Course Extras

Watercooler chat situation cards

From Widgets Inc. Appendix A

1. Last night you had some free time for your favorite hobby. What did you do? How long did you do it? How was it?

2. You watched an old movie on TV last night. It was terrible! What movie was it? Who were the main actors? Why was it so bad?

3. Someone did something really nice for you recently. What was it? Why did they do it? What did you do in return? How do you feel about it?

4. Something bad happened to you; for example you missed the bus or dropped your phone and it broke. What happened? What did you do about it? How do you feel about it now?

5. You are planning your next vacation. Where are you going? For how long? What are you going to do there? Who is going with you?

6. You watched a new movie recently. What was the movie? Who were the actors? Did you like it? What was your favorite thing about it?

7. You went to a wedding or another big party recently. How was it? How was the food? What did you wear? Did anything interesting happen?

8. Your friends planned a surprise for you recently. What was it? Where was it? Were you surprised? Did anything interesting happen?

9. There is a musician or band that you discovered recently. Who is it? Why do you like them? Describe their songs or performance.

10. You had a great meal at a restaurant recently. What did you eat? Why was it so good? Who were you with? Give interesting details!

11. You could not sleep last night because the neighbor’s dog barked all night. What do you think about pets or noisy neighbors?

12. You spent a very nice time with a family member recently. Who was it? What did you do? Why was it so nice? When are you going to do it again?

13. You were surprised about a world event you heard about recently. What was it? Why did it surprise you? What do you think will happen next?

14. You were very late for work or school recently. Why were you late? Was it your fault? How are you going to avoid this problem next time?

15. Someone you know had a baby recently. How is the baby? Have you met him or her yet? What is their name? How do you feel about babies?

16. You were angry with a family member yesterday. What did he or she do? What did you say to them? Ask the other interns for advice.

17. You did something nice for someone recently. What did you do? Why did you do it? How did you feel? What did they say to you?

18. You are planning to buy an item that you really want. What is it? Where are you going to buy it? What are you going to do with it?

19. Your best friend is dating someone you don’t like. Why don’t you like them? Give some reasons. Ask the other interns for advice.

20. You are worried about something in the near future. What is it? Why are you worried? What are you going to do if it happens?

Product catalog information-gap tasks

From Widgets Inc. Appendix B

Course video scripts

From Widgets Inc. Appendix C

Stage 1

Video 1: Welcome to Widgets (p. 5)

NARRATOR: Welcome to Widgets. Your future, today. At Widgets, we make products for your life and comfort. Do you have a problem in your life? Widgets has the solution. And if we don’t yet... well, we’re working on it! Widgets was started just five years ago. That was when three university students had the idea to start a new kind of company. A company to make exciting products that no one had ever seen before. A company to... change the world! Today, Widgets is a major international company, with offices in Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong, London, and more. You have seen Widgets’ many exciting products in stores and online...but have you met the young visionaries behind this amazing success story? Meet Miki May, CEO of Widgets. Last year, The Economist magazine called her “a true marketing genius of our time.” Titus Pinsch. This superstar CFO has doubled Widgets' profits year after year. Jessica Sparks. CTO and head of R&D, she is the creator of many of Widgets’ best-selling products. How did they do it? It wasn’t easy. Miki, Jessica, and Titus worked around the clock to get all of their new products on the market. They tested new ideas, asked customers what they liked or disliked, and prepared advertising campaigns. It was hard work, but soon the Widgets catalog was online, and products were flying off the shelves. In just three short years, the company grew to become one of the most successful tech start-ups in the world. Today, Widgets hires the most creative minds in business and technology through its famous internship program. Working directly with the founders, Widgets interns work hands-on to brainstorm new products, do market research, prepare advertising campaigns, and much more. Many apply to be an intern at Widgets, but only the best and most hardworking are chosen to join the company full-time. Do you have what it takes? Widgets. Your future, today.

Video 2: Water cooler chat example (p. 8)

KAYLA: So how was your recent trip?

JESSICA: It was great. [Um] I just got back two days ago, actually.

KAYLA: Oh cool! Where did you go?

JESSICA: I went to Canada and LA, actually.

KAYLA: LA – so fun.

JESSICA: It was! It was my first time there, so really exciting.

KAYLA: I heard it’s kind of hard to navigate.

JESSICA: It was, but you know, luckily I had some friends there, so they showed me around, they took me to some cool places, had some good food. Yeah, I had some avocado toast, ‘cause that’s really big there right now.

KAYLA: That’s so awesome.

JESSICA: Yeah, and how about you? Are you gonna go anywhere for the long weekend?

KAYLA: I am. I’m gonna go back home to Michigan to visit my mom.

JESSICA: Oh that’s great. [Um] are you gonna have a big family dinner?

KAYLA: [Um] no, not really. This time it’s just gonna be me, and a couple of friends of my mom.

JESSICA: Oh that’s good. That sounds really fun.

KAYLA: I’m really excited.

JESSICA: Yeah, well I hope you have a great trip.

KAYLA: Oh thank you so much.

JESSICA: I guess I’ll see you around then.

KAYLA: Definitely!

Video 3: Meet the founders (p. 9)

MIKI: It all started back in university. I was always so tired from my part-time job and studying all night, that I often fell asleep in class. My teachers were very angry, and my grades were going down. So one day I had this idea: What if I had a device to quickly wake me up when I fell asleep? What if my smart watch could check my heart rate? What if... it could wake me up when my heart rate got too low? “I got it!” I thought – what if my watch could give me an electric shock to wake me up? That would change... everything. At the time, Jessica was my classmate, and she was an engineering student, and she said, “Hey, you know what? I can make that!” That’s how the Widgets Shock Watch was born.

JESSICA: Oh, yeah, of course I remember the first Shock Watch! [Um] well, first I made one for Miki, and then it started getting really popular at our university. [Um] and before you know it, like, everyone in our class wanted a watch. [Um] I think we made about twenty watches the first year, and students were offering us more and more money to make these watches for them. [Um] one guy actually even offered us $1,000 to make him a watch! [Um] and then that’s when Titus came into the picture, and he wrote up some business plans, and then, you know, the rest is history.

TITUS: Yes, I was the head of the Young Capitalists Society at the time. One day, these two women walked in and wanted to talk about this electronic torture device they had created. At first I thought things seemed a bit... off. But when I saw how many of these watches they had sold, I started to think, “Perhaps there’s some money to be made here.” After I saw some of their other ideas, I became convinced. The three of us shook hands, and I started on a business plan that same day. I did all of the market research, found investors, and registered the business. All of the real work, if we’re being honest.

Stage 2

Video 4: Jessica's R&D project intro (p. 15)

JESSICA: Hi there! I’m Jessica – I’m Chief Technology Officer here at Widgets. I work right here at the Research and Development department, or “R&D” for short. I’m so excited to meet you guys. [Um] the Research and Development department is where all of the new product ideas at Widgets are created. Without new successful ideas, this company wouldn’t be here today. Are you a creative person? Do you always come up with exciting new ideas that other people just don’t think about? If your answer is “yes”, then great! You’re gonna do really well here at R&D. If your answer is “no”, well then, listen carefully because here’s the thing: Everyone is creative– it’s just that some of us don’t know it yet! And it’s true…you’ll see really soon. All right, so let’s jump into the fun part: your team project. Ah, your supervisor’s gonna go over all the details with you, but for now, here are the basics. [Um] first, your first project is gonna be divided into three parts. First of all, you guys will brainstorm some new product ideas. Each member of your team will come up with three or four ideas. Next, you’re gonna write a product proposal. This is basically a summary of your best product idea. And finally, each member of your team is gonna write something called an “elevator pitch,” which is essentially a short but very exciting speech about your best product idea. All right, so I think that covers just about everything. So go on and get started, and have some fun. And I’m really looking forward to hearing all of your great new ideas.

Video 5: Elevator pitch example (p. 22)

LILY: Excuse me, Mr. Pinsch!

TITUS: Yes?

LILY: I’m really sorry to take up your time, but I have a new product idea that I think you will love!

TITUS: Fine, but make it quick. I’m on my way to a meeting.

LILY: It will be just a minute, I swear! Here it is. I call it “The Guilt Jar”. It’s a cookie jar that talks, and it’s for people who are having trouble with dieting. Here’s how it works: first, you put your cookies inside. Then, you close the lid and choose a setting. Later, when you try to get a cookie, the jar will remind you about your diet. So, for example, it may say, “Hey, that’s your third cookie of the day!” or “Why don’t you go for a walk instead?” You know, so maybe you will think twice and skip the cookie. I really think it could be a best-seller for us. It could change the diet industry!

TITUS: Hmm, the Guilt Jar, eh? I don’t hate it. Drop by my office first thing tomorrow morning with a full report. And don’t be late. LILY: Great – thank you! I’ll do that!

Stage 3

Video 6: SWOT Analysis example (p. 28)

Video 7: Titus' product selection intro (p. 29)

Video 8: Poster presentation example (p. 35)

Stage 4

Video 9: Titus' market research intro (p. 42)

Video 10: Focus group example (p. 45)

Stage 5

Video 11: Miki's marketing project intro (p. 58)

Video 12: Ad campaign presentation example (p. 62)

Stage 6

Video 13: Final message from the founders (p. 73) Video 14: Job interview example (p. 80)

Student book glossary

From Widgets Inc. Appendix D

active (adj.) doing an action; involved to a high degree

advertise (v.) to make something, usually a product, known to others

advertisement (n.) abbr: ad; something which advertises; e.g. a poster

analyze (v.) to examine something logically and in detail

announcement (n.) a public statement to give information about something

app (n.) a piece of software, as on a smartphone; an application

appendix (n.) an extra section, often of a book, added to the main part

applicant (n.) a person who applies for something; e.g. for a job

assistant (n.) a person who helps another, usually in a work situation

athlete (n.) a person who practices sport to a high level

attendance (n.) being in a place; e.g. students must have good attendance at school

attitude (n.) how a person feels about something, either good or bad

attractive (adj.) good-looking; well-designed; appealing to the senses

audience (n.) the group of people who watch or listen to a performance

banner (n.) a hanging sign; online, a kind of ad which is long and thin

blame (n.) the responsibility for doing something wrong

brainstorm (v.) the act of creatively and quickly thinking of many ideas

brief (adj.) short in duration; not taking a long time

brief (n.) a short, formal summary of information about a topic

budget (n.) a plan of how to spend a limited amount of money

catalog (n.) a collection of images and descriptions of products for sale

category (n.) a division of things by class, kind, type, etc.

CEO (n.) Chief Executive Officer; the person who runs a company

CFO (n.) Chief Financial Officer; the person who manages money in a company

characteristic (n.) an important or typical quality of a person or thing

chat (n.) a short, informal conversation on any topic

combination (n.) two or more things placed together for a purpose

commercial (n.) general: to do with business; in advertising: an ad, usually video

competitive (adj.) enjoying trying to win or be the best in all things

confident (adj.) sure about one’s ability to do something

connect (v.) to bring two or more things or people together

connection (n.) a bond or a link between things

CTO (n.) Chief Technology Officer; one who manages technology in a company

decisive (adj.) able to quickly and easily choose what to do

deliver (v.) to give something; often a product or a presentation

description (n.) words which tell what a thing is for, or what it looks like, etc.

deserve (v.) to be worthy to get something, good or bad; e.g. the winner deserves a prize

device (n.) a machine of any kind; usually now used for electronics

donate (v.) to give money or things to help people who need it

draft (n.) an unfinished or early piece of work; not the final version

edit (v.) the act of checking a piece of writing to make it better

effective (adj.) good at achieving a goal; works well; e.g. this medicine is effective

employer (n.) a person or company that hires people to work at a job

employee (n.) a person who works for an employer

endorsement (n.) a statement, often by a famous person, that something is good

enthusiasm (n.) a feeling of great excitement; e.g. she always sings with enthusiasm

evaluation (n.) a formal rating of whether something is good or bad

everyday (adj.) common; not unusual; e.g. in cities, traffic jams are an everyday event

external (adj.) outside; e.g. this medicine is for external use – don’t drink it!

failure (n.) the opposite of success; when a goal is not achieved

feedback (n.) a detailed evaluation or analysis given about a specific topic

finances (n.) things having to do with money

founder (n.) a person who establishes something, like a company, a town, etc.

generous (adj.) often giving help, money, gifts, etc. to others

grip (v.) to hold something tightly in the hand

handout (n.) a piece of paper given to the audience in a presentation

harmful (adj.) not good; something that causes a bad outcome

homemaker (n.) a person whose job is to take care of their own home and/or children

honest (adj.) true; not false or a lie; a person who does not lie or cheat

illustration (n.) an image used to help explain something

impression (n.) a feeling or idea about something; e.g. the man made a good impression

instructions (n.) a step-by-step explanation about how to do something

interactive (adj.) when two or more things act on each other; e.g. an interactive game

internal (n.) inside of something; e.g. my computer has an internal battery

internship (n.) a trainee position designed to give experience working at a company

interviewee (n.) a person who is being asked questions in a formal situation

interviewer (n.) a person who asks questions to others in a formal situation

invention (n.) a new item or device which has been created

launch (n.) the release of a new product into the market

leadership (n.) the quality of being able to take charge of a group of people

logo (n.) a visual mark that represents a company or other group

media (n.) all channels of mass communication connecting people to each other

memo (n.) a written form of business communication; like a report or a letter

motto (n.) a phrase that represents the ideas of a company or other group

nametag (n.) a small card with a person’s name, usually worn on a shirt or jacket

negative (adj.) no; not good; the opposite of “positive”

negotiable (adj.) can be changed by discussion; e.g. this price is negotiable

observations (n.) ideas you get from watching or thinking about something

orientation (n.) a meeting to familiarize people to a new company, school, etc.

outcome (n.) the final result of something, whether good or bad

outgoing (adj.) very friendly and open to meeting new people

participant (n.) a person who is involved in a meeting, group, activity, etc.

participate (v.) to join a meeting, group, activity, etc.

permanent (adj.) not intended to change or to end; e.g. tattoos are permanent

pitch (v.) to present an idea, product, etc. in a persuasive way

polite (adj.) following society’s rules about being nice to others

praise (v.) to say good things about a person or thing

proficient (adj.) very good at something

promo (n.) a piece of advertising; abbr. of promotion

__-proof (adj., suffix) protected against __; e.g. my house is earthquake-proof

pros and cons (n.) the good (pros) and bad (cons) points of something

reflector (n.) a thing that re-directs light away from it, usually for safety

reject (v.) to decide “no” to an idea or an option

relevant (adj.) important for a particular purpose

remote (n.) abbr. of remote control; a device used to control another device

R&D (adj.) Research & Development; a department that creates new products

researcher (n.) a person who tries to find an answer to a certain question

resume (n.) also known as a CV; a short summary of a person’s job history

salary (n.) the money a person makes for working at a company

scientist (n.) a person whose job is to study the real world

script (n.) a piece of writing meant to be read out loud

select (v.) to choose from two or more options

session (n.) a length of time scheduled for a purpose; e.g. this course has 15 sessions

slideshow (n.) the visual component of a presentation, often via a computer

solve (v.) to find the answer to a problem

specialize (v.) to focus and become an expert on one thing

spokesperson (n.) someone who speaks for a company or other group

spreadsheet (n.) an app used for listing and organizing pieces of information

startup (n.) a young, small company that hopes to soon grow quickly

strength (n.) a positive feature; something that makes a person or thing strong

submit (v.) to send something officially; e.g. submit your paper to the teacher

summary (n.) a short, complete description of something

supervisor (n.) a person who manages a group of people; in Widgets: your teacher

survey (n.) a list of formal questions used to get information from people

swipe (v.) the act of passing something, like a card through a card reader

threat (n.) something that could cause harm; a danger or a risk

vending machine (n.) a device used for selling items automatically; e.g. soft drinks

viral (adj.) very popular, so that it quickly circulates around social media

weakness (n.) a negative feature; something that can cause harm