Is Listening To Audiobooks Reading?
In my iPod, I have more than a few audiobook files. I have listened to a grand total of two.
It's not that I didn't enjoy these first two and gave up on the format. On the contrary, I enjoyed them quite a lot. I listened to the first one while walking on the home treadmill, which resulted in an easy workout. I was quite distracted by the audiobook that I didn't notice time passing. The next thing I knew, after checking the clock, I discovered that I had been walking continuously for more than half-an-hour (for me, that's an accomplishment, okay?). I found out a few minutes later that the treadmill's resistance setting was adjusted higher than normal. "Sabotage!" I cried, but didn't mean it, because to my delight this meant that the walk I took was that much harder, and yet I didn't feel the extra exertion.
I listened to the second one before going to sleep a few nights later. That story was a humorous one, and whenever I burst out in laughter at some funny moment my wife would turn to look at me from her side of the bed and then shake her head as if I was loony.
But the audiobook habit didn't take hold. It's taken me greater effort to listen to the rest of the files after that. For some reason, I would start one, then stop midway. I don't know why. I have no such problems leafing through actual, physical pages made of paper, or even poring over text on a computer monitor. I wish I didn't have this problem, because then, this would make workouts (as well as driving through traffic) something to look forward to instead of something to dread.
I hypothesize that reading is a skill I have spent more time developing than the other skill that goes with audiobooks: listening. True, it is still the same words on the printed page that is being uttered by the narrator, but instead of the eyes serving as the conduit to the brain, it is the ears. Though I have no such problems listening to a live person who is speaking, be it face-to-face or over the phone, it takes a bit more effort on my part when I only have earbuds stuck inside my ear canal. (TV and movies, I think, are a different matter altogether because of the presence of visual cues, plus it is not just words but images that relate the story.) This tells me that I would be more receptive to someone alive reading a story aloud, rather than listening to a recording.
There is also the matter of the manner in which a story is read out, given voice. The way the narrator hears the story in his head will affect the way he intones the words, which may be different in slight ways from one's own "inner-ear". Whether this perception of mine is true or not, it could be that I am unconsciously rebelling against it.
But in today's busy world, with time so short and multi-tasking considered a premium ability, I think it would do me well to develop my listening skill. This way, I can get more "reading" done, not just with my vision, but also with my hearing.
There is no shortage of audiobooks to be had, after all. It seems like such a waste to let those stories go.
It's not that I didn't enjoy these first two and gave up on the format. On the contrary, I enjoyed them quite a lot. I listened to the first one while walking on the home treadmill, which resulted in an easy workout. I was quite distracted by the audiobook that I didn't notice time passing. The next thing I knew, after checking the clock, I discovered that I had been walking continuously for more than half-an-hour (for me, that's an accomplishment, okay?). I found out a few minutes later that the treadmill's resistance setting was adjusted higher than normal. "Sabotage!" I cried, but didn't mean it, because to my delight this meant that the walk I took was that much harder, and yet I didn't feel the extra exertion.
I listened to the second one before going to sleep a few nights later. That story was a humorous one, and whenever I burst out in laughter at some funny moment my wife would turn to look at me from her side of the bed and then shake her head as if I was loony.
But the audiobook habit didn't take hold. It's taken me greater effort to listen to the rest of the files after that. For some reason, I would start one, then stop midway. I don't know why. I have no such problems leafing through actual, physical pages made of paper, or even poring over text on a computer monitor. I wish I didn't have this problem, because then, this would make workouts (as well as driving through traffic) something to look forward to instead of something to dread.
I hypothesize that reading is a skill I have spent more time developing than the other skill that goes with audiobooks: listening. True, it is still the same words on the printed page that is being uttered by the narrator, but instead of the eyes serving as the conduit to the brain, it is the ears. Though I have no such problems listening to a live person who is speaking, be it face-to-face or over the phone, it takes a bit more effort on my part when I only have earbuds stuck inside my ear canal. (TV and movies, I think, are a different matter altogether because of the presence of visual cues, plus it is not just words but images that relate the story.) This tells me that I would be more receptive to someone alive reading a story aloud, rather than listening to a recording.
There is also the matter of the manner in which a story is read out, given voice. The way the narrator hears the story in his head will affect the way he intones the words, which may be different in slight ways from one's own "inner-ear". Whether this perception of mine is true or not, it could be that I am unconsciously rebelling against it.
But in today's busy world, with time so short and multi-tasking considered a premium ability, I think it would do me well to develop my listening skill. This way, I can get more "reading" done, not just with my vision, but also with my hearing.
There is no shortage of audiobooks to be had, after all. It seems like such a waste to let those stories go.
posted by pgenrestories at 5:34 AM
8 Comments:
Some comments off the top of my head:
1) When you read, you read at your own pace because it's an active skill. Listening, on the other hand...
2) People tend to remember and focus more on the visual side of things rather secondary on the aural (people remember most objects that they both see and hear).
3) Reading books is an art. There are some great performers and there are some who aren't so mileage may vary. (You can throw in there cadence, accents, tone, etc.)
it was once reported that 70% of the population learn most through visual means. but you are right, the world is leaning heavily towards multi-tasking, thus the need for audiobooks (while walking on the treadmill!). but how much insight can you really gain through auditory means? that is, if you belong to the 70% visual population?
Cat: It's possible. It's a skill called active listening. Sometimes, you can even associate the current activity you're doing with a particular sound or statement. It just needs more work. I listen to podcasts every day and it works so far.
But ultimately I think it'll depend on the story. Some stories adapt well, others simply don't.
hey, this is very interesting. where can one get an audiobook file? and if it's audio cd, can I convert it to mp3 tru itunes? thanks!-sharmaine
If you want a middle-ground of sorts, there are a lot of high quality "audio lectures" out there by top quality teachers. This allows for easier listening as these seminars are meant to be orally delivered from the start, as opposed to prose stories being translated, with all their fine detail, into audio performances.
Hi, everyone. Thanks for your comments.
@Charles: I think you're better at listening to recorded podcasts and audiobooks than I am. I have to train myself...
@cat with the fiddle: I think I belong to that 70% you were talking about. It takes a certain effort for me to concentrate on an audiobook. I can read a book in a noisy fast-food joint, no problem. Listening to one in the same place, and I might find myself wanting to move to a quieter place.
@Sharmaine: try typing "audiobooks" in a search engine. You'll come upon many free and legal sites where you can download files.
@pipe: thanks for the suggestion! I suppose these will be lectures from professionals and/or the academe, right? If I may echo Sharmaine, where can we find these "audio lectures"? Is it as simple as googling the term? I'll give it a try.
this is a good one.
i agree with you. we are trained more to read than to listen. in fact, many of the problems of the times could be due to people's inability to listen. then again, there are always misreadings.
and our schools do not really train us to listen (and listen well). we are just made to absorb or simply hear.
@beatburn: Thanks for your comment! I guess this is a signal for us to train ourselves not just how to see and read, but also how to listen. TY!
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