ERNAKULAM: Attaining fluency in English has generally been a daunting task for students following the state syllabus. But all that is slowly changing with teachers and students finding innovative ways to deal with the challenge. Take a look at videos, like a Class VI student doing a puppet show that tells the story of a girl and a tortoise, a student introducing her favourite toy, another showing how to make a bunny using a handkerchief and yet another student giving the recipe for a special laddoo, and you will be left impressed.
While the videos may appear amateur, the performers from various schools render the dialogues in English, fluently.“The initiative is part of the Hello World programme of the Samagra Shiksha Kerala,” said C Radhakrishnan, state programme manager (Innovations), Samagra Shiksha, Kerala.
Hello World is an extension of SSK’s Hello English programme and was tailor-made to suit the online mode of education, he said. “The programme is for students of Classes I to VII and includes digital interactive learning material that facilitates English learning in an entertaining way,” said Radhakrishnan.
Children are sent web pages in PDF format in which audio-video inputs and directions are embedded and linked to YouTube. “They can view stories, songs, presentations and follow up activities,” he said.
And the students and parents are a happy lot. “The activities began coming in from last month and I have now finished four. Learning has never been this fun,” said Mithun B, a Class VII student of GHS Avanavanchery, Attingal.
Aarav J S, a Class IV student, said, “I had fun doing activities like sing-a-song, describing a picture and presenting a conversation between two friends.” With only one activity per week, students have plenty of time to design and execute it. “We don’t want students to feel pressurised,” Radhakrishnan said. “Not every student has access to digital devices and many have to wait till their parents return from work. The activities may also require a couple of days of preparation.”
Another important aspect is the involvement of parents, he said. “Self-learning and supported learning happen simultaneously at home,” he said. Students also learn from watching other students’ activities. “The plan is to continue Hello World in the next academic year. The activities will be conducted not just during vacations but throughout the year,” Radhakrishnan added.