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Phil
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil.
Beth
And I'm Beth. Are you a big reader, Phil?
Phil
Sure, I enjoy reading - and it's also a great way to pass the time on my daily commute to work. But reading
isn't just a nice thing to do - it's an essential skill, something you need for everyday activities, whether that's
finding out the news by reading a newspaper or buying groceries by reading the labels.
Beth
And that's why I was shocked by a recent UN report estimating that around the world over 700 million adults
are illiterate, which means they can't read or write.
Phil
Wow! That's a huge number of people excluded from doing basic day-to-day things. So, what can be done to
get more adults reading and writing? In this programme, we'll be hearing about projects in two very different
countries trying to do just that. And, as usual, we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.
Beth
But first I have a question for you, Phil. I mentioned a recent UN report on the high numbers of people unable
to read and write, but illiteracy is not a new problem. Since 1967, the UN has been highlighting the importance
of literacy, being able to read and write, with a day of celebration called International Literacy Day. But when
does it take place? Is it:
a) the 8th of March?
b) the 8th of June? or,
c) the 8th of September?
Phil
I think International Literacy Day is on the 8th of September.
Beth
OK, Phil, we'll find out if that's correct at the end of the programme. The biggest reason people grow up
illiterate is not going to school, and that's especially true for people living in the coastal towns of Bangladesh.
Because these towns flood regularly, families are always on the move, making it hard for children to get an
education.
Phil
The Friendship Project teaches reading and writing to groups of Bangladeshi women and girls. They also teach
numeracy which means the ability to do basic maths like counting and adding up. Here one student, Rashida,
explains the impact it's had on her to BBC World Service programme, People Fixing The World:
Rashida
My parents never sent me to school and I've suffered from not being able to read and write. My children were
embarrassed that I was illiterate. I couldn't even do basic accounting. Until now, I've had to use my fingerprint
as a signature as I was illiterate, but now I can sign my name because I can read and write thealphabet, and
I'll also be able to keep an account of my expenses. No one can cheat me anymore.
Beth
Before the Friendship Project, Rashida couldn't write her signature – her name written in her own handwriting.
Instead, she had to use her fingerprint. Now, Rashida has learned the alphabet and also some basic maths, so
she knows how much money she's spent, and how much she has left. This means no-one can cheat her, can
trick or swindle her into taking her money.
