Reflecting on the images
1. The Boston Public Library.
I think libraries are one of the most important places in a town or city. They give people of all kinds the opportunity to access books and enjoy them in the proper atmosphere . Who knows, perhaps new technologies will make libraries redundant at some point, but I really hope this doesn't happen. Whenever I travel abroad, I like visiting public libraries, as some buildings are impressive. I haven't been in a library for quite a long time, but I remember going with my sister to the public library some Saturday mornings. In the photo we see quite a good number of people, some sitting at desks and others in comfortable armchairs. Going to a library is a voluntary act so I assume most of them enjoy being there.
2. Woman and Child reading together.
Parents set role models for their children and if parents like reading, children will surely love reading too. Well, I must say this is not the case at home. Both my husband and I love reading and have plenty of books , so many that some of them are kept in boxes in the junk room because there aren't enough shelves in the house; whenever we travel, we always go into bookshops to have a look and we often end up buying some book. However, our 14-year-old son hates reading. He also has a shelf full of books in his room but he doesn't even try to open one and if we go into a bookshop, he complains. We have always tried to teach him the importance and pleasure of reading, but we've failed. When he was a child, I also read to him and we looked at books, like the woman in the picture, but ...
3. Old woman reading from an iPad.
I´m amazed at how easily some elderly people have got into new technologies. I´m thinking about my father with his iPhone, his iPad, his smartwatch, sending his Whatsapps full of memes and stickers. In this picture we have an example and if it makes life easier for them, that's what matters.
4. Children enjoying their reading class.
It seems to me that they're really enjoying the reading as they are glued to their books. Having at least a lesson a week devoted to reading is a good way to make students get into contact with books other than textbooks. Whenever I have done it with my students, the experience has been quite satisfactory. It's important to know about their preferences in order to choose an appropriate book.
5. Man reading a newspaper on the streets of Baimasi.
"When there is a will, there is a way." Despite being in the middle of the street, sitting on an uncomfortable stool, despite the noise, the wind, etc this man is so interested in learning what's going on that he won't stop reading. He may have found the newspaper on the floor but he doesn't care, he just wants to be informed. If you love reading, you'll find the time and place to do so.
Reading is one of the activities I enjoy most whenever I have some time to spare, which, unfortunately, is not as much as I would like. My reading preferences haven't changed much in time, but now I often read material presented in different formats and means such as tweets, online papers and magazines. However, I must admit I am old school and I prefer to buy and read a paper book than use the iPad or an ebook, although I know of the advantages it has, especially if you're reading in a foreign language.
I read both in English and Spanish. I like biographies, historical novel, thrillers and books dealing with the teaching and learning of foreign languages. I won't read science ficition, fantasy or self-help books.
Summer is the time when I read most because during the school year my day to day is so busy that when I go to bed, the only time I could find to read, I get asleep immediately.
