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Difference between revisions of "Widgets Inc.: Teach Outside the Box"

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'''Widgets co-author delivers keynote at Hokkaido JALT Conference'''.  
 
'''Widgets co-author delivers keynote at Hokkaido JALT Conference'''.  
  
 
Marcos Benevides, Widgets co-author, has been invited to to deliver the keynote at the 2019 Hokkaido JALT Conference. His presentation is titled, "Why task-based learning for business communication". [2019 01/26-27]
 
Marcos Benevides, Widgets co-author, has been invited to to deliver the keynote at the 2019 Hokkaido JALT Conference. His presentation is titled, "Why task-based learning for business communication". [2019 01/26-27]
 
  
 
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[[File:DSCF2483.JPG|200px|thumb|right]]
 
  
 
'''Post-production continues on the last batch of Widgets course videos'''.  
 
'''Post-production continues on the last batch of Widgets course videos'''.  
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'''Widgets Inc. launches at JALT 2018!'''  
 
'''Widgets Inc. launches at JALT 2018!'''  
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'''Widgets Inc. partners with englishbooks.jp'''.  
 
'''Widgets Inc. partners with englishbooks.jp'''.  

Revision as of 01:04, 9 January 2019


WIDGETS NEWS

Hokkaido.png

Widgets co-author delivers keynote at Hokkaido JALT Conference.

Marcos Benevides, Widgets co-author, has been invited to to deliver the keynote at the 2019 Hokkaido JALT Conference. His presentation is titled, "Why task-based learning for business communication". [2019 01/26-27]

DSCF2483.JPG

Post-production continues on the last batch of Widgets course videos.

Jack Henry, of Wide Island Films, has been working around the clock this holiday season to get the last videos ready. All videos have been recorded, and are now are in the final production stage. Please note that some of the currently available videos may be slightly re-edited as well. The estimated drop date is January 30. By the end of February, all videos will be finalized. [2019 01/09]

JALT2018.jpg

Widgets Inc. launches at JALT 2018!

Co-authors Marcos and Chris mark the launch the new edition with Widgets by sponsoring Lindsay Clandfield as a plenary speaker. Response to the new edition has been fantastic.

Also in the photo is our good friend Dorothy Zemach, a huge Widgets fan since the beginning! [2018 11/24]

Widgets-ebj.jpg

Widgets Inc. partners with englishbooks.jp.

Widgets Inc. has partnered with englishbooks.jp, a leading Japan-based distributor of English-language books. EBJ, who are already the exclusive distributors of Atama-ii Books's award-winning graded reader series, will also provide Japan-wide distribution of the Widgets Inc. student book. [2018 06/01]


ABOUT WIDGETS

Widgets is a business themed English communication course using a task-based approach to language learning. It is designed for classes of 12 to 40 young adult or older students who are placed into teams and must complete a series of connected projects.

Students simulate being interns at a startup company called Widgets Inc., where they brainstorm product ideas, pitch their ideas, perform market research, design ad campaigns, participate in a job interview, and more.

File:Widgets front.png

Widgets: A task-based course in workplace English (120 pp., A4 paperback) is available from the following distributors: englishbooks.jp . It is published by Atama-ii Books (2018) and was written by Marcos Benevides and Chris Valvona.


Widgets is great for mixed-ability classes from pre-intermediate to high-intermediate.

  • CEFR B1 and above: students are engaged and challenged at their own level of achievement even while working together in mixed-level teams. Task situations provide useful language and excellent incidental practice for TOEIC speaking and writing components.
  • Integrated skill development: students develop fluency and confidence in speaking, listening, reading, and writing via discussions, presentations, self and team evaluations, report writing, viewing video instructions, and many more highly-contextualized tasks.
  • Meaningful assessment: students are assessed primarily by task outcome in accordance with Communicative Language Teaching and TBLT principles; a secondary focus on the use of language forms is also possible.

Widgets is arranged by task complexity, not language complexity.

The course starts with easy tasks, and quickly builds to more complex projects. This puts the focus and the challenge of the course on the practical use of English, rather than on passing language tests. It also encourages students to develop fluency and confidence in using English in ‘real world’ situations.

The Widgets project sequence, in order of increasing task complexity:

  • Stage 1 Interns join the company orientation
  • Stage 2 Teams prepare and pitch new product proposals
  • Stage 3 Teams discuss and evaluate new product proposals
  • Stage 4 Teams perform market research on the selected product
  • Stage 5 Teams plan and present a multimedia advertising campaign
  • Stage 6 Interns prepare a resume and cover letter, and interview for a job

WIDGEPEDIA QUICK LINKS:

About the course

Course videos

Lesson plans

Answer keys

Inspection sample

Ordering information