Modern Children's English (Fifth Grade)

Author: Liu Jinghe
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Modern Children's English is a textbook series designed for primary school students to begin learning English in middle grades. It was commissioned by the Curriculum and Textbook Research Center of the Ministry of Education in 1990 for open-city primary schools. In 1991, under the leadership of Comrade Cai Zengchao, it was piloted in a departmental class at the China-Japan Youth Exchange Center and has since been implemented in various regions. The series consists of eight volumes, with one volume used per semester. The books are printed without color, allowing students to color them themselves and take good care of the books. The inspiration for developing this series can be traced back 30 years. At that time, to conduct foreign language learning experiments in several key primary schools, we had previously compiled some textbooks. Back then, the principle of "listening first" was still a subject of much debate. The ideas and approaches that emerged from that period formed the foundation for this textbook series. Experienced Chinese and foreign English teachers participated in its compilation, and it was overseen by a fluent psychologist in English. The purpose of this approach had two aspects: first, to make the book as suitable as possible for the age characteristics of primary school middle and upper-grade students and the inherent patterns of the English language; second, to gradually help children develop learning skills and abilities as they learn English. The goal of teaching students to "learn" should be shifted to the concept of teaching them to "learn how to learn," which is also a significant change. "Learning how to learn" begins with understanding the whole to grasp the individual, then summarizing patterns from the individual, and finally using patterns to learn new things, achieving the ability to generalize. For example, in the spelling and pronunciation section of each lesson, we arranged vocabulary based on this philosophy. The vocabulary is organized by introducing familiar words to lead a series of new words with similar sounds, allowing students to gradually learn to pronounce, recognize, and spell words. In today's world of ever-increasing knowledge, learning English, like learning any other subject, is endless. Only by teaching students the methods of learning can they benefit infinitely. The guiding principle for compiling this series is first to focus on the knowledge system of the English language while incorporating moral education and personal cultivation. For instance, in the Cold and Gold lesson of the second volume, the concept of economic inequality is subtly integrated into the study of pronunciation. Second, it emphasizes intellectual development by combining English learning with preliminary dialectical and logical thinking training. For example, from the third and fourth volumes onwards, there are exercises to develop certain qualities of logical and creative thinking. Third, it aims to cultivate practical skills by linking English learning with understanding foreign culture, customs, and social practices to facilitate real-life communication. For example, listening exercises on foreign songs and poems by famous figures are included at the end of each volume. Fourth, it seeks to spark interest by incorporating activities such as games, riddles, and jokes in each volume, guiding students to participate, experience linguistic intuition, and cultivate their character, all while learning in a lively and engaging manner through activities and application. This textbook series places new demands on teachers, so we have compiled a companion Teaching Reference. Each volume comes with an audio cassette recorded by British and American experts, which we hope teachers will make full use of. We welcome more teachers to join us in this endeavor and also welcome criticism and suggestions from experts, peers, and educators from all walks of life. During the compilation process, we referred to textbooks from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong, China. Comrade Yin Xiaoyan participated in the work during the drafting. During the pilot teaching, Comrade Xia Ganliang, an English curriculum specialist at the Xuanwu District Branch of the Beijing Institute of Education, along with teachers from various schools, provided feedback. In the experimental and promotional efforts, Comrade Cai Zengchao, Zhang Jiachang, a researcher at the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhao Suying, Liu Xueqin, and Li Guang from the China-Japan Youth Exchange Center offered significant assistance. We extend our sincere gratitude to all of them!