains are more like jugglers than seamless multitasking machines.
In this brief exploration, we’ll uncover the effects of multitasking on our cognitive functions and delve into why it might not be the brain’s favorite act.
Watch the video to learn more and be able to answer the questions that follow.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does the idiom “under one’s nose” mean, “Being able to filter out irrelevant detail is an amazingly useful tool, but it means we can miss things that are right under our noses.” Write a sentence using this expression.
- What does “to miss something” mean? “When attention is overloaded, we miss things, and the result is nearly always that we perform tasks less well than we would doing them one at a time.” Use the phrase in a sentence.
- What does the expression “to make it through to something” mean, “Not everything will make it through to conscious awareness.” Use the phrase in a sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you believe that multitasking enhances or hinders your overall productivity and efficiency? Explain.
- Do you think our brains are naturally wired to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, or is it a skill that can be developed over time? Share your insights.
- How would you weigh the importance of focus and concentration against the allure of multitasking in a fast-paced work environment?
- In your experience, do you find that multitasking helps or hampers your ability to retain information and learn effectively?
- What consequences do the pressure to multitask in today’s society has long-term?