Modern Children's English (Book 4)

Author: Liu Jinghe
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Modern Children's English is a textbook series designed for primary school students starting from the third grade. It was commissioned by the Curriculum and Textbook Research Center of the State Education Commission in 1990 to be used in open-city primary schools. In 1991, under the leadership of Comrade Cai Zengchao, classes were organized at the Youth Exchange Center of China-Japan to begin experimental teaching, which has been carried out in various regions ever since. The series consists of eight volumes, with one volume used per semester. The books do not require color printing, 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. Then, the principle of "listening first" was still a highly debated issue. The ideas and approaches that emerged from that time formed the foundation for this textbook series. Experienced Chinese and foreign English teachers participated in the writing of this book, and it was primarily guided by a fluent psychologist in English. The purpose of this approach had two aspects: first, to strive to make the book as suitable as possible for the age characteristics of primary school middle and high-grade students and the inherent patterns of the English language; second, to gradually enhance students' learning abilities and skills 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 using these patterns to build upon existing knowledge to achieve broader understanding. For example, in the spelling and pronunciation section of each lesson, we arranged the vocabulary in this way. The vocabulary is arranged from familiar words to a series of new words with similar sounds, allowing students to gradually learn to pronounce, recognize, and spell words. In today's era of increasing knowledge, learning English, like learning other subjects, is endless. Only by teaching students the methods of learning can they benefit indefinitely. The guiding principle for writing this series is primarily to focus on the knowledge system of the English language while incorporating moral education and character development. For instance, in the Cold and Gold lesson of the second volume, the concept of economic inequality is subtly integrated while learning pronunciation. Secondly, 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 dialogue sections designed to train logical thinking. Thirdly, it aims to cultivate practical abilities 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 after each volume. Fourthly, it seeks to spark interest by incorporating activities such as games, riddles, and jokes in each volume, guiding students to participate, experience language 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 also compiled a companion Teaching Reference. Each volume comes with an audio tape 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 writing process, we referred to textbooks from the UK, the US, and Hong Kong, China. Comrade Yin Xiaoyan participated in the compilation. During the teaching trial, Comrade Xia Ganliang, an English curriculum specialist at the Xuanwu District Branch of Beijing Normal College, along with teachers from various schools, provided feedback. In the experimental and promotional work, Comrade Cai Zengchao, Zhang Jiatang, 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 heartfelt gratitude to all of them!