There is a widespread saying that books and novels spur the imagination and language skills much more than any TV programme. I believe that this notion holds true no matter what modern technologies are used on TV and TV media production. The reasons are simple, because reading is an active form of learning while watching TV is mostly passive.
Reading for pleasure, as an active method of knowledge acquisition, allows people to create and memorize concepts more clearly. Firstly, the text format pushes readers to purposefully, in their minds, convert words into unique images and sentences into motion pictures. For example, the Harry Potter series of novels have allowed fans to create and construct their representation of the wizard world that is filled with magic and spells. Many readers continue to dream up myriads of spin-off stories based on the characters after the final book. Secondly, the process of reading also allows people to learn better by letting people control their own pace of studying. One can pause at any moment to reread, review, absorb new information, and avoid getting overwhelmed. This ability to stop and ponder is particularly helpful when trying to familiarize oneself with a new language. Many studies have shown a strong linkage between time spent reading and vocabulary improvements.
Watching TV, on the other hand, does not have any of the aforementioned merits. Viewers can only watch the visualization that is given and predefined by TV programmes. Since no extra effort in thinking is needed, people who watch a lot of TV will most likely be lazy to conceptualize any originality in imagination. For example, if children grow up only watching the Lords of the Rings movies and not knowing the books, they will only have one way, and the same way, of describing a dwarf, an elf or a hobbit. Moreover, the languages used on TV are also mostly informal and straightforward, in tune with the needs to deliver information quickly. Therefore, while the listening skill is likely to improve after prolonged exposure to the TV, not much else can be developed, linguistically.
In conclusion, reading books is by far superior to watching TV in terms of creativity and language development because reading gives people total control of their minds. In a world flooded with information, the ability to control your thoughts is the key to improve oneself.
There is a widespread saying that
books
and novels spur the imagination and
language
skills
much more than any TV
programme
. I believe that this notion holds true no matter what modern technologies are
used
on TV and TV media production. The reasons are simple,
because
reading
is an active form of learning while watching TV is
mostly
passive.
Reading for pleasure, as an active method of knowledge acquisition,
allows
people
to create and memorize concepts more
clearly
.
Firstly
, the text format pushes readers to
purposefully
, in their minds, convert words into unique images and sentences into motion pictures.
For example
, the Harry Potter series of novels have
allowed
fans to create and construct their representation of the wizard world that
is filled
with magic and spells.
Many
readers continue to dream up myriads of spin-off stories based on the characters after the final
book
.
Secondly
, the process of
reading
also
allows
people
to learn better by letting
people
control their
own
pace of studying. One can pause at any moment to reread, review, absorb new information, and avoid getting overwhelmed. This ability to
stop
and ponder is
particularly
helpful when trying to familiarize oneself with a new
language
.
Many
studies have shown a strong linkage between time spent
reading
and vocabulary improvements.
Watching TV,
on the other hand
, does not have any of the aforementioned merits. Viewers can
only
watch
the visualization
that is
given
and predefined by TV
programmes
. Since no extra effort in thinking
is needed
,
people
who
watch
a lot of
TV will most likely be lazy to conceptualize any originality in imagination.
For example
, if children grow up
only
watching the Lords of the Rings movies and not knowing the
books
, they will
only
have one way, and the same way, of describing a dwarf, an elf or a hobbit.
Moreover
, the
languages
used
on TV are
also
mostly
informal and straightforward, in tune with the needs to deliver information
quickly
.
Therefore
, while the listening
skill
is likely to
improve
after prolonged exposure to the TV, not much else can
be developed
,
linguistically
.
In conclusion
,
reading
books
is by far superior to watching TV in terms of creativity and
language
development
because
reading
gives
people
total control of their minds. In a world flooded with information, the ability to control your thoughts is the key to
improve
oneself.