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Listening, Reading, or Both? Rethinking the Comprehension Benefits of Reading-While-Listening

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Title: Listening, Reading, or Both? Rethinking the Comprehension Benefits of Reading-While-Listening
Language: English
Authors: Bronson Hui (ORCID 0000-0003-1822-3109), Aline Godfroid (ORCID 0000-0001-8011-7935)
Source: Language Learning. 2026 76(1):311-351.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 41
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Second Language Learning, English (Second Language), Reading Comprehension, Listening Comprehension, Audio Books, Novels, Decoding (Reading), Individual Differences, Linguistic Input, Orthographic Symbols
Geographic Terms: China
DOI: 10.1111/lang.12721
ISSN: 0023-8333
1467-9922
Abstract: The rising popularity of audiobooks in language learning has highlighted the need to understand their potential benefits in enhancing comprehension and the mechanisms driving these effects. In this registered report, we explored the hypothesis that reading-while-listening can enhance lower-level decoding skills, in turn freeing up cognitive resources to support comprehension. In a within-participant design, eighty-six intermediate-to-advanced Chinese learners of English read, read and listened, and listened to different excerpts of a novel. Contrary to our preregistered hypotheses, participants comprehended the text less well when reading-while-listening than when reading it silently. Both reading conditions yielded better comprehension than listening-only. Individual differences in segmentation skills and orthographic decoding supported comprehension but did not interact with the input condition in the way that theory would predict. These results confirm the importance of orthographic decoding and speech segmentation for comprehension, but they also point to gaps in theoretical understanding of reading-while-listening's presumed pedagogical advantages for comprehension.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/fqkdy
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1496683
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Listening, Reading, or Both? Rethinking the Comprehension Benefits of Reading-While-Listening
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bronson+Hui%22">Bronson Hui</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1822-3109">0000-0003-1822-3109</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Aline+Godfroid%22">Aline Godfroid</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8011-7935">0000-0001-8011-7935</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Language+Learning%22"><i>Language Learning</i></searchLink>. 2026 76(1):311-351.
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: 41
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Second+Language+Learning%22">Second Language Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+%28Second+Language%29%22">English (Second Language)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Comprehension%22">Reading Comprehension</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Listening+Comprehension%22">Listening Comprehension</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Audio+Books%22">Audio Books</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Novels%22">Novels</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decoding+%28Reading%29%22">Decoding (Reading)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Differences%22">Individual Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Linguistic+Input%22">Linguistic Input</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Orthographic+Symbols%22">Orthographic Symbols</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/lang.12721
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  Data: 0023-8333<br />1467-9922
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The rising popularity of audiobooks in language learning has highlighted the need to understand their potential benefits in enhancing comprehension and the mechanisms driving these effects. In this registered report, we explored the hypothesis that reading-while-listening can enhance lower-level decoding skills, in turn freeing up cognitive resources to support comprehension. In a within-participant design, eighty-six intermediate-to-advanced Chinese learners of English read, read and listened, and listened to different excerpts of a novel. Contrary to our preregistered hypotheses, participants comprehended the text less well when reading-while-listening than when reading it silently. Both reading conditions yielded better comprehension than listening-only. Individual differences in segmentation skills and orthographic decoding supported comprehension but did not interact with the input condition in the way that theory would predict. These results confirm the importance of orthographic decoding and speech segmentation for comprehension, but they also point to gaps in theoretical understanding of reading-while-listening's presumed pedagogical advantages for comprehension.
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  Data: https://osf.io/fqkdy
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  Data: 2026
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        Value: 10.1111/lang.12721
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Second Language Learning
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      – SubjectFull: Orthographic Symbols
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      – SubjectFull: China
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