Does reading a book include listening to the audiobook?
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Anonymous
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I absolutely say yes.
It is true that I often listen to audiobooks while doing other things, so the split attention means I don't comprehend (or remember) the material as well as if I were reading with my eyes. However, that's fine for most of my casual reading. My dyslexic kid, on the other hand, remembers better if he hears it rather than reads it with his eyes. I think that more and more people are coming around to agreeing that listening = reading but I know some people who believe it doesn't count. What do you guys think? |
Anonymous
| Sure. It's not active reading, as you're listening but there are a lot of people who have vision challenges who would argue its the only way they can read (unless they're using braille). |
Anonymous
Anonymous
| I think it's weird to call it "reading" but I don't think listening is an inferior way to enjoy books for sure. So I would generally say "I'm listening to X" or "I just finished X and I loved it!" rather than "I'm reading/just read X" if I listened to it on audio. But I also don't care if someone says they read something and it turns out they listened to the audiobook. They still consumed the information and we can still talk about the book, which is the whole point. |
Anonymous
| As the parent of a child with dyslexia, it certainly counts as reading. Ear reading develops similar brain developments as eye reading does. |
Anonymous
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I would call that listening to a book, not reading a book. You're not actually reading anything so... no, not reading.
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Anonymous
| Are you asking just about word choice or are you asking if it “counts” when someone asks something like “What was the last book you read?” It absolutely counts, but I’d probably say “I listened to this book” instead of saying “I read this book.” |
Anonymous
| Yes, particularly for the blind and for people with dyslexia. But others as well. I prefer to read words, and turn actual pages on a paperback, not hardcover, but I've gotten used to a Kindle. It would have to be just the right voice for me to be happy with an audiobook. I'm very picky. I've appreciated some audiobooks read by their authors, and of course, if it's accompanied by just the right music, it adds something that the actual book does not have; and conversely, if the books relies on drawings to convey facts or atmosphere, you miss that in the audio version. |
Anonymous
Anonymous
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I was at a party recently and recommended a book and then said “actually, I listened to it, so I don’t know if it’s the same experience to read it” and everyone said, “that’s reading!”
It’s funny, I check off books I’ve listened to on quizzes asking what books I’ve read, but I do think it’s different than “actually” reading them. That said, I tend to retain the ones I listen to better. |
Anonymous
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I say yes, of course it counts as reading the book.
My only caveat is that very young kids, assuming no learning issues, do need to learn to read the actual print books, not just listen to audio. I think audiobooks are great for kids for many reasons, but they shouldn't completely replace learning to read and learning to read long form books - not just reading text/short articles/directions, etc. |
Anonymous
To summarize: one doesn't need eyes and print on a page to read. Limiting "reading" to eyes on a page is classist and ablest. There are people who can't hold printed matter to read because of ability or lifestyle, but they can still read books. The creator of the video says she changed her opinion over time. As an English professor, she had a limited view. As a bookseller today, she is more broad. She also points out that dictionaries include definitions for "read" that go beyond using eyes on printed material. |
Anonymous
| According to DD's teacher (dyslexia school) yes, it does. |
Anonymous
| Book police! |
Anonymous
| It counts. Reading is about decoding a text and building the story in your mind. |