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#4HTechnique #4HT

(This material is continually enriched with examples from lessons).

The Four-Handed Game. Teacher's discourse during the lesson: Skillfully structured to engage the audience, rotating intriguing vocabulary, and passively embedding grammatical structures.

In textbook work:
1.1. The Lead-in Principle.

When practicing an exercise from the textbook, the teacher provides a brief introduction to transform the exercise into a real-life scenario.

A subtle remark, a lead-in.

1.2. When transitioning from one student to another or during organizational moments, the teacher maximizes the use of speech modules from related materials in their discourse.

Example.

**2. Oral Drills.**
2.1. The Lead-in Principle: Extended Version.
Here, one can delve deeper into describing the situation, allowing students to feel immersed in the context. Remember to incorporate role-playing elements and vary characters when possible.
2.2. Active Listening.
We pick up on the student's phrase and continue, expanding it with more detailed sentences.

**3. In Games.**
3.1. Aim to minimize the introduction to the game. Opt for games that don't require overly complex rule explanations that don't offer valuable content to students.
3.2. During the game, the teacher's speech should actively rotate useful structures. The monotony of games should be compensated for by the richness of the teacher's discourse. An alternative to the teacher's standard "Good|OK" would be, at the very least, a variety of synonyms for this remark (listed below). Ideally, this remark should be replaced with a full-fledged sentence reflecting the context of the preceding situation and rotating valuable vocabulary for the group in question.
Example: MemoryGame, which calls for an "enhancement" of the teacher's speech against the backdrop of a rather simple and repetitive game.

**4. In Unforeseen Classroom Situations (a component of classroom management)**
An example of how attention is swiftly redirected back to the lesson after a student brought in a slime toy that distracted the group. The teacher immediately integrated the "Magic Finger" finger game with the toy the girl brought in.


**5. Lesson Preparation for 4HT.**
Scripting every situation is impossible.
Scripts would hinder the quality of lesson delivery.
However, reviewing the materials and noting down useful modules into the teacher's Treasure Chest can be beneficial.

We compile such collections for lessons, but it's crucial for the teacher to be adept at this, ensuring they don't resort to memorizing someone else's compilations(!!!).
Typically, for a teacher with a proficient language level, it's enough to "live through" the material once, understand the principle, and reinforce it in practice.
Subsequently, the right phrases naturally fit into the appropriate context.

**Small Talk for KET+. Experience from LinguaCat (Valentina Shelenkova)**

[03.11, 10:20] Valentina Shelenkova: Hello! Here's how I structure small talk. It's an intertwining of a specific topic suited for the level with phrases from the studied literature. In this case, it's the KET group, with the theme being Extreme sport combined with "Danny the champion of the world."

[03.11, 10:21] Valentina Shelenkova: Hi, guys. How was your day today? Was it usual/ ordinary/ typical or busy/ hard / exciting/ tedious/ humdrum/extreme?

Have you ever ventured into any extreme sports? Was it thrilling or perhaps a tad eerie? Were you scared stiff? Or on the contrary, did you find it magnificent and splendiferous? Did you experience a blend of sheer terror and exhilarating excitement?

Would you say you've fallen in love with your sport?

Do you possess an overwhelming desire to engage in your sport? Is there such an intense urge to do it again that you can't resist? Can you feel the excitement bubbling up inside you?

It's like once you start, it gets into your veins, and you can't let go! When you're performing well, is there a twinkle of pride in your eyes? Are you proud of your achievements?

Have you ever made a promise to yourself not to quit this sport? Have you ever broken that promise? Would you consider getting back into the groove?

**6. Recommendation for New Teachers (or when working with new material).**

Before stepping into a class, consider audio-shadowing all the materials for the next 3-5 lessons. Narrate them on camera. This way, the material will be at the tip of your tongue. In this context, it doesn't matter if the material's level is below your proficiency. What's crucial is that the relevant expressions become second nature to you. This is how sales managers train. They recite sales scripts following a narrator in their native (!!!) language, ensuring that the right words come effortlessly when needed.

Here are some alternative expressions to the teacher's customary "Good":

excellent
good job
good work
wow
cool
good
amazing
wonderful
superb
awesome
great
well done
impressive
very well
splendid
outstanding (for very very very good work)
Nicely done!
Terrific!
Spot on!
Keep it up!

Here's a refined translation of the teacher's Treasure Chest:

From finger games:

1. "I have a book, and I open it wide."
2. "Quickly, quickly, very quickly, a little mouse runs." - when hurrying the children.
3. "Storytime is about to begin." - before reading Storyfan or a book.
4. "Stand in line, like soldiers do." - before a warm-up.
5. "I don't find that amusing." - when they're misbehaving.
6. "I do not like it, not one little bit!" - from "Cat in the Hat."
7. "Stay still, like a well-behaved child, just like this." - regarding behavior.
8. "Please, don't fret; you won't be late."
9. "Let's sit down, fold our arms, and remain silent."

Other phrases:

10. "Have you ever witnessed...?"
- **Context**: When introducing a new topic or concept and checking students' prior knowledge or experiences related to it.

11. "Shall we commence?"
- **Context**: When the teacher is about to start a new activity or lesson and wants to get the students' attention.

12. "It's the best ... I've ever encountered."
- **Context**: Praising a student's work or effort, or when discussing superlatives in a lesson.

13. "Proceed."
- **Context**: Giving students the go-ahead to start an activity, presentation, or to share their answers.

14. "Pick it up."
- **Context**: Encouraging students to retrieve a dropped item, or metaphorically, to improve their pace or performance in an activity.