The Power of Live Delivery : Reading Empowered by Orature or Audio?

Sixty-four students silently read along while listening to live reading of texts in class, and read while listening to audiobooks for homework, every week over a semester. The teachers conducting the live readings to their respective classes were an American and an Australian. At the end of the semester, students were asked whether they preferred reading along while listening to the live readings or reading-while-listening with audiobooks. Most students preferred the live reading and provided reasons for this, such as the interactive nature of silently reading along while listening to a live reading and the effectiveness of embodied communication. Despite the availability of audio recordings, there are clear advantages to a live reading due to the multi-modal nature of embodied communication. This is manifested through facial expressions and mouth movements, elusive qualities such as warmth and reassurance, and the interaction between the reader and the audience.

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