

Conversations


Foreword
Thanks to globalization and the emergence of technologies, international boundaries have become blurred. English, to a high degree, is a commonly understood medium of communication. It is one of the key tools that students need to perform well today and in the future. According to a global study, while recruiting, 98.5% of employers implicitly or explicitly assess a candidate’s English communication skills! There is therefore a growing demand for English communication skills, because it empowers people and enables them to lead a better life.
Functional communication skills, involving aspects of LSRW (listening, speaking, reading and writing), are central to knowledge acquisition, children’s intellectual, social and emotional growth, and life-long learning.
Specifically, strong listening and speaking skills are not only vital in the overall language learning process, but also lead to better reading and writing skills. Yet, these foundational skills tend to be neglected in schools due to the high pupil-teacher ratio, lack of oral language-focused assessment, and most importantly, a lack of systematic and allocated practice time for these skills within the classroom.
Aligned with NEP 2020, NCERT learning outcomes and standardized to CEFR (Common European Framework for Reference) levels, Uolo Speak is a hybrid learning program that focuses on building, applying, practising, and assessing these core language skills.

First, through this book as one of the components of the program, the English classroom becomes an avenue to hone functional speaking skills in real time. The teacher-led activities give learners the opportunity to undertake high-quality, level-appropriate, and experiential activities that help to build confidence and expression in English.
Second, the mobile interface of the product ensures consistent practice of functional LSRW skills. These exercises go beyond traditional question types and employ cutting-edge technology to enable learning and generate instant feedback. For instance, learners practise speaking with Al (artificial intelligence), as if conversing with a real person!
Third, Uolo Speak assessment can be conducted by the school in sync with their academic calendars. The assessment is evaluated by Uolo’s English specialists to give performance report and feedback.
Finally, the reporting methodology used in the above three program components, generates a skill growth chart against CEFR levels for each learner, class and the school. Educators can then clearly identify learners who are reaching, meeting, and exceeding the level requirements, and support them accordingly.
Uolo Speak is a powerful, exciting, and unique experience for learners and teachers. It represents a real life and results-oriented approach to develop essential 21st century functional English skills.
Wishing all teachers, parents, and learners lots of fun and joyful experiences as you embark upon this exciting journey with Uolo Speak.
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.







Classroom activity

Prompts for thinking
Tips for speaking



Fun activity

Types of Activities
Work alone
Work in pairs
Work in groups
Teacher does the activity with everyone
Presentation task

Writing notes
review


Chapter Outcomes

Chapter Outcomes
Grade Chapter Name Big Skill
3
Listening Speaking Competencies
Listen to descriptions in order to identify key details
Describe a person/ place/ animal/ thing with fluency, confidence and expressions
4
short rhyming
5
6
7
8
Narrating
- verbally and
to
Create short rhyming lines Sing rhyming lines with fluency, rhythm and expressions
Ask questions starting with what, where, why, when and how Respond to questions
Listen to and interpret key details in informational texts
Speak persuasively about advantages or disadvantages of something
Appreciate a narrative experience while listening to it Narrate travel experiences in detail with appropriate vocal and facial expressions
Capture important details and ideas by listening to news reports
Report important events accurately and clearly
Grade 3 Illustrative Chapter
Meet Koko! He is very friendly.
Think and Tell

Belling the Cat


Once upon a time, many rats lived in a warehouse. A big cat lived nearby. She would go to the warehouse and chase the rats. All the rats were scared of her. They did not know how to stop the cat. Finally, a young rat said, “We could tie a bell around the cat’s neck! It will ring whenever she comes.”

Everyone thought it was a great idea. Their leader asked, “Who will tie the bell around the cat’s neck?”
The first rat pointed at the second rat. The second pointed at the third. The third pointed at the fourth, and so on.

No rat came forward. So, this clever idea never worked, and the cat went around freely!
chase (chays): run after something or someone scared (skeuhd): filled with fear of something warehouse (wair.house): a building for storing things before they are sold










E-Speak



Practise at home!
Help Find Timmy!
Your pet cat Timmy is lost! You are worried and looking for him. Listen to the message to spread the news. Then record it yourself.

Help!
My Dream Pet!
Think about an animal you wish to have as your pet. Describe it in 3-4 sentences.

Help the mouse hide from the cat!

























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Grade 4 Illustrative Chapter
It’s Rhyme

Win Some, Lose a Few
Riddhi and Siddhi are best buddies. They are poles apart — While Siddhi loves cricket, Riddhi loves art! With Riddhi there to cheer, Siddhi has no fear.

Siddhi hits fours and sixes like Kohli, And she’s confident, just like Dhoni!
Today Siddhi lost the match! And in anger, when she tossed her bat, Riddhi scolded her just for that!
Now Siddhi hates Riddhi. She hates cricket too. She’s decided to play a new game. And make friends brand new!


For a bit, it’s fun, yet it’s not the same. Soon she really misses her bestie, She misses her game!
In tears, she tells her father all, Her father just hands her the bat and the ball!
Siddhi realises her folly. She needs her friend and game to be jolly. You win some, you lose a few. You just need to continue.

buddies (buh·deez): friends cheer (cheeuh): support someone folly (faw·lee): silly mistake jolly (jaw·lee): happy tossed (tawst): threw





E-Speak
at home!
My Funny Uolo Buddy
Have a funny experience as you talk to your Uolo buddy in rhyming sentences.



Jingle Time
A jingle is a short and simple song used for advertising something. For example:



Get into these shoes, Forget all your blues!
Make a two-line rhyming jingle for any object of your choice to sell it. Sing it aloud with expression and body language. Happy selling!
































Plan and Speak










Grade 5 Illustrative Chapter
Ask and Answer

The Little Shepherd Boy

Once upon a time, there was a little shepherd boy who lived in a small village. He was known for his wise answers. Tales of his wisdom also reached the King. The King wasn’t convinced that a simple boy could be so intelligent, so he invited the boy to his court.
When the boy arrived, the King said, “If you can give me the answer to each of the three questions that I ask, you shall be greatly rewarded.”

The boy readily agreed and said, “What is your first question, your majesty?”

The King contemptuously asked, “How many drops of water are there in the sea?”
The boy smiled and replied, “Your majesty, in order to answer this question, I will need to make a humble request. Could you please ask your ministers first to stop all the water from flowing into the sea? That is, only until I have counted all the drops in the sea. Then, I will tell you how many drops there are in the sea!”
The King was surprised by the boy’s clever answer. He knew that no one could stop water from flowing into the sea. It was impossible to do so! He decided to test the boy’s intelligence further. He said mockingly, “How many stars are there in the sky?”
The boy calmly said, “I will need a large sheet of paper and a pin to answer this question.” Everyone watched in wonder as the boy proceeded to make minute holes in it. After this, the boy said, “I have made as many holes in this paper as the number of stars in the sky! I humbly request any of your ministers to count them.”

All the King’s ministers took turns trying to count the holes, but none of them could do it. There were so many tiny holes in the paper that they dazzled whoever looked at them.

The King was a little impressed by the boy now. So, he decided to ask one of the most difficult questions that he could think of. He said, “How many seconds are there in eternity?”
Everyone waited anxiously for the boy’s answer. They all were convinced that no one could answer such a strange question. However, the boy thought for a moment and said, “I will try to explain this with an example, if I may?”

The King thought the boy didn’t know the answer, so he agreed.

The boy carefully explained, “In our kingdom, there is a huge mountain. A tiny bird comes once in every thousand years and rubs her beak against it. Now, when the whole mountain has been rubbed away by the bird’s attempts, then the first second of eternity can be counted.” Everyone, including the King, was in awe of the boy’s answer. The King was finally convinced of the boy’s wisdom and said appreciatively, “You have answered all three questions like a wise sage. You shall be allowed to live in my palace!” From that day onwards, the boy was treated with respect by everyone in the kingdom. contemptuously (kuhn·temp·choo·uhs·lee): lacking respect for someone convinced (kuhn·vinst): absolutely sure about something eternity (i·tuh·nuh·tee): time that never ends wonder (wuhn·duh): feeling of great surprise


Speak on the Spot
Boost your speaking!

Bingo!
Your teacher has secretly thought of some items! Ask questions to guess what they could be! Here is an example.






What is it used for?
It is used to clean our faces or to wipe our hands.
What is it made of?
Is it big or small? Is it heavy or light? Bingo! It’s a handkerchief!



It is usually made of cotton.
It is small and very light!

Your questions can be about its use, shape and size, where it is found, and what it is made of!
Out of all the items the teacher thought of, how many did you guess correctly?
Write their names.
E-Speak




Practise at home!
Can You Help?
You meet your class teacher in your neighbourhood. She seems a little confused. How can you help her?

Long Time No See!
You are attending a carnival in the neighbourhood. Suddenly, you spot your uncle passing by. You have not met him in a long time. What questions would you ask him? Record any four or five questions with appropriate expression and gestures.



Interviewer
Interviewer
Plan and Speak




Interviewer




Grade 6 Illustrative Chapter
Can You Convince?

The Latest in Smartphones
Who would not love to have a brand-new smartphone equipped with built-in apps, such as a calendar, maps, clock, and weather? Today we can hardly imagine a time when we did not have smartphones. How did we cope before we could call our parents from school or anywhere else? What did we do to keep in touch with our friends?
We come across several advertisements for smartphones, and every year they seem to come out with more capacity, more games, and more choices of apps. Although there are many types of smartphones available in the shops and online, they all have the same basic features. Most of them have:

• Internet connectivity and email capability.
• The ability to run apps.

• A camera that can take photographs and record videos.
• Plenty of storage space for photos, videos and music.

• A long battery life.
Now that you have learnt about the basics of a smartphone, let’s look at some of its advantages.
The millions of apps available on your smartphone can make your life much easier and help you manage your time better. For example, you can set alerts
apps (aps): short for applications, which are programs you can download on your smartphone for additional functions capacity (kuh·pa·suh·tee): the ability to do something smartphone (smaat·fone): a mobile phone that you can use to phone, take pictures and videos, and access the internet



Speak on the Spot
Have or Not to Have?
read all about
conversation
In pairs, complete the following conversation.
the

Student

Hey, what do

think about
I think smartphones are useful in today’s times
about the
of smartphones.
Yes, you are right but I don’t think they are right for children. Let me tell you why!
about the disadvantages of smartphones.
That is true! But you know what?
of
Yeah, maybe
are right. Even then,
of the risk of
tones of voice when


hand
are talking about the





E-Speak

Practise at home!
Sell That Smartphone!
Listen to the description of latest model of a smartphone. Then read it aloud with vocal and facial expressions. Remember that you have to sell it!




Pros and Cons
Choose a product — anything that you use every day. Share some of its pros and cons with your audience to make them aware of the product.
For each of the following
Gadget Gurus!
check (√) the phrase that you feel is most

Watching
can help us learn
games

us an addict.
shows
the
is better
















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Grade 7 Illustrative Chapter
Episodes from Our Lives

A Trip to Paradise
by Wandering Karthik Friday, 19 August 2022

I recently went on a trip to Zermatt in the heart of the Swiss Alps. Now, you must wonder, “Why visit Zermatt in Switzerland?”
Well, let me tell you, it’s the most beautiful car-free town in the world! I could casually walk to the hotel from the train station with my luggage.
So, what else makes Zermatt special? Let’s begin our story.

The Cable Car Ride
After checking into the hotel and freshening up, it was time to begin the tour. First on the list was a cable car ride to the top of the mountains. It was such an exciting ride! I marvelled at how high up we were when I looked at the beautiful panorama around us. Then, suddenly, I caught a glimpse of this pyramid-shaped structure, standing
majestically tall with a snow-capped peak! Its beauty took my breath away! The tour guide proudly told us, “That’s the Matterhorn, one of the most photographed mountains in the world.”
He also enlightened us about how many mountaineers had tried to climb to this mythical mountain’s summit, but not everyone had succeeded. I looked at its pristine white snowy peak and the magical aura around it. I was left speechless! However, big white clouds soon obstructed the view.
The Glacier Palace
On reaching the cable station at the summit of the mountain, we had to walk through a snowy tunnel. An outdoor viewing platform provided us with a 360-degree view of the mountains around us.
I looked admiringly at a group of skiers energetically skiing through the snow. They seemed to move so fast — zigzag and swish-swish — on their skis. There was even a snow slide, and I got to enjoy that a lot. Not to forget the delicious Swiss chocolates that I bought! They even featured the great Matterhorn on their wrapping.
Finally, it was time to go back. Suddenly, I saw three blue lights shine on the mountain stations above Zermatt. Is that a plane ...? Or a helicopter, or some bird? I wondered. I soon found out that the colour of those lights could be changed by simply dialling a number on our mobile phones, and the profits from this went to a great cause! Isn’t that amazing? What a thoughtful initiative!
So, what are you waiting for? Imagine a place that is as pure as snow, pollution-free, and as fresh as the daisies — what else could paradise be? That’s it! Thanks.
panorama (pa·noh·raa·muh): a complete view over a wide area of land paradise (pa·ruh·dise): a place of great beauty, perfection, and happiness pristine (pri·steen): extremely clean and fresh summit (suh·mit): the top of a mountain



Speak on the Spot










Reminiscing about Those Hills
Talk to a friend to share your recent trip to a hill station!
E-Speak


at

Live Streaming From

Choose a place — your balcony, bedroom, garden area, playground, kitchen or local market. You can choose any other convenient place too. Turn on the mobile camera and live stream for about 2–3 minutes from there. Tell us all about that place! Do not forget to refer to the guide on the mobile app!

















































































































1.

am
excited
about … /).


(Hi all, today I am


… / Good afternoon! Last
market in the town! / Hi
enjoyed
Grade 8 Illustrative Chapter
Reporting Live

The Nail-Biting Match
Sana loves to play badminton. She wants to play for India when she grows up. Her favourite sportsperson is PV Sindhu, the famous badminton player.

“Oh, I’m so excited to watch PV Sindhu play in the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, UK!” Sana said to her best friends, Tanya and Neil.
“Didn’t PV Sindhu lose a hard-fought first-round match against the former world No. 1 and London Olympics silver medallist, Yihan Wang, in the Australian Open in 2015?” asked Neil.
“Yes! I remember reading about it too,” said Tanya. “You know, after that defeat, PV Sindhu’s coach, Pullela Gopichand, handed Sindhu a letter with some dos and don’ts Among them was a rule that she would have to surrender her phone for three months.”
“Are you serious? I can’t imagine that — a 20-year-old without a phone!” said Neil in disbelief.
“That’s true,” Sana replied. “However, this discipline showed results. Sindhu won India a

silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics. This win made PV Sindhu the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympics silver medal. She received the highest sporting honour of India, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.”
“Wow! Let’s wait and watch what happens in the Commonwealth Games 2022,” Tanya said. Finally, the day of the match arrived, and the three friends decided to watch it at Sana’s house. They made popcorn and sat in the TV room, all set to watch PV Sindhu play.

The match began, but it was not looking so good at the beginning. PV Sindhu, now ranked seventh in the badminton world rankings, had to play with some strapping on her left ankle. Her movements were slightly stiffer than usual, and she was playing against world No. 13, Michelle Li.

“Oh, dear! What will happen now?” Sana said worriedly.

The tide seemed to turn suddenly in favour of Michelle Li. A 57-stroke rally won by Michelle Li when PV Sindhu was leading 13–9 turned the momentum towards the Canadian shuttler for a brief phase.
“Let’s just keep our fingers crossed for PV Sindhu, as she’s lost to Michelle Li before!” Neil said anxiously.
There seemed to be a hush in the stadium now. The spectators also watched with bated breath to see what would happen next.
Suddenly, the audience cheered, and Tanya was so startled that she dropped a whole bowl of popcorn.
PV Sindhu had snatched the game back, and with it, she won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, making it her third win over Michelle Li this year.
The spectators in the stadium were also standing and clapping for the athletes.
“What just happened?” Sana and Tanya exclaimed together. “Did PV Sindhu win this match? Oh, this was such an exciting match!”
Later, Sana watched as an interviewer asked PV Sindhu some questions regarding her badminton journey.
Here is what she said: “You win some and you lose some. It’s all part of the game. You have to take it in a very positive way. Win or lose, I always focus only on giving my 100 per cent.”
“PV Sindhu is so amazing. I want to be just as strong and determined as her,” Sana said ecstatically to her friends.

bated breath (bayt·uhd breth): in a nervous and excited state, anticipating what will happen ecstatically (uhk·sta·tuhk.lee): in a very happy, excited, and enthusiastic way hush (huhsh): a sudden silence, especially after noise startled (staa·tld): shocked or frightened because of a sudden surprise stiffer (stif·uh): lacking in ease and flexibility

Speak on the Spot


Live Updates from the Sports Carnival




of the




to give
update about it
to

the



E-Speak
























Practise at home!
Coverage of Painting Exhibition
Your school has organised a painting exhibition. You have been chosen as a news anchor for the day. Listen to a piece of the live coverage. Then say it aloud as a news reporter.









Local News!
Report about a super exciting event that has taken place in your neighbourhood. Keep it short and sweet!


Catchy Caption





Plan and Speak







(What
(Think
(Summarise
(End


(Tell



the impact? What can happen next? etc.)
the main
About this book
This “Conversations” book follows a unique spiraling approach that systematically builds language skills and enables children to express themselves verbally in real-world situations, thus preparing them for the needs of the 21st century world. Each chapter focuses on building specific and age-appropriate English language competencies and weaves
activities that are contextual, experiential, joyful and research-based.

Special features of this book:
• Activities based Learning: joyful and experiential activities that build English communication competencies.
• Texts as per NEP 2020 themes: exciting and stimulating texts that pave the way for English communication activities.
• Tech Integration: the book works in sync with the digital world, where various other activities and projects are undertaken. Learner outputs are evaluated through an AI-based speech recognition engine.
• Assessment of Speaking & Listening as per CEFR: the program includes special assessments that allow systematic reporting of skill growth as per the CEFR.
• Teachers’ Manual: the book is complemented by the Teachers’ Manual that enables teachers to conduct each session effectively.
About Uolo
Uolo partners with K12 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 8,000 schools with more than 3 million learners across India, South East Asia, and the Middle East.
SalesSample Illustrative Chapters
