The practice of reading a book, particularly when performed aloud, retains a distinct significance in comparison to the consumption of content via audiobooks or audiovisual formats such as videos. While audiovisual learning engages multiple sensory perceptions, specifically sight and hearing, and audiobooks offer a unique sense of intimacy through direct auditory communication, the act of reading a book introduces an additional and more profound dimension.
When an individual reads the printed word and verbalizes it, a form of intellectual possession over the text, concepts, and ideas is established. This process enables the reader to, in a figurative sense, assimilate the author’s viewpoint. It facilitates a nearly internal dialogue wherein the author’s thoughts are articulated through the reader’s own vocalization.
The emotional and physical experience differs notably from external methods of information dissemination. Listening to an audiobook involves a two-party interaction: an external speaker conveying information to a listener. Similarly, a video format, by presenting an external, physical object for visual observation, sustains a degree of detachment. Although audio-only content can be considerably intimate, particularly when listened to with eyes closed, reading a book elevates this connection to a higher plane. In both of these latter formats, a clear distinction between the outer and inner dialogue persists.
Reading, especially when executed aloud, cultivates a profoundly more intimate, direct, and connective process. It offers the closest approximation to experiencing the author’s consciousness, affording a singular vantage point into their thoughts and possible affective states. Although this adoption of the author’s mindset is metaphorical rather than literal, the experiential proximity is substantial.
Engaged reading activates the imagination, prompting the mind to internally experience the meaning of the words through the author’s perspective and emotional foundation. No other medium achieves this level of connection. Consider the profound difference in intimacy and vividness of imagination when reading a novel or work of fiction, compared to watching a film adaptation. Even without visual or external auditory input, other than one’s own voice, there is a deep emotional and visceral connection to the story, the author, and the characters than is achievable through merely listening to an audiobook or watching a video. Almost like you’ve assumed the mind, emotions and thoughts of the author.
Consequently, reading is an activity strongly advocated for its unique and enriching form of engagement.
By: Milan Ji
Assistant Editor From the Desk of Tae-Sik
December 1, 2025