Fluency in Verbal Communication
CONVERSATIONS
Achieve
Fluency in Verbal Communication
Acknowledgements
Academic Authors: Chandani Goyal, Anuj Gupta, Kashika Parnami, Laraine O’Connell
Creative Directors: Bhavna Tripathi, Mangal Singh Rana, Satish
Book Production: Sanjay Kumar Goel
Project Lead: Sneha Sharma
VP, Learning: Abhishek Bhatnagar
All products and brand names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks or trade names of their respective owners.
© Uolo EdTech Private Limited
First impression 2023
Second impression 2024
Third impression 2025
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser and without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above-mentioned publisher of this book.
Book Title: Conversations 8
ISBN: 978-81-980824-6-6
Published by Uolo EdTech Private Limited
Corporate Office Address:
85, Sector 44, Gurugram, Haryana 122003
CIN: U74999DL2017PTC322986
Illustrations and images: www.shutterstock.com, www.stock.adobe.com and www.freepik.com
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Preface
In the age of globalisation and unprecedented technological advancement, English stands as a universally comprehensible medium of communication. It has evolved into one of the essential tools that learners require to thrive in today’s world and secure their future. Studies from across the globe have also shown that English communication skills significantly impact on career prospects and lifelong learning.
Functional and fluent communication skills in English, encompassing the crucial facets of LSRW (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing), are pivotal for children’s knowledge acquisition; intellectual, social, and emotional development; and lifelong learning.
In particular, robust listening and speaking skills not only form the bedrock of the language learning process but also pave the way for enhanced reading and writing capabilities. Yet, the majority of educational efforts prioritise teaching reading and writing from the very outset, sometimes neglecting listening and speaking skills. These foundational skills are often overlooked in educational institutions due to high pupil-teacher ratios, lack of opportunities to express themselves in English, and, most significantly, a lack of structured and dedicated class time for honing these skills.
It is within this context that Uolo Speak has been introduced as a groundbreaking English program tailored for learners in pre-primary to grade 8, with a special emphasis on English listening and speaking. In alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 and the learning outcomes set forth by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
The Conversations book serves as the classroom-based avenue for developing functional speaking skills. The book contains teacher-led English speaking and listening activities that adhere to the highly recommended and research-based teaching-learning method known as the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR). This approach systematically guides learners in mastering the targeted competencies. Through these activities, learners engage in high-quality, age-appropriate, and experiential tasks that foster confidence and fluency in English. The accompanying Teacher Manual provides in-depth implementation plans for these activities.
The mobile interface of this educational product ensures consistent practice of functional English skills. These exercises transcend conventional question types, employing cutting-edge technology to facilitate learning and provide instant feedback. For instance, learners can practise English speaking on the App and receive AI generated feedback. This allows learners to grow skills over a period of time and gain confidence to express themselves in English in their daily lives.
Uolo Speak offers a potent, captivating, and unique learning experience for learners. It embodies a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to cultivating indispensable functional English skills required for the 21st century. We extend our warmest wishes to all educators, parents, and learners as they embark on this exciting journey with Uolo Speak, filled with fun and joyful experiences.
Dr Laraine O'Connell
D. Litt., English, North West University, South Africa
I am a veteran English teacher and lecturer, with a great love for English and for teaching. I have taught English and trained teachers over many years. I live in South Africa and it is a wonderful experience working with a company promoting the learning of English in India.
The Product Philosophy
Welcome to the Speak journey!
The program is a thoughtfully crafted activities-based learning experience that build students’ speaking skills in English. The program, with dedicated time and space within the classroom, becomes a platform to practice speaking and listening skills in everyday scenarios. These scenarios are created by way of teacher-led activities, which cater to specific competencies in English.
Course Book
Speak on the Spot Activities
Prepared-speaking Activities
Teacher Manual
DIGITAL
Student and Teacher Apps
Talking Books
Listening and Speaking Projects
Interactice Practice Quizzes
The classroom program is augmented by the digital world, which is presented to the students through the UOLO App. The app includes projects that are closely associated with the activities in the coursebook. The projects allow a fear-free practice time to children at home and are AI evaluated. The app also include quizzes in listening, speaking, reading and writing that can be consumed at home.
Key NEP Recommendations
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, introduced by the Government of India, represents a transformative shift in the country’s education system. It aims to create a more holistic, dynamic and multidisciplinary approach to education. NEP 2020 focuses on fostering conceptual understanding, skills, values and competencies that align with the demands of the 21st century, while also preserving India’s rich cultural heritage. UOLO is fully committed to actualizing the vision of NEP 2020 by meticulously adhering to its outlined recommendations.
1. Comprehension and understanding
2. 21st century skills, values and dispositions
Competency Based Education
3. Application in real life
4. Holistic and integrated learning
5. Enjoyable and engaging
6. Collaborative and exploratory activities
NEP Pages 12, 17, 22
Teaching and Learning Pedagogy
7. Technology based solutions
NEP Pages 3, 11, 12, 27
8. Assessment of core concepts and application skills Assessments
NEP Pages 12, 18, 22
NEP Compliance: Features of Our Book
Captivating Texts
Exposure to rich literature, as stories and poems, that demonstrate essential speaking behaviours and competencies.
1 2 3 4 5
Vocabulary Support
Vocabulary development—through the book and digital interface—to build mastery on new words, usage and expression.
1 2 7
Animated Talking Books
Enhanced listening comprehension and elevated English learning experience through animations that bring each text to life.
1 5 7
Project-based Learning
Digital projects and supportive platforms that present English speaking opportunities in a fear-free environment.
2 3 4 5 7 8
Language Activities and Presentations
Classroom activities and presentations that help build confident expression and language usages in everyday scenarios.
2 3 4 5 6 8
1 Comprehension and understanding
2 21st century skills, values and dispositions
3 Application in real life
4 Holistic and integrated learning
5 Enjoyable and engaging
6 Collaborative and exploratory activities
7 Technology based solutions
8 Assessment of core concepts and application skills
Instructional Model
“In the 21st century, language teaching must go beyond traditional approaches and must aim to enable students to use language skills in real-life contexts for a wide variety of purposes.” (NEP, 2020)
According to Vygotsky and Krashen’s theory of second language teaching, language acquisition happens best when learners are engaged in purposeful and meaningful tasks in an anxiety-free, non-judgmental, communication-oriented, input-rich, supportive and stressfree environment, along with a lot of scaffolding practices. This approach to second-language teaching is also highlighted by the NIPUN Bharat Mission document and NEP, 2020.
In this context, the Conversations series, along with the learning activities designed in it, can play a crucial role in creating an input-rich environment, employing diverse avenues for speaking practice in a fear-free and non-judgemental setting, coupled with real-time feedback.
The book has been developed based on the ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’ (GRR) model—a teaching-and-learning model that has been widely recommended by the NEP, 2020 and the NCF, 2023. The GRR has been promoted by educational researchers and practitioners all over the world for its effectiveness in promoting student engagement and deep understanding of content and skills.
The GRR model includes three steps, each one consecutively shifting the ‘responsibility’ from teachers to learners so that learners become independent users of the language.
I do: The teacher first provides explicit instructions and modelling that initiate the learning process.
We Do: As learners begin to grasp the content and skills, the teacher also begins to shift the responsibility to them, facilitating a guided practice where the teacher and the learners participate collaboratively.
You Do: Finally, the learners take full ownership of their learning through independent practice and the application of the skills learnt in the program.
Based on this approach, there are three core instructional models on which the activities work (please refer to lesson plans in the Teachers' Manual for greater clarity). These are:
Fully guided; Modelled speaking by the teacher
Collaborative: Shared speaking between the learners and the teacher
Independent practice and application by the learners
To sum it up, this has been created with a view to doing away with the fear of speaking in English among learners and allowing them to express themselves confidently in English in reallife situations.
Mapping with NCF 2023
The National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF) , released in 2023, is developed based on the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and to enable its implementation. The NCF provides guidelines for designing school syllabi and textbooks in India. It aims to improve the quality of education by making it more relevant, engaging, inclusive, and learner-centric. To achieve this, the NCF has articulated precise Learning Standards through well-defined Curricular Goals and Competency statements. These statements serve to harmonize the syllabus, content, pedagogical practices, and assessment culture, ensuring a cohesive and comprehensive educational experience. Curricular Goals: Curricular Goals are statements that give directions to curriculum development and implementation. They are derived from Aims and are specific to a Stage in education. Competencies: Competencies are learning achievements that are observable and can be assessed systematically. These Competencies are derived from the Curricular Goals and are expected to be attained by the end of a Stage.
C-1.1 Identifies main points and summarizes from a careful listening and reading of the text (news articles, reports, and editorials)
C-1.2 Listens critically and paraphrases ideas (distinguishes between facts and opinions stated in panel discussions and debates)
C-1.3 Listens to, plans, and conducts different kinds of interviews (structured and unstructured)
C-1.4 Raises probing questions about social experiences using appropriate language (openended/closed-ended, formal/informal, relevance to context, with sensitivity)
C-1.5 Writes different kinds of letters, essays, and reports in appropriate style and registers for different media for different audiences and purposes
C-1.6 Creates content for audio, visual, or both for different audiences and purposes
C-4.1 Comprehends the way words and sentences are used in different subjects across the curriculum
C-4.2 Describes concepts in different subjects across the curriculum through the effective use of language
CG-1
Students develop the capacity for effective communication using language skills for description, analysis, and response
CG-4
Students develop the ability to use language effectively in other curricular areas to comprehend concepts and share their understanding with others.
Chapter Outcomes
1 Tell Me About Yourself Sharing about oneself in a formal environment
2 Are You a Storyteller? Plotting and narrating stories
3 Discussions and Conversations Participating actively in a conversation
4 Twisting the Story Extending and presenting a story
5 Casual Conversations Conversing in an informal set-up
6 My Travel Tales Talking about travel plans and experiences
7 Enhance Your Expression Using idioms and proverbs while speaking
8 Play Your Part Presenting a skit
9 Advertising Techniques Advertising for a product
10 What’s Your Opinion? Stating and responding to opinions
11 Reporting Live Reporting important events around oneself
12 Let Us Hear You Making a presentation and giving feedback
Talk about one’s life, achievements, values and beliefs
Follow appropriate social etiquette while talking about oneself in a formal setting
Interpret the plot of a story
Tell self-authored stories to an audience, with voice modulation and action
Ask questions and respond to them logically
Have a simple conversation with others
Extend or complete a story.
Present a story to an audience
Initiate small talk in an informal environment and with new people
Engage in conversations using appropriate body language and etiquettes
Share a travel plan
Narrate a travel experience
Understand the meaning of idioms and proverbs in a context while listening
Use idioms and proverbs to emphasize or express an idea effectively
Present a skit with ample creativity and modulation
Appreciate the concrete details and main idea/ theme in a skit/script
Critically evaluate the pros and cons of a product after viewing its advertisement
Advertise for a product in a persuasive manner
Present opinions with sound reasoning using appropriate discourse conventions
Respond politely and logically to others’ opinions on a topic
Interpret the basic structure of a news report. Report important events accurately and clearly.
Give a presentation by organising one’s ideas and researches logically with sound reasoning
Give constructive feedback on others’ presentations by appreciating and making suggestions
Chapter at a Glance Walkthrough of Key Elements
Talking Book: Animated video of the text Talking Book
Cover page: Tells the learners the name of the chapter and theme.
Chapter text: Main text to demonstrate targeted competency
Keywords: Keywords from the text with meaning and pronunciation
E-Speak 1: A series of three guided speaking projects on the mobile app
Speak on the Spot: Impromptu speaking activity to be done in the classroom
speaking (with no expectation of
Practise: Guidance on how to practise at home
Present: Instruction on how to present in the class
Tell Me About Yourself Chapter 1
Sharing about oneself in a formal environment
Book
Are You a Storyteller?
Plotting and narrating stories
Beginning
How does the story begin?
What is the problem?
Challenge found by the main characters in the story.
Solution
How is the problem solved? How does the story end?
Participating actively in a conversation
Twisting the Story
Extending and presenting a story
My Travel Tales
Talking about travel plans and experiences
Talking Book
Enhance Your Expression Chapter 7
Using idioms and proverbs while speaking
3
Practise: Practise your skit with your group using expression and actions.
4
Present: It’s time to play your part! Present your skit together to the class.
Speak in a loud and clear voice.
Look at each other when speaking the dialogue. Speak with appropriate actions and expressions. You can use props for your scene. You can read from the book if you want.
Notes Corner
Advertising Techniques
What’s Your Opinion? Chapter 10
Stating and responding to opinions
Reporting Live Chapter 11
Reporting important events around oneself
Chapter 12 Let Us Hear You
Making a presentation and giving feedback
About the Book
This Conversations book aims to systematically build English language skills in learners and enable them to verbally express themselves in real-world situations. Each chapter focuses on building specific English language competencies and weaves together activities that are research-based, age-appropriate, contextual, experiential and joyful. The activities adhere to the highly recommended and research-based teaching-learning method known as the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR), which has been endorsed by the NEP, 2020 and the NCF, 2023. Through the series, learners receive dedicated time and space within the classroom to express themselves in English which helps them in becoming confident speakers of the language.
Special Features
• Activity-based Learning: The book offers joyful experiential activities that build English communication competencies.
• Texts per the NEP 2020 Themes: The book has exciting and stimulating texts that pave the way for English communication activities.
• Tech Integration: The book works in sync with our digital component, where various other activities and projects are undertaken. Learner outputs are evaluated through an AI-based speech recognition engine.
• Teachers’ Manual: The book is complemented by the Teachers’ Manual that enables teachers to conduct each session effectively.
About Uolo
Uolo partners with K-12 schools to provide technology-based learning programs. We believe pedagogy and technology must come together to deliver scalable learning experiences that generate measurable outcomes. Uolo is trusted by over 15,000+ schools across India, South East Asia and the Middle East.
ISBN 978-81-980824-6-6
