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 call them audiobooks (which, to be honest, is a much better name).
With an audiobook, you will listen to the book being read by a narrator. It’s kind of like when you were a kid and a teacher or parent read to you. You’ll be able to discover new things, get lost in an engaging tale, and explore ideas you were never aware of. Listening to audiobooks when you’re passing time will be a mentally enriching experience.
And they’re also a terrific tool for audio training.
Auditory training – what is it?
Wait, wait, wait, what’s this auditory training thing, you may ask? It sounds laborious like homework.
As a skilled kind of listening, auditory training is designed to give you a stronger ability to perceive, process, and comprehend sounds (known medically as “auditory information”). We often discuss auditory training from the perspective of getting accustomed to a set of hearing aids.
Because untreated hearing loss can cause your hearing to get used to a quieter environment and your brain can get out of practice. So your brain will have to cope with a substantial increase of new auditory information when you get new hearing aids. In practice, this often means that your brain can’t process those sounds as well as it generally does (at least, not initially). Consequently, auditory training often becomes a helpful exercise. Also, for those who are coping with auditory processing conditions or have language learning challenges, auditory training can be a useful tool.
Another perspective: It’s not really that audiobooks can improve your hearing, it’s that they can help you better distinguish what you hear.
What happens when I listen to audiobooks?
Helping your brain distinguish sound again is precisely what auditory training is created to do. If you think about it, people have a really complicated relationship with noise. Every single sound you hear has some significance. It’s a lot for your brain to process. The concept is that audiobooks are a great way to help your brain get accustomed to that process again, especially if you’re breaking in a new pair of hearing aids.
Audiobooks can help with your auditory training in a number of different ways, including the following:
- Improvements in pronunciation: Sometimes, it isn’t only the hearing part that can need a little practice. People with hearing loss often also suffer from social isolation, and that can leave their communication skills a little out of practice. Audiobooks can help you get a handle on the pronunciation of words, making basic communication a lot easier!
- Improvements of focus: With some help from your audiobook, you’ll remain focused and engaged for longer periods of time. After all, if you’re getting accustomed to a new set of hearing aids, it may have been a while since you last took part in and listened to an entire conversation. An audiobook can give you some practice in staying focused and tuned in.
- Listening comprehension: It’s one thing to hear speech, it’s another to understand it! Audiobooks give you practice digesting and understanding what is being talked about. Your brain requires practice helping concepts take root in your mind by practicing connecting those concepts to words. In your day-to-day life, this will help you distinguish what people are saying to you.
- Perception of speech: Audiobooks will help you get accustomed to hearing and understanding speech again. 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 over and over again. This works quite well for practicing making out words.
- A bigger vocabulary: Who doesn’t want to improve their vocabulary? The more words you’re subjected to, the bigger your vocabulary will become. Impress your friends by throwing out amazingly apt words. Maybe that guy sitting outside the bar looks innocuous, or your meal at that restaurant is sumptuous. Either way, audiobooks can help you find the right word for the right situation.
Audiobooks as auditory aids
WE suggest that, as you enjoy your audiobook, you also read along with a physical copy of the book also. This will help make those linguistic connections stronger in your brain, and your brain may adapt more quickly to the new auditory signals. It’s definitely a great 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 purchase them from Amazon or other online sellers. And you can hear them at any time on your phone.
Plus, if you can’t find an audiobook you particularly like, you could always try listening to a podcast to get the same effect (and there are podcasts on practically every topic). Your mind and your hearing can be enhanced simultaneously.
Can I listen to audiobooks with my hearing aids
Bluetooth capability is a feature that is included with many contemporary hearing aids. This means you can pair your hearing aids with your cellphone, your speakers, your tv, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device. This means you don’t need to put huge headphones over your hearing aids just to listen to an audiobook. You can use your hearing aids for this instead.
This leads to an easier process and a better quality sound.
Ask us about how audiobooks can help with your auditory training
So come in and talk to us if you’re worried about having difficulty getting accustomed to your hearing aids or if you think you may be experiencing hearing loss.
