Группа Learning English   [bad word]  [bad word] club17650165
Продолжение транскрипта: [bad word] /downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/webcast/readinggroup_prog10.pdf

Gary: Hello. Today: books for Africa ... a favourite book of a reading group
member …and magazines and how they can help you to read in English.
But first, I'm joined in the studio by Nicola Cadbury who works for an
organisation called Book Aid International. Nicola, [bad word] to The Reading
Group.
Nicola: Hello
Gary: Well tell us about the work of Book Aid International – what do you aim to do?
Nicola: Well essentially we're working to support education and reading in the
developing world. We work in about 40 countries but much of our support is
focussed on Africa where there are very extreme levels of poverty and there's
also a very small local publishing industry and a very small number of people
who can afford books of their own so essentially we're bringing books to young
readers and old readers alike to make sure that they really get the most form
their education and lifelong learning experiences that libraries can offer.
Gary: It's based very much on a belief in the value of books and reading, is that right?
Nicola: Yes, we're definitely all book lovers at Book Aid International, it has to be
said. We really think that books are the vital key really to educational
prospects. In many African countries classes are very large and there's a
tendency for teachers to have to teach by rote. So reading is really vital not just
to learn basic literacy skills and to build on them but so that children read
around the subject and learn more than theyt can do in an often very crowded
classroom situation.
Gary: So how does this work in practice – tell us about a project that's happening at
the moment
Nicola One of our major projects is in Ethiopia actually which is one of Africa's
poorest countries. There's very high levels of poverty in Ethiopia. There's a
very small almost tiny almost non-existent local publishing industry so we're
actually working with a variety of partner organisations over there and they
ensure that books we supply can get out to readers in lots of areas all around
the country.
Gary: So books are getting to schools and reaching people [bad [bad word] and
colleges and libraries. And how is reading going to help people in a country
like Ethiopia?
Nicola: The main thing here is that reading is the key to literacy. People must learn to
read and also have the habit of reading in order to have well embedded literacy
skills and to maintain those literacy skills throughout life and there's
employment prospects – there's the basic level of participating in society.
Gary: Another project the organisation is working on is in Sierra Leone working with
libraries. Tell us about that one.
Nicola: In Sierra Leone we're actually, our main partner there is the Sierra Leone
library board. Recent conflict meant that virtually their entire library network
was destroyed but there're very very proactive staff out there. So they'be been
building up [bad word] libraries in areas of particular need.
Gary: What's going on in those libraries in Sierra Leone?
Nicola: Well what they've done is they've actually got really very colourful picture
books, very exciting story-lines, many of which were donated by Book Aid
International and they've [bad word] sort of special reading groups trying to
enthuse children about books, getting them to read these lovely illustrated
books and then to talk back with the group, share what they found enjoyable
about it and just to get kids talking about reading and finally reading all the
time and I think that's been really exciting.
Gary: Well finally, Nicola, you've brought along a book with you, "Life Like
Mine", it's called. 

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