Trouble... eavesdropping in other languages?

Possibly a weird post here, but I’m wondering if anyone else can relate to an experience I’ve been having. I’m C1 in French—have been for a very long time—and have no difficulty communicating in or understanding spoken French; however, I have noticed that I have difficulty eavesdropping and understanding quick snippets of conversation as people pass me by.

I’m currently on vacation in Québec, and a few experiences have made me aware of this linguistic hurdle: 1) I was on the bus and two people were conversing a few feet away and while I could HEAR them speaking French, I could not follow the conversation; 2) Sitting in restaurants, it’s hard to understand what people a few tables away are talking about; 3) When passing people in the street who are speaking French, I don’t follow the snippets of their conversation as I would be able to in English.

Can anyone else relate? This doesn’t bother me, per se, because when I engage people in conversations I have no issue communicating with ease, but it’s made me curious as to why this might be. I suppose I just don’t hear these types of side conversations all that often, so maybe it’s a listening skill that I’m weak in?

submitted by /u/Rielyth
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