On Fri, Nov 21, 2003 at 08:34:57PM -0500, Kenneth Gorelick wrote: > The main difference between the two is interaction. The language tapes > required me to stop the tape and repeat, and to speak along with the > tape. I was able to focus on the material and never got into an > accident. The CME tape, on the other hand, simply involved listening. > Normally I learn well in talks. With this, however, I constantly lost > my train of thought and my attention would wander from the tape to the > road and back. > > I suppose that I could learn from a tape if I listened to it in a room, > along with visual aids, but in a car...never! > > So how would I do with books on tape? How can anyone follow plot, > characters, etc., when only a fraction of your consciousness is focused > on the tape? When I read, I shut out the world and concentrate on the > book. When I drive I sure as heck can't do that!!! > > Any thoughts? > I'm the same way when I read, with the caveats that 1) any out-of-the-ordinary noise will catch my attention, and 2) I can both listen to (but not participate in) a nearby conversation and read at the same time - though my reading speed is roughly halved, and the movie in my head that goes along with the book is attenuated. With passive listening, however, I get utterly insanely bored most of the time, even if it is in a classroom with visual aids. If, however, I'm doing something physical or spatial at the same time, such as driving, knitting chainmaille, sketching, or playing minesweeper, my brain happily munches on both inputs/tasks at the same time and I cease becoming bored. Driving just doesn't use the same part of my consciousness as passive listening. I'm sure there are other people out there who are the same, otherwise books on tape wouldn't sell. ;) Anon, Kat