Books-on-tape was what we used to call them, way back when. Naturally, that was well before CDs, much less digital streaming. These days, they have a much better name; audiobooks.
With an audiobook, you can listen to the book being read by a narrator. It’s sort 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 enchanting story, and experience ideas you were never aware of. Audiobooks are an excellent way to pass the time and enhance your mind.
And they’re also an ideal tool for audio training.
Auditory training – what is it?
So you’re probably pretty interested about exactly what auditory training is. It sounds laborious like homework.
As a specialized form of listening, auditory training is created to give you a better ability to perceive, process, and comprehend sounds (known medically as “auditory information”). We frequently talk about auditory training from the perspective of getting accustomed to a set of hearing aids.
That’s because when you have unaddressed hearing loss, your brain can slowly grow out of practice. (Your auditory centers become accustomed to being in a less noisy environment.) So when you get a new pair of hearing aids, your brain suddenly has to cope with an influx of extra information. When this occurs, 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 those who are dealing with auditory processing disorders or have language learning difficulties, auditory training can be a helpful tool.
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?
Helping your brain distinguish sound again is exactly what auditory training is created to do. If you think about it, people have a really complicated relationship with noise. Every sound you hear has some meaning. Your brain has to do a lot of work. So if you’re breaking in a new pair of hearing aids, listening to audiobooks can help your brain get used to hearing and comprehending again.
Audiobooks can help with your auditory training in a number of different ways, including the following:
- Improvements in pronunciation: In some cases, it isn’t just the hearing part that can need some practice. Hearing loss can often bring about social isolation which can cause communication skills to atrophy. Audiobooks can help you get a grip on the pronunciation of words, making basic communication much smoother!
- Improvements of focus: With some help from your audiobook, you’ll remain focused and involved for longer periods of time. After all, if you’re getting used to a new pair of hearing aids, it may have been a while since you last engaged in and listened to an entire conversation. You may require some practice tuning in and remaining focused, and audiobooks can help you with that.
- Perception of speech: When you listen to an audiobook, you get real-time practice comprehending somebody else’s speech. But you also have a bit 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. This works really well for practicing making out words.
- Listening comprehension: It’s one thing to perceive speech, it’s another to comprehend it! Audiobooks give you practice digesting and understanding what is being spoken about. Your brain needs practice joining words to concepts, and helping those concepts remain rooted in your mind. This can help you follow conversations more closely in your everyday life.
- A bigger vocabulary: Most people would love to broaden their vocabulary. The more words you’re exposed to, the bigger your vocabulary will become. Impress your friends by throwing out amazingly apt words. Maybe those potatoes look dubious, or you’re worried that bringing your friends to the bar will really exacerbate your problems with your boyfriend. With audiobooks, you’ll have just the right words queued up for any situation.
Using audiobooks as aids to auditory training
Reading along with a physical version of your audiobook is highly advisable. This will help make those linguistic associations stronger in your brain, and your brain may adapt more quickly to the new auditory inputs. It’s definitely a good way to enhance your auditory training experience. That’s because audiobooks complement hearing aids.
It’s also very easy to get thousands of audiobooks. You can subscribe to them on an app called Audible. Many online vendors sell them, and that includes Amazon. Anywhere you find yourself, you can cue one up on your phone.
Also, if you can’t find an audiobook you particularly like, you could always listen to a podcast to get the same effect (and there are podcasts on just about every topic). Your mind and your hearing can be enhanced together.
Can I listen to audiobooks with my hearing aids
Bluetooth capability is a feature that comes with many contemporary hearing aids. Meaning, you can connect your hearing aids with your cellphone, your speakers, your tv, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device. This means you don’t need to place cumbersome headphones over your hearing aids just to listen to an audiobook. You can use your hearing aids for this instead.
This leads to a simpler process and a better quality sound.
Ask us about how audiobooks can help with your auditory training
So if you believe your hearing might be starting to go, or you’re worried about getting accustomed to your hearing aids, consult us about audiobooks.