Black headphones with a stack of books on a blue background. The concept of audiobooks and modern education
Even for people who love books, finding the opportunity to read can be a challenge. Many, then, rely on audiobooks, a convenient alternative to old-fashioned reading. You can listen to the latest bestseller while commuting or cleaning up the house.
But is listening to a book really the same as reading one?
For a 2016 study, Rogowsky put her assumptions to the test. One group in her study listened to sections of Unbroken, a nonfiction book about World War II by Laura Hillenbrand, while a second group read the same parts on an e-reader. She included a third group that both read and listened at the same time. Afterward, everyone took a quiz designed to measure how well they had absorbed the material. “We found no significant differences in comprehension between reading, listening, or reading and listening simultaneously,” Rogowsky says.
I – Word Understanding
Audiobook – a recording of a book being read aloud
Simultaneously – happening at the same time
II – Have Your Say
1. Have you tried audiobooks? How is it different from reading books?
2. Did you know?
a. Reading can help prevent Alzheimer’s.
b. Being a reader means you’re more likely to learn something new every day.
c. People who read are more likely to vote, exercise, and be more cultural.
d. Reading can be therapeutic.
e. Reading enhances your memory.
f. Reading expands your vocabulary, so you’ll sound like a genius.
g. Fiction books increase your ability to empathize with others.
665 Are Audiobooks As Good For You As Reading? Here’s What Experts Say
