Audiobooks: A survey of UK adults in 2021
Our latest research into adults' engagement with audiobooks finds links to wellbeing and mental stimulation.
Speaking and listening
Speaking and listening are building blocks of literacy. Also known collectively as oracy, they are key areas of research that are often neglected in the literacy space. In addition to the skills and attitudes of children and young people we have explored how technology and media impact on these disciplines.
We also know that talk in the home learning environment is crucial in developing children's school readiness. Find out more.
Key statistics on speaking and listening
- Nearly half (48.7%) of children and young people listened to audiobooks and/or podcasts in 2021. Find out more.
- More than 9 out of 10 children enjoyed hearing stories read to them in 2021. Find out more.
- Nearly 2 in 3 (63.9%) young people felt in 2020 that they need good speaking and listening skills to achieve their aspirations. Find out more.
COVID-19 and speaking and listening
School closures had a marked impact on children and young people's interaction with podcasts and audiobooks, with nearly 1 in 4 (23.7%) children and young people said they listened to podcasts or audiobooks more during lockdown than they did before. Find out more.
Many children and young people, when in lockdown, also took to video games as a means of communicating with their friends when face-to-face contact was unavailable. 3 in 5 (58.4%) children and young people said that they talked to or messaged friends more while playing video games in early 2021. Find out more.
Our latest research into speaking and listening
Research View detailsResearch View detailsThe role of audiobooks to engage reluctant readers and underrepresented children and young people
Report on children and young people's engagement with audiobooks based on our 2021 Annual Literacy ReviewResearch View detailsHome Learning Environment - Parent Survey 2021
This report explores the findings of a survey conducted with 1500 parents of children from birth to age five about the home learning environment.
What else we know about speaking and listening
- Boys who do not enjoy reading are more likely to say they enjoy listening to audio (46.6%) than girls who do not enjoy reading (37.8%). Find out more.
- More parents aged 34 and under said that they played, sung, looked at the alphabet, painted, and played outside at least once a day in the last week compared with parents aged 35 and over. Find out more.
- Over 60% of young people in youth justice system have difficulties with speech, language or communication. Find out more.
Related work
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Audiobooks and literacy resources
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