Tuesday 17 April 2012

Why is it important for Malaysians to read?

An average adult reads about 250-300 words per minute, that’s about 15000-18000 words per hour and that number brings us to an average of 360000-432000 everyday. That’s like 144540000 words per year! Isn’t that a lot of words to be reading? You would be surprised by the amount of words you’ve read so far and how many words that you know in your vocabulary. Well, we can’t expect you to keep tabs on them, but people nowadays seem to take for granted just how important it is to read or being able to read. Thought its not likely to find an illiterate these days, many people don’t find reading as a main activity during family nights, hobby or just simply for recreational purposes. Due to the vast growth of technology, doing an activity such as reading a book might come off to you as something boring or old-fashion. When in fact, since it is so easy to get anything with just a click of a button, you should have easier access to a book and therefore more likely be in favor of reading. So, why is it important to read, I hear you ask, my fellow Malaysians? Well, to start things off, reading is like providing the mind with nourishment. It’s like pouring water to a wilting plant, if you don’t take care of it by spraying fertilizers and the likes, how do you expect it to grow as healthy as possible? With knowledge, we are able to conquer the world. There is no limit to what we can achieve as long as we have knowledge and that is where reading comes in handy. Most people were introduced to books at a very early age due to their parents upbringing when others started during their schooling years. Reading doesn’t just apply to books, you can be reading anything from newspapers to magazines, textbooks, novels, autobiographies or even reading from the internet. When you start to read, it takes you into another world where anything is possible. Those who like to read novels are likely to be able to escape reality for a few hours, letting their imagination run wild with stories from different genres such as science fiction, romance, mystery/thriller and classics. For those who want information on current events are more likely to pick up the newspaper or a tabloid magazine so that they are up-to-date with everything that is going on in the world. When were seating in the LRT (Light Railway Transit), or drinking at a mamak stall, we noticed that out of 10 people, there is at least 2 people who will be having their nose buried in a book, a newspaper or any reading materials. This is what we call a reading culture where reading has become sort of like a habit to the citizens. Instead of loitering around and doing nothing, reading keeps us occupied and helps us use our time fruitfully. Words are our everyday tools, we use it to speak and to write. By reading, we have a wide selection of words in our vocabularies allowing us to to use all kinds of different words in all kinds of context in speeches and writings. For those who are picking up a new language, reading will be helpful in identifying new words and teach individuals on how to use it when speaking in that language and writing sentences. As you can see, there are many benefits to reading! When you have been taught to read at an early age, it sort of becomes natural to be picking up a book even when you get older. Children nowadays take for granted for the things that they have and do not use it to their advantage. People should make use of technology because they have the richest sources of information. It covers a wide range of topics and people from anywhere in the world can access it 24/7. Therefore boys and girls, brings us to the conclusion that reading is an essential part of our lives. It is important that we know just how big it plays a role in our growth as both a person and a human being.