Books...

Written by : Chai Ya Yin (A121872)

Talking about reading books, how many of us really know and enjoy the real meaning and value of reading a book? The answer is definitely a 'No' towards such a question. People nowadays read just for their studies purpose or have to read more in order to fulfill their working requirement, so that they can know more about a particular case and can present it during the meeting.

As for me, I see reading not only as a mean to gain more knowledge but also to entertain myself. I grown up in a family without any television entertainment. When I were still young I always read - newspaper, novels, story books, medical books... everything that I can have, just to equip and expose myself to different kind of knowledge and news that are happening around me. Thus, it has been a habit for me till now. I still enjoy reading novels and it somehow entertains me a lot, also in a very different way.

As I read, it also gives me a very good space to imaging about what is actually happening and this let me to flow together with the storyline. Reading enriches my life a lot, without it I am sure that my life will for sure be a very dull and I will just keep myself in the small towel that I am going to build it around me.

In my point of view, I think that reading habit should be practiced since a very young age. We even can tell story to the little baby who is about age to learn speaking. It really affects them a lot. This will give them a harmony perception towards reading it should not be just a saying only. We must prove it through our own action.

Other than that, school also play a very important role. Normally, the teachers will just ask the students to read and write the summary or report regarding the particular story books. However, is this really a effective way to promote reading in the young, naive spirit? How many students will really read and then write the report according to what they understood about the story? Usually, they will just copy and past the story outline written at the back of the book and pass it up as it was a homework.

In this case, I think that the teachers can put in another way round to promote the reading habit among the students. For example, I think that giving the students an animation or slide show regarding the particular story book a quite a good way to stimulate the student to go and find out that book and read about it. When they watch the animation about the storyline, it will raise their curiosity towards the story and this may help them to proceed more for the further reading.

Besides, the reading festival and also the reading camping that are held by the government show that they also care about the reading and knowledge level that is developing among the Malaysian. Although sometimes all these activities may not help a lot , but it can at least spread some news about the reading habit among the Malaysian and indirectly it serves as a call for all the Malaysian that reading is really important for us, especially in today’s globalisation world. Without skill, technique, and knowledge, it is really hard for us to fight not only among ourselves and also with other countries.

By setting a reading corner in the shopping mall is also quite a good point to look forward. This is because when it is place there it can help to attract people who go shopping. This also can be served as a place for them to have a rest and read some books after tired of shopping. The books should be off wide variety and cannot restricted to some people only. Everybody is welcome to be there.

Thus, in conclusion, everything that we can should be done in order to let today’s people really enjoy reading and have this practice of reading untill we succeed the Japenese.