Samagra’s ‘Hello World’ for English learning

An adaptation of ‘Hello English’ to suit the online mode of education

Thiruvananthapuram A 10-second advertisement trying to pitch choco biscuits as a perfect tea partner, a recipe for a special ‘laddu’ made of broken wheat, an imagined conversation between a sparrow and a squirrel... students in the State are trying their hand at newer things, all in English, as part of the Hello World programme of the Samagra Shiksha, Kerala. Hello World is an adaptation of the Hello English programme of the Samagra Shiksha to suit the online mode of education against the backdrop of COVID-19. Hello World, for students till Class 7, comprises digital interactive learning material that is entertaining and facilitates English learning. Children are sent webpages in PDF format in which audio-video inputs and directions are embedded and linked to YouTube. One click and they can view stories, songs, presentations, and so on and follow up with activities aimed at language enhancement. Anaswara R.S., a class 7 student of GHS, Avanavanchery, Attingal, has received four activities so far through the webpage. One was a set of visuals about a tiger and a man using which she had to write a story and make a video. She also wrote the theme and message for a short film that had no audio support. Her latest activity requires her to write about a funny incident in her life. All the activities are fun and interesting, says Anaswara.