Welcome to Widgets, a different kind of course!

Widgets Inc. is an ELT course employing a communicative approach called task-based language teaching (TBLT). Widgets employs a 'strong' version of TBLT, which makes it unlike other language coursebooks you may have seen before. For instance, lessons are organized according to task complexity rather than by language forms, and their primary goal is to develop communicative competence rather than grammatical accuracy. Self, peer, and teacher assessment is based on the appropriate completion of tasks. 

Something else that makes Widgets Inc. different from other courses is its focus on creating a “real-life” English-speaking environment in the classroom. Students simulate being interns at a technology startup, where they work together in small groups to perform workplace and business related tasks. In this way, all classroom activities are realistically connected; all conversations, discussions, presentations, video calls, and interviews have a contextual purpose, and build from one to the next. 

This has several advantages: 

It recycles useful language and situations: Relevant vocabulary and sentence patterns, as well as communicative situations, naturally reappear again and again. This implicitly builds confidence and language proficiency. 

It is well-suited for mixed-level classes: Since the course is organized by task complexity, clearly contextualized, and assessed on appropriate communicative goals, students at a range of proficiency levels can achieve meaningful task outcomes. 

It's easy to understand the purpose of activities: Because all tasks are realistic, contextualized, and clearly connected to each other, even less proficient students can follow what is asked of them. By drawing on their prior knowledge, they may even predict what's next. 

It is motivating: Students appreciate the practical aspect of tasks, because more than just practicing English, they are also applying real-world skills. In our experience, this leads to greater participation, less use of L1 in the classroom, and a marked decrease in absenteeism. 

Stages Overview

The Widgets Inc. course is divided into six stages. These stages are not of equal length or importance, so teachers should adapt them to the requirements of their own class. For example, it is possible to reduce or combine parts of Stages 4 and 5, or to skip most of Stage 6 depending on time constraints or curricular aims. 

Note that the stages increase in task complexity, so although the course starts out quite easy, it becomes increasingly more challenging. 

Stage 1 is the orientation stage. It introduces the company and a cast of fictional characters who interact with the class via authentic video scenes. There is no major task in Stage 1. Orientation tasks include: Shake hands and introduce yourself to a co-worker, Watch a video about the company, and Read and discuss a product catalog. At the end of Stage 1, students are put into project teams where they will remain until the end of Stage 5. 

Stage 2 is the research and development stage in which students brainstorm product ideas. Teams work on two major tasks: Write a product proposal form, and Present an elevator pitch. Although they are in teams, it is important to note that each student is responsible for completing their own different product proposal form and an elevator pitch. At the end of Stage 2, teams submit their work, and each student completes a self-evaluation form. Project managers each have a one-on-one interview with the teacher. 

Stage 3 is a management decision stage. Teams are now given several product ideas from a different team, and must select the best one to go into production. They do this by using a business decision-making tool called a SWOT analysis, which is a simple framework for outlining the pros and cons of a product. There are two major team tasks in Stage 3: Write a business memo and Give a poster presentation. At the end of Stage 3, teams submit their work, and each student completes a self-evaluation form. Project managers have a one-on-one interview with the teacher. 

Stage 4 is the market research stage. The product which was selected in Stage 3 is rotated to yet another team, and the new team must now perform market research on it. As a preliminary task, they Organize and run a focus group. Once they have gathered feedback on the product, the teams Write a business report on focus group reactions and Give a formal presentation outlining the team's recommendations about the product. Optionally, teachers may wish to consider the focus group task as the main speaking task, and skip the presentation. At the end of Stage 4, each student completes a self-evaluation form, and project managers have a one-on-one interview with the teacher. 

Stage 5 is the advertising campaign stage. Products are again rotated to new teams, along with the reports prepared in Stages 2, 3, and 4. Teams now consider all of this information, and prepare a proposed advertising campaign to sell the product. The major tasks in Stage 5 are Prepare a slideshow and handout, and Give a multi-media presentation. At the end of Stage 5, each student completes a self-evaluation form, and project managers have a one-on-one interview with the teacher. This is the final team-based stage. 

Stage 6 is the job interview stage. Having completed their internship, teams are disbanded, and students must now Prepare a resume and cover letter, and then Interview for a promotion within the company. 

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