In the past they were called “books-on-tape”. Naturally, that was well before CDs, much less digital streaming. These days, they have a much better name; audiobooks.
An audiobook allows you to read a book by, well, listening to it. It’s kind of like when you were a kid and a parent or teacher read to you. You’ll be able to learn new things, get lost in an enchanting tale, and explore ideas you were never aware of. Audiobooks are a great way to pass time and enrich your mind.
And they’re also an ideal tool for audio training.
What’s auditory training?
Hold on, what’s this auditory training thing, you ask? It sounds complex and a lot like school.
As a skilled form of listening, auditory training is created to give you a stronger ability to perceive, process, and understand sounds (known medically as “auditory information”). We frequently discuss auditory training from the perspective of getting accustomed to a pair of hearing aids.
That’s because when you have unaddressed hearing loss, your brain can gradually grow out of practice. (Your auditory centers become used to being in a quieter environment.) So when you get a new pair of hearing aids, your brain abruptly has to deal with an increase of extra information. When this happens, your brain will find it hard, at first, to process all those new sounds as well as it should. Consequently, auditory training often becomes a helpful exercise. (As a side note, auditory training is also useful for individuals who have language learning challenges or auditory processing conditions).
Think of it like this: Audio books won’t really make you hear clearer, but they will help you better distinguish what you’re hearing.
When you listen to audiobooks, what happens?
Auditory training was created to help your brain get accustomed to distinguishing sounds again. Humans have a fairly complex relationship with noise if you really think about it. Every sound signifies something. It’s a lot for your brain to manage. So if you’re breaking in a new pair of hearing aids, listening to audiobooks can help your brain become accustomed to hearing and comprehending again.
Audiobooks can assist with your auditory training in various different ways, including the following:
- Improvements of focus: You’ll be able to focus your attention longer, with a little help from your audiobook friends. After all, if you’re getting accustomed to a new set of hearing aids, it might have been a while since you last engaged in and listened to a full conversation. An audiobook can give you some practice in staying focused and tuned in.
- Listening comprehension: Perceiving speech is one thing, understanding it is another thing entirely. When you follow along with the story that the narrator is reading, you will get practice distinguishing speech. Your brain needs practice linking words to concepts, and helping those concepts remain rooted in your mind. In your everyday life, this will help you understand what people are saying to you.
- Improvements in pronunciation: Sometimes, it’s not just the hearing part that can need a little practice. Individuals with hearing loss often also suffer from social isolation, and that can leave their communication skills a bit rusty. Audiobooks can help you get a grip on the pronunciation of words, making general communication a lot smoother!
- Perception of speech: When you listen to an audiobook, you get real-time practice comprehending somebody else’s speech. During normal conversations, however, you will have far less control than you will with an audiobook. You can rewind if you can’t understand something and listen to something as many times as you want to. It’s an excellent way to practice understanding words!
- A bigger vocabulary: Most individuals would love to broaden their vocabulary. Your vocabulary will get bigger as you’re exposed to more words. Let your impressive new words impress all of your friends. Perhaps that guy sitting outside the bar looks innocuous, or your meal at that restaurant is sumptuous. With audiobooks, you’ll have just the right words ready for any situation.
Audiobooks as auditory aids
Reading along with a physical version of your audiobook is definitely recommended. This will help make those linguistic associations stronger in your brain, and your brain may adapt more quickly to the new auditory signals. It’s definitely a beneficial way to enhance your auditory training experience. That’s because audiobooks enhance hearing aids.
It’s also very easy to get thousands of audiobooks. You can subscribe to them on an app called Audible. You can easily get them from Amazon or other online sellers. Anyplace you find yourself, you can cue one up on your phone.
And you can also get podcasts on nearly every topic in case you can’t find an audiobook you feel like listening to. You can sharpen your hearing and improve your mind at the same time!
Can I listen to audiobooks with my hearing aids
Bluetooth capability is a feature that comes with many modern hearing aids. This means you can connect your hearing aids with your phone, your speakers, your television, or any other Bluetooth-equipped device. With this, when you listen to an audiobook, you won’t need uncomfortable headphones over your hearing aids. You can utilize your hearing aids for this instead.
You’ll now get superior sound quality and increased convenience.
Ask us about how audiobooks can help with your auditory training
So if you think your hearing may be starting to go, or you’re worried about getting accustomed to your hearing aids, talk to us about audiobooks.