In the past they were called “books-on-tape”. Back then, obviously, we didn’t even have CDs never mind streaming services. Nowadays, people refer to them as audiobooks (which, to be honest, is a much better name).
With an audiobook, you can listen to the book being read by a narrator. It’s kind of like having somebody read a book aloud to you (okay, it’s exactly that). You can engage with new ideas, get swept up in a story, or learn something new. Audiobooks are a wonderful way to pass the time and enhance your mind.
As it turns out, they’re also a fantastic way to accomplish some auditory training.
Auditory training – what is it?
So you’re most likely rather curious about what exactly auditory training is. It sounds laborious like homework.
Auditory training is a special type of listening, designed to help you increase your ability to process, perceive, and interpret sounds (medically known as “auditory information”). One of the main uses of auditory training is to help individuals learn to hear with their new hearing aids.
Because neglected hearing loss can cause your hearing to get used to a quieter environment and your brain can get out of practice. So when you get a new set of hearing aids, your brain suddenly has to deal with an increase 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 handle this. Also, for individuals who are dealing with auditory processing disorders or have language learning challenges, auditory training can be a helpful tool.
Another perspective: It’s not really that audiobooks can sharpen your hearing, it’s that they can help you better understand what you hear.
When you listen to audiobooks, what happens?
Helping your brain make sense of sound again is exactly what auditory training is designed to do. If you think about it, humans have a very complex relationship with noise. Every single sound means something. It’s a lot for your brain to manage. So if you’re breaking in a new set of hearing aids, listening to audiobooks can help your brain become accustomed to hearing and comprehending again.
Audiobooks can help with your auditory training in a few different ways, including the following:
- Perception of speech: When you listen to an audiobook, you get real-time practice understanding someone else’s speech. But you also have a little more control than you would during a normal conversation. You can listen to sentences numerous times in order to understand them. It’s a great way to practice understanding words!
- Improvements in pronunciation: You’ll often need practice with more than just the hearing part. Hearing loss can often bring about social solitude which can cause communication skills to atrophy. Audiobooks can help you get a handle on the pronunciation of words, making general communication a lot smoother!
- A bigger vocabulary: Who doesn’t want to improve their vocabulary? Your vocabulary will get stronger as you’re exposed to more words. Impress your friends by throwing out amazingly apt words. Perhaps those potatoes look dubious, or you’re worried that bringing your friends along to the bar will really exacerbate your issues with your boyfriend. Either way, audiobooks can help you find the right word for the right situation.
- Listening comprehension: It’s one thing to perceive speech, it’s another to comprehend it! Audiobooks give you practice processing and understanding what is being spoken about. Your brain needs practice joining words to concepts, and helping those concepts stay rooted in your mind. In your everyday life, this will help you distinguish what people are saying to you.
- Improvements of focus: With some help from your audiobook, you’ll stay focused and engaged for longer periods of time. Perhaps it’s been a while since you’ve been able to engage in a complete conversation, especially if you’re getting used to a new pair of hearing aids. You might need some practice tuning in and remaining focused, and audiobooks can help you with that.
Using audiobooks as aids to auditory training
Reading along with a physical copy of your audiobook is definitely advisable. Your brain will adjust faster to new audio signals making those linguistic connections stronger. It’s definitely a beneficial way to enhance your auditory training adventure. That’s because audiobooks enhance hearing aids.
It’s also really easy to get thousands of audiobooks. There’s an app called Audible which you can get a subscription to. You can easily purchase them from Amazon or other online vendors. Anywhere you find yourself, you can cue one up on your phone.
Also, if you can’t find an audiobook you really like, you could always listen to a podcast to get the same experience (and there are podcasts on practically every topic). Your mind and your hearing can be enhanced together.
Can I listen to audiobooks with my hearing aids
Many contemporary hearing aids are Bluetooth enabled. So all of your Bluetooth-equipped devices, including your phone, your television, and your speakers, can be paired with your hearing aids. This means you don’t need to put cumbersome headphones over your hearing aids just to listen to an audiobook. You can use 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 come in and speak with us if you’re concerned about having difficulty getting accustomed to your hearing aids or if you think you might be experiencing hearing loss.
