Sentence:  ... because when a man is a corporal its all head work you might say and a man ought to keep their mind on their job evenings as well as day times and I felt like I couldn't do that and be <WSD>monking</WSD> with French at the same time... 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To monkey or meddle; to behave in a manner that is not systematic.