World News for Students of English

24-09-2024 15:00

In the Casbah of Algiers, people like Boulachab Nasser make traditional crafts.

Nasser is a leatherworker, and he learned his job from his family. Four generations passed down their skills from father to son. They learned new techniques over the years, but now Nasser worries that these crafts are slowly disappearing because people are no longer interested. He still loves what he does, but he says it is hard to make a living from it. Young people, especially the men in his family, are not learning these traditional crafts anymore.

The Casbah itself is a very important and historic part of Algiers. The products Nasser makes show the culture and history of his city, but he fears that these traditions could disappear if younger generations don’t continue them.

Difficult words: craft (an activity which involves making things by hand), skill (the ability to do something well), technique (a special method of doing something).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.