Reading can improve your language skills and develop fluency. It also helps someone to express his or her thoughts and ideas better.
For Ya Mallen Jagne, a young Gambian writer, reading helps her to understand different cultures, and comprehend the history of things. “Well, I read for pleasure and I read for knowledge. Reading allows me to escape into another reality, it allows you to use your imagination and create entirely different worlds, and it allows you to live the experiences and realities of other people, “she said.
“I read. I try to do so as much as possible. It can be a challenge, because there is so much else going on. Work, schoolwork, social media etc…But I try”.
Reading a good inspirational book can change our way of thinking and give us hope and motivation. Books do doubt a huge source of motivation in which people drive inspiration from.
Dija Jawo said her inspirational books are autobiographies. “I like reading autobiographies because they’re real stories. I enjoy reading real stories. Sometimes, when you read autobiographies, you see yourself in their stories, how they grow up, the challenges they face. My best authors are Jackie Collins and Chinua Achebe.
The steady decline in the reading of books is becoming worrying. With the increased amount of technology in today’s world, reading an actual book is becoming less common. While reading a good book was once considered a form of entertainment, most people are content with scrolling through their phones and reading latest gossip from online newspapers and magazines, or their friend’s news feed.
“I read over a hundred books in 2016 and 2017. During these years there were weeks I read up to three books. I could spend the whole day and night reading a book. But of late I am too occupied with work and hardly created time to read, says Momodou Jarju a Blogger, Journalist and Writer.
5 BENEFITS OF READING ACCORDING TO RESEARCH
Reading books can boost your brainpower; Neuroscientists discovered that reading could improve brain function on a variety of levels.
Reading books increases vocabulary; As you read different books, you are being exposed to new and different vocabulary, perhaps vocabulary that you may not use on a daily basis. Having a large vocabulary has many advantages. It helps you understand the world around you.
Reading can improve concentration; Reading is essential for literary development, but did you know that it could also improve a child or adult’s concentration level? While watching TV for example is a passive activity, reading books encourages you to relax, calm your mind and concentrate on words that are being absorbed.
Reading books can make you a better writer; Reading and writing skills go hand in hand. The more you read, the better your writing skills will be.
Reading books enhances imagination; Reading books gives you endless possibilities to use your imagination. By reading, you are stimulating the right side of your brain and letting your creativity run wild.
Omar Faye is a reporter with Choice FM Radio and Freelancing for the Chronicle. He’s currently studying Journalism and Communication at the Media Academy for Journalism and Communication (MAJaC).
