Would you prefer to read a book or listen to the audio version? Your answer may depend on several variables, including convenience and availability. The debate about the differences between reading and listening comprehension has once again taken center stage.
In This Article, You’ll Know How:
- Reading and listening are comparable in terms of comprehension, retention, and learning efficiency, as supported by expert opinions and academic research.
- Transcription services bridge the gap between audio and text, facilitating a more profound understanding in legal, academic, and professional settings.
- Reading can enhance listening skills, particularly when combined with audio, benefiting both language learners and professionals.
Besides a preference for one over the other, the most crucial question is: which of the two helps us retain vital information, improve our comprehension, and make us more efficient?
Well, it depends.
There are numerous studies and articles on the topic, most of which evaluate the effectiveness of both methods. Individual preferences and even learning disabilities can play a role.
However, there are differences in comprehension, depending on how we consume information. One example is transcribers. They must develop excellent listening skills to transfer audio conversations into a text format. In legal transcription, there is no room for errors, as the transcript that will be produced will play a crucial role in a case defense or may even become part of the evidence. Poor listening habits won’t help someone transcribe a significant legal deposition or law enforcement interview efficiently.
It’s also important to note that there are differences between reading or listening for pleasure and learning. Below are some examples:
Audiobooks vs. Physical Books
Do we comprehend more information if we physically read a book compared to listening to the same material?
Remember when audiobooks first hit the market? Futurists suggested that listening would eclipse reading as our preferred learning method. Books will remain with us for the foreseeable future.
Having access to one version gives us options when the other isn’t convenient or available. Reading a book or magazine while walking in the park or on a treadmill can be pretty challenging. That’s when using our earbuds to listen to audiobooks or podcasts is a better method.
One distinction between listening to an audiobook and reading the same material is how our brains process the information.
Both activate different parts of the brain. However, University of California psychology professor Matthew Traxler found that the “mental machinery” required to understand and retain information remains the same, irrespective of whether we hear or read the material.
Another study assigned adult volunteers to one of three groups. The first listened to excerpts of a story from World War II. A second group read the same material on an e-reader, while the third group used both methods simultaneously. The results showed little difference in the test scores regardless of the method used.
Both experts agreed that either listening or reading is acceptable for lighter topics typically found in entertainment or news magazines and websites. We retain more information for more complex subjects if we put more effort into the process, such as reading weighty topics.
Reading vs. Listening: The Science
There are some differences in how our brains process information gathered through visual or auditory methods. Scientists and educators have been debating whether individuals develop a learning preference at a young age. If so, does being exposed to another way impede their ability to learn?
Recent studies indicate that while individuals may develop a preference for reading or hearing material, most can learn effectively through either method. An academic study published in 2018 states that students are capable of learning through both reading and listening. Indiana University Professor Polly Husmann debunks the issue that students primarily learn by the time they enter college by only one method.
Husmann and her team developed a questionnaire designed to reveal a student’s preference for learning. What they also uncovered is that the method a student used for learning is often not their preferred method. When a student incorporated another approach, there was little to no difference in test scores.
How Does Listening & Reading Impact Brain Activity
University of California at Berkeley neuroscientists studied MRI brain scans of individuals and confirmed that the human brain is equally stimulated by both reading and listening.
Participants read scripts from a podcast episode and were shown one word at a time to duplicate how the brain absorbs auditory material. Using previous research, they were able to code each word and the areas of the brain that were impacted. Researchers then created maps to evaluate which parts of the brain are stimulated by certain words. The results showed no notable differences between listening and reading.
What About Those Darn Distractions?
Evaluating both learning methods under ideal conditions is intriguing, but what about all the distractions humans encounter daily?
Most of us will agree that humans can be easily distracted. With all the options available that allow for the immediate flow of information, we can lose concentration or our train of thought. We often hear someone across the table or on the phone, but our listening skills determine the level of comprehension we achieve.
If an individual is distracted, they are less likely to understand the concept of a subject. Many times, speaking is linear. There may be no way for the listener to “rewind” the speaker and go over the idea again.
However, if an individual gets distracted while reading, they can reread the words as often as necessary to understand the subject. In this respect, reading is better for retention and comprehension. Interested in transcribing a podcast yourself to reread it later?
Listening is also challenging for humans because it requires them to use real-time comprehension skills, meaning the individual must listen, interpret, and understand what a person is saying almost instantaneously. This complex process expands when the individual is taking notes.
During Spring 2020, the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. resulted in limited school attendance. Colleges and even some high school classes that once met in a classroom setting went virtual.
Although many schools widely use the concept of online learning, it offers advantages over physically attending a classroom, such as the ability to interact with the instructor and fellow students. There’s also the opportunity for distractions if a student finds a classmate more interesting than the lecture.
Students who meet in a traditional classroom setting must rely on their listening and note-taking ability, assuming reviewing the lecture by video isn’t available. Virtual classes enable students to access courses through a web browser and listen to the lectures. In most cases, students can ask questions and participate in real-time.
Recording and transcribing virtual classes makes it possible to review and listen to the lectures as often as necessary until the concept is understood. This allows students to comprehend information at their own speed. A similar idea is found in the legal field, where trial transcription has become the norm due to the widespread adoption of online trials in the U.S. This has allowed for convenient access to transcripts, which has made the setup sustainable to this day.
Does Reading Improve Listening Skills?
Many experts believe that reading helps us improve our listening skills. One is Steve Kaufmann, an expert in language learning.
One of Kaufmann’s recommendations to improve listening skills is also to read the duplicate content. He also suggests that listening to new material in a relaxed environment helps us comprehend complex or new material more efficiently.
Writing for Brainscape, Andrew Cohen suggests that when initially learning a foreign language, reading is the most effective approach. He also believes that seeing the text of a word helps reinforce our ability to remember the word and its use.
More importantly, Cohen believes that reading along with an audiobook is the most effective method for learning languages or new concepts.
Which is Faster, Reading or Listening?
There is one final and essential element to this debate that has been definitively proven: reading is faster than listening.
According to various sources, the average adult reads text at a rate of around 250 to 300 words per minute. The recommended talking speed for high comprehension is 150 to 160 words per minute. By comparison, auctioneers speak at a rate of 250 words per minute, the same rate as reading.
Who wants to talk as fast as an auctioneer? Not many, however, our transcribers can take an auctioneer’s audio and turn it into files that are easy to read and review at any time.
Manual transcription services are beneficial for universities and businesses, helping their employees and students enhance their retention, comprehension, and efficiency.
Specifically, verbatim transcripts, when captured accurately, are a great tool in preserving the raw intent of a recording as they capture all the sounds made, including fillers like “uhms” and “ahs”.
The bottom line is that individuals learn and understand concepts in various ways. They don’t all rely solely on their listening skills. Transcription services support various sectors, including forums, student lectures, business meetings, conference calls, and peer group discussions. Transcription works for any recording made via audio or video.
Give your students or employees the tools to do the outstanding job you know they are capable of doing. Individuals who prefer to read will appreciate the option of receiving a professionally prepared transcript.
When it comes to transcripts, Ditto’s services are the best that you can get. Aside from a guaranteed accuracy rate of over 99%, we highly value confidentiality, as demonstrated by our adherence to various security measures. This is a feat that few transcription companies can achieve.
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Ditto Transcripts is a Denver, Colorado-based FINRA, HIPAA, and CJIS-compliant transcription services company that provides fast, accurate, and affordable transcripts for individuals and companies of all sizes. Call (720) 287-3710 today for a free quote.