I know reading comprehension and exposure to literature is really important (esp for the SAT and ACT), but does listening to audiobooks have a worse effect than traditional reading regarding comprehension, vocab, etc?
Anecdotally, the main problem I have with audiobooks is that it’s easier to stop paying attention.
I personally prefer print books because sometimes you misunderstand or complete shut out what your hearing. I like to look at the words and search if they don’t make sense, but audiobooks say a line once and continue.
I think it depends on the type of person you are. If you are a keen listener, maybe you will be able to understand better. But if you are visual (like me), print books help to repeat the info than audiobooks and easier to use.
I generally prefer print, but interestingly enough, when I had to read a certain book for my APUSH class last year, I absolutely could not understand it when I tried to read it. I was doing that thing where you’re technically reading it but not really because you get to the end of the page and realize you were thinking about something else the entire time. In a last ditch attempt, I decided to try listening to it on audiobook, and bingo. 100% on that essay. I would guess that it had something to do with the fact that I couldn’t just let my eyes gloss over the words, I had to listen line by line at their pace.