Books-on-tape was what we used to call them, once upon a time. Naturally, that was long before CDs, not to mention digital streaming. These days, people refer to them as audiobooks (which, we won’t lie, is a far better name).
With an audiobook, you will listen to the book being read by a narrator. It’s a lot like having someone read a book out loud to you (okay, it’s exactly that). You’ll be able to learn new things, get lost in an enchanting tale, and experience ideas you never knew about. Listening to audiobooks when you’re passing time will be a mind enriching experience.
And they’re also an ideal tool for audio training.
What’s auditory training?
So you’re probably pretty interested about exactly what auditory training is. It sounds tedious like homework.
As a specialized form of listening, auditory training is created to give you a better ability to perceive, process, and understand sounds (medically known as “auditory information”). We frequently discuss auditory training from the context of getting used to a set of hearing aids.
That’s because when you have neglected hearing loss, your brain can slowly grow out of practice. (Your auditory centers become used to living in a less noisy environment.) So your brain will need to cope with a significant influx of new auditory information when you get new hearing aids. When this happens, your brain will find it hard, at first, to process all those new sounds as well as it should. Auditory training can be a practical tool to help deal with this. Also, for people who are coping with auditory processing disorders or have language learning difficulties, auditory training can be a helpful tool.
Another perspective: It’s not really that audiobooks can improve your hearing, it’s that they can help you better understand what you hear.
When you listen to audiobooks, what happens?
Helping your brain distinguish sound again is precisely what auditory training is created to do. People have a rather complicated relationship with noise if you really think about it. Every sound you hear has some meaning. Your brain needs to do a lot of work. So if you’re breaking in a new set of hearing aids, listening to audiobooks can help your brain become accustomed to hearing and understanding again.
Audiobooks can assist with your auditory training in a few different ways, including the following:
- Improvements in pronunciation: In some cases, it’s not only the hearing part that can need some practice. Hearing loss can often bring on social solitude which can cause communication skills to atrophy. Audiobooks can help you get a handle on the pronunciation of words, making general communication a lot easier!
- A bigger vocabulary: Most people would love to expand their vocabulary. The more words you’re subjected to, the bigger your vocabulary will become. Surprise your friends by using amazingly apt words. Maybe that guy standing outside the bar looks innocuous, or your dinner at that restaurant is sumptuous. With audiobooks, you’ll have just the right words ready for any situation.
- Listening comprehension: Perceiving speech is one thing, understanding it is another thing entirely. When you follow the story that the narrator is reading, you will get practice differentiating speech. Your brain needs practice helping ideas take root in your mind by practicing connecting those ideas to words. In your everyday life, this will help you distinguish what people are saying to you.
- Perception of speech: When you listen to an audiobook, you gain real-time practice understanding someone else’s speech. But you also have a little more control than you would during a normal conversation. You can listen to sentences as many times as you need to in order to distinguish them. It’s the perfect way to practice understanding words!
- Improvements of focus: With a little help from your audiobook, you’ll remain focused and involved for longer periods of time. Maybe it’s been some time since you’ve been able to take part in a complete conversation, particularly if you’re getting used to a new set of hearing aids. An audiobook can give you some practice in staying focused and tuned in.
Audiobooks as auditory aids
WE suggest that, as you enjoy your audiobook, you read along with a physical copy of the book as well. This will help make those linguistic connections stronger in your brain, and your brain could adapt more quickly to the new auditory signals. In essence, it’s a great way to reinforce your auditory training. Because hearing aids are complemented by audiobooks.
Audiobooks are also good because they are pretty easy to come by right now. There’s an app called Audible which you can get a subscription to. A wide variety of online vendors sell them, and that includes Amazon. And you can hear them at any time on your phone.
Plus, if you can’t find an audiobook you really like, you could always listen to a podcast to get the same experience (and there are podcasts on practically every topic). You can sharpen your hearing and enrich your mind simultaneously!
Can I listen to audiobooks with my hearing aids
Lots of modern hearing aids are Bluetooth equipped. So all of your Bluetooth-enabled devices, including your phone, your television, and your speakers, can be connected with your hearing aids. With this, when you listen to an audiobook, you won’t have uncomfortable headphones over your hearing aids. Rather, you can listen directly with your hearing aids.
You’ll now get better sound quality and increased convenience.
Consult us about audiobooks
So if you believe your hearing might be on the way out, or you’re uneasy about getting used to your hearing aids, consult us about audiobooks.