Interruptions on a zoom call or mid language course

You can turn off notifications on phones or switch your phone to Do Not Disturb/Silent. DND probably best, I think. It's what I turn mine to at night.

As for a laptop... well, I think logging out of most applications will help. For instance my macbook will ping about new emails but only if I've opened the application and kept it on in the back ground. If I quit it it's quiet.

I should check out your "Preferences" folders on phone and computer and see what is suggested. Good luck.

The thing to remember is that it's not rude not to be immediately contactable at all times. Any expectation of that is really unreasonable but not worth arguing about, so making avoidance the best option: Do Not Disturb will, I think, be obvious without one having to give an explanation which, also importantly, you are under no obligation to give.

Thankyou Baggs . It is the laptop but now I know I can turn off messenger that will help, I am sure.

Not sure what to do when on a call and another comes in which I deem more important. Is there a way of politely ending one call so you can take the next!
It's not that I am popular, just that often 2 calls come in at the same time.

When you say call, do you mean phone call or zoom call? I don't even know if that matters. I also don't know if you're talking about work related calls or not.

I would have thought it is not unreasonable for any caller of any kind to accept that you are busy and they can call again later or you can call them without being told!

I think it's just rude to expect immediate attention unless something is an emergency. We never used to be like that. If your phone was engaged, then it was engaged and one tried again later.

Pehaps I am not understanding the problem but I don't like the culture of demanding attention that seems so prevalent nowadays.

Just re-read your title and notice that sometimes the potential interruption might be during a language course.

Humph.

My feelings about that are that you are entitled to have time to yourself and to do things you choose to do. I don't suppose you're doing language courses all day unless it's a very special thing you've committed to.

So now it's all down to what you think is more important at any one moment and why because perhaps what you think is more important might not be. but, as I said earlier, I don't know all the details.