Teacher Manual
CONVERSATIONS
Building Conversational Skill in English
Juniors I Teacher Manual
Acknowledgements
Academic Authors: Sneha Sharma, Anuj Gupta, Kashika Parnami, Laraine O’Connell
Creative Directors: Bhavna Tripathi, Mangal Singh Rana, Satish
Book Production: Sanjay Kumar Goel, Tauheed Danish
Project Lead: Chandani Goyal
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 2024
Second impression 2025
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Book Title: Conversations Teacher Manual Juniors I
ISBN: 978-81-984293-6-0
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
All suggested use of the internet should be under adult supervision.
Preface
Thanks to globalization international boundaries have become blurred. English, to a high degree, is a commonly understood medium of communication throughout the world. It is also one of the key tools that students require to perform well. According to a global study, 98.5% of employers implicitly or explicitly assess a candidate’s English communication skills while recruiting them. There is, therefore, a growing demand for English communication skills, because it empowers people and enables them to lead a better life.
Early exposure to English is essential for children’s overall academic and personal growth. It not only facilitates effective communication but also lays the foundation for all future language learning. However, it is equally imperative to adhere to a scientific approach when introducing children to English or any second language during their foundational stages.
Highlighted by a wide range of research and also by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, a strong foundation in listening and speaking from an early age leads to better reading-writing skills as well as improved academic performance in the target language. In fact, special emphasis is placed on conversational and communication skills at the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) stage in the NEP document. Along the same lines, the first 8 years in a child’s life are deemed critical in the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for acquiring a language orally which forms the basis of literacy and cognitive development.
Yet, English listening and speaking often tend to take a back seat during the early years in schools against the standard teaching practices around decoding, tracing and phonemic awareness activities. In order to address this humongous learning gap during the foundational years, Uolo has launched a powerful program for oral language development in English—Uolo Speak! It comprises two worlds—the Conversations Junior book through which classroom interactions and teaching take place, and the Uolo App that houses all digital assets of the program.
Aligned with the spirit of the NEP 2020 and the NCF 2022 for foundational stages, Speak adheres to the communicative language approach, and gives precedence to developing listening and speaking skills in English in an anxiety-free, meaningful and fun-filled environment.
The program steers clear of teaching reading–writing and focuses exclusively on the oral language development of children. The book follows a theme-based learning approach where carefully curated themes become separate chapters and go on for a month. For example, ‘food’, ‘seasons’, ‘good habits’ or ‘body’ are a few of the themes that are at once crucial yet easy for learners to begin their listening and speaking practice. The focus in each theme is on giving an input-rich listening environment to children with the help of joyous stories and poems, and developing English vocabulary and oral expression around that theme in child-friendly ways. In order to develop speaking, the highly acclaimed ‘Total Physical Response’ (TPR) method is used, where repeated physical actions and gestures are used to learn words and expressions in English.
Additionally, the book is technologically powered and works in sync with a parallel digital world, which contains immersive animations of the stories and poems, for easy listening and viewing anytime, anywhere. The digital world also enables fun-filled practice of key words, phrases and sentences in English. The accompanying teacher manual guides implementation in the classroom in a step-by-step manner and makes the process of teaching–learning thoroughly enjoyable.
To sum it up, Speak is a unique blended program for developing usable English listening and speaking skills at the foundational levels in the most creative way possible. Within these colourful pages lie stories waiting to be heard, songs waiting to be sung, rhymes waiting to be danced to, language waiting to be spoken, and dreams waiting to take flight. The book not only helps children master English speaking in a joyous manner, but also transports them to far-off lands, introduces them to fascinating characters, and ignites their imagination like nothing else can. So, let your children dive into the magic of learning the English language and emerge as confident English speakers.
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 practise speaking and listening skills in everyday scenarios. These scenarios are created by way of teacher-led activities, which cater to specific competencies in English.
Coursebook
Teacher Manual
Student and Teacher Apps
Talking Books
Listening and Speaking Projects
Interactive 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. The app also include quizzes in listening, speaking, reading and vocabulary building 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. The NEP 2020 focusses 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 the 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. Technology-based solutions
7. Assessment of core concepts and application skills
NEP Pages 12, 17, 22
Teaching and Learning Pedagogy
NEP Pages 3, 11, 12, 27
Assessments
NEP Pages 12, 18, 22
NEP Compliance: Features of Our Book
Captivating Texts
Exposure to rich literature through stories and poems to provide opportunities for listening to and speaking about the texts
1 2 4 5
Vocabulary Support
Vocabulary development—through the book and the digital interface—to build confidence in usage and expression
1 3 4 6 7
Animated Talking Books
Enhanced listening comprehension and elevated English learning experience through animations that bring each text to life
1 5 6
Interactive Practice Quizzes
Opportunities to hone listening, speaking, reading and writing skills through interactive quizzes
1 3 4 6 7
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
Curriculum Basis of Conversations Junior
Derived from global research, NEP 2020 and NCF
1. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
The focus is primarily on meaningful communication, effective expression of ideas and oral competence in the target language. Oral fluency and meaningful interaction takes precedence over perfect grammar and accuracy of vocabulary.
2. Theme-based Learning
One theme or topic binds all the learning content and activities, and goes on for a longer period of time. It makes the learning process more meaningful and engaging for young learners.
3. Total Physical Response (TPR)
This method of language teaching is exceptionally valuable for young learners when they are learning a new or second language. In this method, children use their bodies and movements to respond to language instructions given by the teacher. This tactile and interactive approach makes second-language learning lots of fun as children connect words with actions, helping them remember and use the language more effectively.
4. Holistic and Integrated Education
English learning is organically integrated with concepts of health, culture, science, environment, current affairs, socio-emotional learning and sports.
5. Supportive Environment for Second Language Acquisition
In order to master oral fluency in English language, an anxiety-free and input-rich environment is created with the help of rich texts, fun activities and digital platforms.
6. 21st Century Skills
21st century skills like confident expression, critical thinking, problem solving and digital literacy are addressed through interactive activities and engaging content.
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 stress-free 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 ‘Total Physical Response’ (TPR) model—a teaching-andlearning approach that has been widely recommended by the NEP, 2020 and the NCF, 2022. It is a method of teaching language and vocabulary by using physical movement to go along with or react to verbal input. The TPR has been promoted by educational researchers and practitioners all over the world for its effectiveness in enhancing students’ language acquisition and promoting active engagement in the learning process.
The “I Do, We Do, You Do” model is a powerful instructional framework that scaffolds learning from the teacher to the students. By providing structured support and opportunities for guided practice, followed by independent application, this model promotes active engagement and empowers students to build confidence in the usage of the language.
I Do: The teacher demonstrates and models the new language concepts and vocabulary.
We Do: As the learners begin to grasp the concepts and vocabulary, the teacher and learners engage in a guided practice, together. This involves the teacher providing prompts, or sentences, and the students repeating, or echoing, them.
You Do: Finally, the learners attempt to apply the concepts or vocabulary they have learnt without direct guidance from the teacher. The learners are given the opportunity to independently express themselves and repeat language patterns or content without direct guidance from the teacher.
Based on this approach, there are three core instructional models on which the activities work. These are:
Fully guided: modeled speaking by the teacher
Collaborative: shared speaking between the learners and the teacher
Independent practice: repetition of the language pattern or content by the learners
To sum it up, this has been created with a view to provide children with a fear-free environment to be exposed to and immersed in second-language acquisition from an early age.
A Note for Teachers
Dear teachers,
We hope this letter finds you well and enthusiastic about the upcoming implementation of the Uolo Speak program in your classroom. We’re thrilled to introduce it, and it is all about nurturing your learners’ listening and speaking skills in English. We are excited to collaborate with you to enhance English language learning for your learners.
This program is designed to foster English listening and speaking skills in a fun and engaging way, aligning with NEP 2020 and the NCF for Foundational Stage. We believe that your dedication and expertise will play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the program, and we are here to provide you with the necessary support and resources.
To assist you in effectively integrating the program into your curriculum, we have outlined some key points as given below:
Curriculum Alignment: The Speak program is designed to complement existing curricula, focusing on English language development through interactive activities and engaging content.
Program Components: The program consists of the Conversations book and the Uolo App, which together provide a comprehensive learning experience. The book contains colorful illustrations, and interesting stories and poems; while the app offers digital assets and interactive features.
Implementation Tips: We encourage you to explore the program’s resources and incorporate them into your teaching practices. Some suggestions include:
Encouraging the learners to engage in dialogues about the visuals and the themes in the book.
Reading the stories aloud, with expressions, and scanning the QR code to play their animated versions on the Uolo App.
Knowing the learners’ thoughts and feelings about the key events in the story.
Singing the poems together, with actions, and discussing the illustrations.
Talking about the illustrations and scanning the QR code to play the animation of the poems on the Uolo App. Taking the support of home language, wherever needed, to explain the meaning of the texts or during conversations.
Providing opportunities for learners to practise speaking and build oral fluency. Asking the learners to share some of the words and sentences, that they have learnt to speak in the class, on a regular basis, and helping them practise saying them with fluency and confidence. You can add a few words and sentences on your own as well.
Using actions, like hand gestures and body movements, with key words, phrases and sentences to aid in meaning-making.
Setting realistic and achievable class objectives by considering factors such as the learners’ attention span, language proficiency level at the beginning, English language input at home and overall classroom atmosphere.
Breaking down larger language learning objectives into smaller chunks that can be accomplished within a single class period.
Collaborating with Parents: Parents play a crucial role in supporting their children’s language development. We have provided homeworks that would require parents’ participation in their children’s learning and help reinforce English at home. We encourage you to collaborate with them to ensure a cohesive English experience.
Continuous Support: Our team is always available to provide ongoing support and assistance as you implement the program. Whether you have questions, need additional resources, or want to share feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
We are confident that with your dedication and our collaborative efforts, the Uolo Speak program will have a positive impact on your learners’ English language development. Thank you for your commitment in providing high-quality education, and we look forward to working together to support your success.
Warm Regards,
The Uolo Speak Team
Mapping with NCF 2022
The National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF) , released in 2022, 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 harmonise the syllabus, content, pedagogical practices, and assessment culture, ensuring a cohesive and comprehensive educational experience. Curricular Goals: Curricular Goals are statements that give direction 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 Shows a liking for and understanding of nutritious food and does not waste food
CG-1 Develops habits that keep them healthy and safe
C-1.2 Practises basic self-care and hygiene
C-1.3 Keeps school/classroom hygienic and organised
C-1.4 Practises safe use of material and simple tools
C-1.5 Shows awareness of safety in movements (e.g., walking, running, cycling) and acts appropriately
C-3.1 Shows coordination between sensorial perceptions and body movements in various activities
CG-3 Develops a fit and flexible body
C-3.2 Shows balance, coordination, and flexibility in various physical activities
C-3.3 Shows precision and control in working with hands and fingers
C-3.4 Shows strength and endurance in carrying, walking, and running
C-4.1 Starts recognising ‘self’ as an individual belonging to a family and community
C-4.2 Recognises different emotions and makes deliberate efforts to regulate them appropriately
CG-4 Develops emotional intelligence, i.e., the ability to understand and manage their own emotions, and responds positively to social norms
C-4.3 Interacts comfortably with other children and adults
C-4.4 Shows cooperative behaviour with other children
C-4.5 Understands and responds positively to social norms in the classroom and school
C-4.6 Shows kindness and helpfulness to others (including animals, plants) when they are in need
C-4.7 Understands and responds positively to different thoughts, preferences, and emotional needs of other children
C-5.1 Engages in age-appropriate work at school and/or at home
CG-5 Develops a positive attitude towards productive work and service or ‘Seva’
C-6.1 Shows care for and joy in engaging with all life forms
CG-6 Develops a positive regard for the natural environment around them
C-9.1 Listens to and appreciates simple songs, rhymes, and poems
C-9.2 Creates simple songs and poems on their own
CG-9 Develops effective communication skills for day-to-day interactions in two languages
C-9.3 Converses fluently and can hold a meaningful conversation
C-9.4 Understands oral instructions for a complex task and gives clear oral instructions for the same to others
C-9.5 Comprehends narrated/read-out stories and identifies characters, storyline, and what the author wants to say
C-9.6 Narrates short stories with clear plot and characters
C-9.7 Knows and uses enough words to carry out day-to-day interactions effectively and can guess the meaning of new words by using existing vocabulary
C-11.1 Develops phonological awareness and is able to blend phonemes/syllables into words and segment words into phonemes/syllables
CG-11 Begins to read and write in Language 2
AI Cam by Uolo
The AI Cam by Uolo is a cutting-edge tool designed to help teachers capture and share classroom moments. This innovative technology enables teachers to effortlessly take photos and videos using their smartphones. AI Cam uses facial recognition technology to automatically identify students. All recordings are securely stored in the cloud and can be conveniently shared with parents via the Uolo Learn App. Uolo’s AI Cam makes capturing and sharing school memories simple, secure and meaningful and allows parents to cherish every milestone of their child’s educational journey.
How to Use AI Cam
1. Open the Speak program and click on the AI CAM button.
2. For facial recognition to work, enable the Autotagging feature by clicking on the banner and uploading the profile pictures of the students. Ensure that you upload profile pictures for most of the students in class to activate autotagging.
3. Choose either the Photo or Video option to capture classroom activities.
4. Begin recording a student’s submission. Once the recording is complete, click Next.
5. To record multiple submissions, click the Record More button. Alternatively, click Proceed to move forward.
6. Tag the classroom and topic associated with the submission, then click Save.
7. If the student’s profile picture has been uploaded, the Uolo app will automatically tag the student. Alternatively, tag the student manually.
Dos and Don’ts for Using AI Cam in the Classroom
You should:
1. seek written consent from parents at the beginning of the academic year.
2. capture academic or extracurricular activities that highlight the child’s progress, achievements, or active participation in class.
3. Ensure that there is good lighting, a distraction-free background, clear audio, and proper framing to make the videos clear.
4. communicate the purpose of sharing the videos with parents, for example celebrating milestones or updating a student’s progress.
5. record only what is relevant, positive and in line with the school’s guidelines.
6. be mindful of cultural norms and practices when recording activities or interactions.
7. ensure that all voices, actions, and language used in the recordings are respectful, formal, and encouraging.
You shouldn’t:
1. record a child without obtaining prior parental permission.
2. use unauthorised devices for recording or sharing videos.
3. upload videos to social media or public platforms without explicit consent.
4. capture moments where a child is upset, uncomfortable, or in a vulnerable state.
5. record or share any content that is offensive or inappropriate in any way.
Uolo Edtech Pvt. Ltd. strictly opposes the sharing of videos that are culturally or religiously sensitive. All recordings must align with the values of inclusivity, respect, and privacy, ensuring that no content infringes upon individual beliefs or sentiments.
1 4 7 2 5 8 3 6 9
About Me
First Day at School
My Body
Aditi’s Adventures
My Family
Parul’s Family Album
My School
Rakhee’s School Day
Good Habits
The Little Copy Cat
Food
Hungry Heena
Plants and Trees
Sam the Seed
Birds and Animals
Bhola and His Friends
My Neighbourhood
Beautiful Sundays
Student Engagement Activities
In order to ensure that the learners are comfortable, active and engaged during the class, and to keep the surprise element going, you can try the following quick and easy games to keep the classroom fun and lively:
1. Bring a ball to the class. Then, sing / play a rhyme / poem. Instruct the learners to pass the ball to the student next to them. Take a surprise pause. The learner with the ball has to guide the class to follow their action. You can do this 3–4 times.
2. Play the game ‘I say’. You will say, ‘I say…’ and do some action words. The learners will copy them only if you say the phrase ‘I say’ before the action words. For example: Say, ‘I say clap your hands’ and the learners will clap their hands.
3. Include short movement breaks during the class to help students release energy and refocus. Activities like dancing to music, stretching, jumping or simple yoga poses can be great.
4. Call out different animals and have the children copy their sounds. For example, ‘Roar like a tiger,’ ‘Meow like a cat,’ or ‘Hiss like a snake.’ This activity encourages creativity thinking.
5. Play upbeat music and encourage the children to dance freely. When the music stops, they must freeze in place until the music starts again. This game helps improve listening skills, coordination and the ability to stop and start quickly.
6. Choose a learner to be the leader or you may become one. Then, have the rest of the learners follow their movements. The leader can perform actions like skipping, hopping, dancing or jumping.
7. Bring a sponge smiley ball to the class. Then, toss the ball to the learners. Those who get the ball will have to make a funny face and others will copy them.
8. In order to gain the attention of the class as a group, you may guide the learners with the instruction that whenever you use the phrase, ‘One, two, three ...’, they have to say, ‘Look at me!’ and look at you wherever you may be positioned in the class. This helps to establish a clear signal and reinforces the desired behaviour of paying attention.
9. The activity ‘Clap and Respond’ helps to bring the learners’ attention back to the class and work on their listening and sensory skills. You may clap a rhythm, and the learners respond to you by clapping the same rhythm back.
10. Introduce props or objects related to the lesson or activity to capture interest and engage participants. This could include items like colourful flash cards, puppets or themed objects that tie into the theme being discussed.
About This Book
The Conversations book is a vibrant educational resource tailored for young learners whose native language is not English. Comprising engaging stories and charming poems, this book offers a joyful way to build age-appropriate English listening skills, common vocabulary, and everyday expressions in the language. The activities are teacher-led and are based on the acclaimed ‘Total Physical Response’ (TPR) approach, enabling young learners to practise English speaking and listening skills in a manner that is fun and interactive.
Special Features
• Activity-based Learning: The book offers joyful and experiential activities that build English communication competencies.
• Texts as per NEP 2020 Themes: The book has exciting and stimulating texts that pave the way for English communication activities.
• 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 978-81-984293-6-0
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