Four Finger Rule — 52-Week Course Preview
THE FOUR FINGER RULE · COURSE PREVIEW
Prepare for the English you actually need.
52 practical weeks. Reusable language. Real-world practice.
Start small. Keep building.
You do not need to memorise thousands of separate sentences before you can begin. Start with one situation, prepare useful language and practise changing the details.
Use WANT TO, HAVE TO, NEED TO and MIGHT to make a language plan. Build polite requests, listen for useful information and practise what to say when the conversation changes.
What the full course includes
- The Master Edition: a reference ebook for practical preparation, reusable patterns and location-based English.
- 52 weekly lessons: worked conversations, preparation sheets, adaptation practice, missions and self-checks.
- Passport practice: record what you could say, what changed and what you need to practise again. The separate tracker in the latest practice package covers Weeks 13–52.
- Extra practice: additional scenarios, answer keys and checkpoints to revisit what you have learned.
What a week looks like
- Prepare: choose a place, a person and a useful goal.
- Build: practise the request and the words you are likely to need.
- Speak: try the dialogue with a partner, or practise both roles.
- Adapt: change a detail or handle an unexpected response.
- Reflect: record your result and choose the next thing to improve.
Aim for five ten-minute practice sessions each week. Role-play is a useful option: you do not need to buy something or book a trip to complete practice.
English with a practical purpose
The lessons cover everyday situations such as stations, hotels, restaurants, shopping, banking, work, phone calls and asking for help. The emphasis is on being understandable, checking what you heard and reaching a useful next step.
Your 52-week route
Seven sections take you from the foundations to everyday conversations. Open a section to see the lesson topics.
Module 01 — Foundations · Weeks 1–7
- Your next conversation
- WANT TO and polite requests
- HAVE TO and requirements
- NEED TO and a problem
- MIGHT and a changed plan
- Templates problems and events
- Connect and perform
Module 02 — Travel and getting around · Weeks 8–19
- Travel & Trip Planning
- Airport
- Airport Security
- Immigration & Customs
- Hotel
- Hotel Housekeeping
- Tourist Information
- Ride Share
- Station
- Car Rental & Driving
- Gas Station
- Camping & Outdoor
Module 03 — Home and community · Weeks 20–22
- Home & Apartment
- Moving Day
- Neighbourhood & Community
Module 04 — Everyday food and services · Weeks 23–33
- Grocery Store
- Shopping & Store
- Coffee Shop
- Bakery
- Fast Food
- Restaurant
- Bar & Pub
- Post Office
- Laundry & Dry Cleaning
- Library
- Public Library & Community Centre
Module 05 — Work learning and communication · Weeks 34–38
- Workplace
- Job Interview
- Construction & Job Site
- School & Classroom
- Phone & Customer Service
Module 06 — Finance health and essential support · Weeks 39–46
- Banking
- Government Office
- Pharmacy
- Doctor's Office
- Dentist
- Optometrist & Eyeglasses
- Hospital & Medical
- Police & Emergency
Module 07 — Repairs retail and personal services · Weeks 47–52
- Car Repair & Mechanic
- Hardware Store
- Electronics Store
- Furniture Store
- Gym & Fitness
- Hair Salon & Barber
Try it before you join
The free Week 1 mission teaches you to ask for help, confirm a direction and request repetition. No purchase is needed.
Start the free Week 1 mission →
Launch status and price
Planned launch price: US$52 once.
The materials are prepared. Stripe checkout, enrollment automation and weekly email delivery are still being configured and tested. Enrollment is not yet open on this site.
The planned email sequence starts from each student’s enrollment date. That delivery system is not live yet. Optional one-on-one English sessions are a separate service.
Meet your teacher
Colin Lee MacLeod developed the Four Finger Rule through his teaching and life in Japan.
BUILD IT. USE IT. CHANGE IT. SOLVE IT.