In the past they were known as “books-on-tape”. Naturally, that was long before CDs, not to mention digital streaming. Nowadays, people call them audiobooks (which, to be honest, is a far better name).
With an audiobook, you can listen to the book as it’s being read by a narrator. It’s sort of like having someone read a book out loud to you (okay, it’s just that). You can connect with new ideas, get swept up in a story, or discover something new. Listening to audiobooks when you’re passing time will be a mentally enriching experience.
And they’re also an ideal 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.
Auditory training is a specialized form of listening, designed to help you improve your ability to process, comprehend, and decipher sounds (known medically as “auditory information”). We often discuss auditory training from the context of getting accustomed to a set of hearing aids.
That’s because when you have neglected hearing loss, your brain can gradually grow out of practice. (Your auditory centers become accustomed to living in a quieter environment.) So when you get a new pair of hearing aids, your brain suddenly has to deal with an increase of additional information. When this takes place, your brain will find it difficult, at first, to process all those new sounds as well as it should. Auditory training can be a practical tool to help handle this. Also, for those who are coping with auditory processing disorders or have language learning challenges, auditory training can be a helpful tool.
Another perspective: It’s not so much 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 make sense of sound again is exactly what auditory training is created to do. People have a pretty complicated relationship with noise if you really think about it. Every sound you hear has some significance. Your brain has to do a lot of work. The idea is that audiobooks are an excellent way to help your brain get used to that process again, especially if you’re breaking in a brand-new pair of hearing aids.
Here are a few ways audiobooks can help with auditory training:
- Perception of speech: Audiobooks will help you get accustomed to hearing and comprehending speech again. During normal conversations, however, you will have a lot less control than you will with an audiobook. You can listen to sentences numerous times in order to understand them. This works quite well for practicing making out words.
- Improvements in pronunciation: You’ll frequently need practice with more than just the hearing part. Individuals who suffer with hearing loss often also deal with social isolation, and that can leave their communication skills a little rusty. Audiobooks can make communication a lot easier by helping you get a handle on pronunciation.
- Improvements of focus: With a little 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 might have been a while since you last took part in and listened to a full conversation. You may need some practice tuning in and staying focused, and audiobooks can help you with that.
- Listening comprehension: It’s one thing to hear speech, it’s another to understand it! Audiobooks help you practice digesting and understanding what is being talked about. Your brain needs practice connecting words to concepts, and helping those concepts remain rooted in your mind. In your everyday life, this will help you distinguish what people are saying to you.
- A bigger vocabulary: Most individuals would love to expand their vocabulary. Your vocabulary will get stronger as you’re exposed to more words. Let your stunning new words impress all of your friends. Maybe that guy standing outside the bar looks innocuous, or your food 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 copy of your audiobook is definitely recommended. This will help make those linguistic associations stronger in your brain, and your brain could adapt more quickly to the new auditory signals. It’s definitely a good way to enhance your auditory training experience. That’s because audiobooks enhance hearing aids.
It’s also really easy to get thousands of audiobooks. You can subscribe to them on an app called Audible. Many online vendors sell them, including Amazon. And you can hear them anywhere on your phone.
And you can also get podcasts on nearly every topic in case you can’t find an audiobook you want to listen to. You can improve your hearing and improve your mind at the same time!
Can I listen to audiobooks through my hearing aids
Bluetooth functionality is a feature that comes with many modern hearing aids. Meaning, you can connect your hearing aids with your phone, your speakers, your tv, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device. With this, when you listen to an audiobook, you won’t have uncomfortable headphones over your hearing aids. Instead, you can listen directly through your hearing aids.
You’ll now get superior sound quality and greater convenience.
Ask us about how audiobooks can help with your auditory training
So come in and talk to us if you’re worried about having trouble getting accustomed to your hearing aids or if you believe you may be experiencing hearing loss.