Trying To Find The Time

[smallhobbit]

A while ago I took out an Audible subscription, which means I can have a new audiobook every month, which is great.  Except that I don't seem to find time to listen to them, which is frustrating.  I'd like to find a regular time to spend say 15 minutes a day listening.  But it's just not happening.

In the car I listen to the radio and I'm currently enjoying audio CDs of Ngaio Marsh's Inspector Alleyn stories - I'm on the third of the stories read by Benedict Cumberbatch, and have two more lined up, this time read by Anton Lesser.  They're great because they don't require major amounts of concentration which is ideal for driving.

I have a regular time in the evening for doing my cross-stitch, and I'm still working on Duolingo German - I finished the basic level (yay! - see icon) but am continuing just because 10-15 minutes each day is good to help it stay lodged in my brain.  Counted cross-stitch requires too much concentration to listen to anything - I enjoy it partly because it totally absorbs my mind.

I can generally sit down and write, and have challenges/exchanges lined up to keep me going.  And I always read actual books in bed last thing at night.

There are times when I will listen to an audiobook, but nothing regular, and if I'm going to get the most out of my subscription this would be helpful.  Why must my brain be so unco-operative in this matter?

Comments

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Congrats with the German!

It is a bit of a problem for me, too. There are audiobooks that require full concentration and there are audiobooks that can be background. I, too, don't find a lot of time for the first kind and prefer mostly the second kind. I listen when I'm fixing dinner (I have the library app on my phone). Before bed is tricky because I am usually not in the mood for anything too serious and most of the ones I have right now are serious. It's tough. But you're finding time for a lot of things so adding one more might be too much at the moment. Maybe it's a weekend thing.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you!

Yes - I'm fine with Ngaio Marsh when I'm driving, because I can still watch the road whilst enjoying the story, but my current Audible story requires concentration. I'm enjoying it, but it's quite dark in places and therefore not good for nighttime. I listen when ironing, and as you say, maybe I should find time at the weekend.

[solosundance]

My brain's not very cooperative with audible either. At the moment I use my subscription to listen to old favourites whose texts I already know, or to readers whose delivery I particularly like - it's become a comfort thing as it both takes my mind off stresses and sends me to sleep. I tend not to listen to new things - more annoying to conk out halfway through a chapter!

(On the downside I've discovered if I try and listen to audiobooks while driving I want to go to sleep then, too...)

[smallhobbit]

I'm happy reading actual books at night - I'm sure I would fall asleep listening to an audio book, which really would be pointless when it's a new story. Fortunately it doesn't have that effect when I'm driving.

[scfrankles]

Crikey, you do have an awful lot on the go ^^" I'm not surprised you're having such difficulty making the most of your Audible subscription too. It must be frustrating.

Congratulations on the German, and well done on keeping it going ^___^ Counted cross-stitch requires too much concentration to listen to anything - I enjoy it partly because it totally absorbs my mind. I feel exactly the same way about using Duolingo for Dutch - it's so lovely to be fully immersed in something.

[smallhobbit]

Most things have a sort of allocated time, which works well - on days when I'm out then I know I'm not going to do them, it's not as if it's set in stone that I do everything everyday. But it just feels like I must be able to set aside 15-20 minutes to listen to an audiobook. I finished my first book yesterday, so that feels a bit better, and I now have a couple of months to listen to the latest one (I want to keep one credit in reserve). And I've got a couple of books earmarked for long journeys which is fine.

Having earned the trophy I'm not taking the German quite as seriously, but using it more to re-inforce what I've learned. I'm actually pleasantly surprised how much I do remember. I don't know if you've come across it, but FutureLearn has a free 3 week online course on an Introduction to Dutch. You're probably past that level but it might be interesting to look at.

[scfrankles]

I don't know if you've come across it, but FutureLearn has a free 3 week online course on an Introduction to Dutch. You're probably past that level but it might be interesting to look at.

I've had a look at the course's description and I would guess I am past the learning level they're aiming at (hit Level 24 today ^__^). But I might give it a go anyway - revision is always useful and it's possible there are bits I haven't learnt on Duolingo or elsewhere. And it's daft to refuse free learning - thank you for bringing it to my attention ^__^

[smallhobbit]

Wow, that's really impressive - I achieved Level 13 at the end of last week. I did think it would be below your level, but I thought seeing something from a different angle might be of use. Or you can just be impressed with how good you are!

[howsmyenglish]

Hi again! :)
Just wanted to share: I used to listen to audio books _a lot_ while doing things like cooking, cleaning, washing dishes etc. - stuff that has to be done regularly and does not require much concentration. (I would pause a book if I had to concentrate on how many spoons of oil I had to add to the dough...)

For me, listening to audio books was (and still is) a way to escape real life - whenever I'm tired, I don't want to deal with something and just want to turn off my head for some time.

Well, some time ago I just stopped being interested in audio books - I guess, I feel better in my skin now and do not feel the need to escape.

Why do you feel the need to listen to audio books?

[smallhobbit]

Firstly, I listen to audio books in the car, which makes a change from the radio when I'm driving. Part of the reason for getting Audible was to have something to listen to when on long journeys. Also, as you will discover if you spend long enough on my journal, I like an actor called Richard Armitage who has narrated a number of audiobooks, which I'd like to listen to. I enjoy a good story (check out my book reviews to see what I've been reading this year) and since I don't watch much television audio books are a different way of enjoying a story, especially when doing mundane chores.

I'm curious - what drew you to my journal?

[howsmyenglish]

The "Man in the Mirror" story is what sparkled my interest - I read it in a community... fics-something... Honestly, I just opened an account a couple of hours ago, then looked for communities interested in books - to find people, who are interested in books - and your story was the first that I liked and could relate to. So, this is why I'm here.

I don't know Richard Armitage, but I do like to listen to Benedict Cumberbatch. I think I've listened to the book by Ngaio Marsh that you mentioned in the post, I even listened to some fan-fic books about Sherlock Holmes only because he narrated them. :)

If you don't mind, I'd like stay, read on and keep commenting from time to time...

[smallhobbit]

I think that must be ficlet_zone

I find Benedict Cumberbatch a good narrator - he seems to disappear inside the characters which is great.

I'd be delighted if you were to stay - I've subscribed to your journal and given you access to all my posts.

I'm not sure whether it is helpful to know, but where you have written sparkled (as in glittery) you mean sparked (as in a sudden bright light from a fire, or electric wire).

[howsmyenglish]

Yes! - it is helpful to know, thank you! Learning languages is my life, I'm always grateful to people, who are prepared to correct my mistakes.

I'm glad to have met you on my first day here!
Subscribing to your journal as well, of course.

[corvidology]

I've never had any luck with audiobooks. My brain just starts disputing the way they pronounce things, etc. The only Audible thing I own is Cabin Pressure... sorry, that's not very helpful.

I've been using Duolingo to keep my French up to snuff and spend 20 minutes with it every day.

[smallhobbit]

I've got Cabin Pressure on CDs - and that's a bit different because it was written as a radio programme anyway. I've not had problems with the pronunciation, but I'm probably careful who the readers are, and good ones disappear into the characters and I can happily visualise the scenes. Interestingly when I go back to a story, I will visualise the point at which I've left off - a good story will really creat the pictures for me, despite it being verbal.

I'm probably doing about 15 minutes of German - enough to keep the brain moving, not enough for me to get frustrated.

[howsmyenglish]

Oh, Cabin Pressure! I think I almost know it by heart by now. Was telling someone just half an hour ago that the yellow car game _never ends_...

[mafief]

I have no advice on finding the right time, but I'm sure you will figure it out. :)

[smallhobbit]

Thank you. I've finished the book I was listening to when I wrote this post and am now slowly working my way through the next, which I'm about on target with.