Book Week inspires kids to read
HUNDREDS of people gathered in the rural town of Happy Valley in Bonnievale for the launch of National Book Week, where young people were encouraged to write and read books in their indigenous languages.
National Book Week, dedicated to encouraging reading and promoting books, is in its 10th year and is celebrated countrywide until September 8.
Emile Jansen, National Book Week ambassador in the Western Cape, said they aim to get young people to realise that they can write in their indigenous languages, synonymous to how they converse in their communities.
“Our participation is to say that because we are not given books in the languages we grew up with, for example Afri-Kaaps, which is not necessarily Afrikaans, that the feeling we project when we speak is not contained in the content of what we are reading.
“In the Western Cape, especially, we look at both Afri-Kaaps and the spaza version of Xhosa, and think of embracing those ways of expression so that young people are drawn to reading them, so that the feeling of how we speak is also in the books, and to make it exciting for them to read.
South African Book Development Council chief executive Elitha van der Sandt said based on the national survey that found that 64% of South Africans prefer to read in English, it was important that they promote the use of indigenous languages in communities.
“In recognising this we promote and prioritise reading awareness in indigenous languages in our festival activities in the community, therefore celebrating the language of the region,” Van der Sandt said.
“In this way we support the mother tongue, which plays a crucial role in equipping children to build stronger literacy and numeracy skills. Alarmingly, 40% of the world’s population are not taught in a language they speak or understand.”