本教材的编写，在第一版的基础上，吸收和借鉴了不少国外小学英语教学的理论和实践经验，也根据我国的国情适当增加了国家关于小学英语课程的要求、内容和少量的教学案例。

全书目前共包括八个单元，其中第四单元的语言知识教学(词汇、语法和语音教学)为新增章节，其他新增内容包括课堂教学管理章节中的提问和大班教学问题，评价与测试中有关小学英语测试的内容，教材评价与调整一章中的资源的开发与利用一节。

本书是为加快提高小学英语教师的专业素质和能力而编写，其内容、结构和体例在第一版的基础上有了较大的调整，力求全面体现新课程理念下的小学英语课程改革的目标和理念。本书通过对第一语言和外语学习不同特点的讨论，引导小学教师充分认识小学生学习外语的特点，为发展适合小学生心理、生理和认知特点的外语教学方法奠定基础。在此基础上，本书对小学英语课程的价值和国家英语课程标准小学阶段英语课程的目标要求进行了解析。其他主要内容还包括课堂教学管理的技能和技巧，词汇、语法、语音教学，听说读写技能教学，适合低龄儿童的语言教学技巧，小学英语的评价与测试，以及教材的评价与调整等。

本书主要用英文写作，行文明快流畅，内容生动翔实，编者力求从学习者已有知识和经验出发，帮助学习者逐步建构小学英语教学的专业知识与能力，同时希望学习者通过使用这本教材，在小学英语教师专业化道路上取得进步的同时，也能提高自身的英语语言运用能力，为可持续发展奠定良好的基础。

本书可作为小学英语新课程教师培训用书，也可作为小学英语教育专业英语教学法课程的教材。

Unit 1 Children as Language Learners

1.1 Learning one's first language

1.2 Differences and similarities between learning L1 and L2

1.3 Understanding how children learn

1.4 Children's individual differences in learning a language

1.5 Treating children as equal human beings

1.6 Qualities of a good primary English teacher

Readings

 Reading 1.2.2

 Reading 1.3.3

 Reading 1.4.2A

 Reading 1.4.4

 Reading 1.5. 1B

 Reading 1.5.2

Unit 2 Understanding the National English Curriculum

2.1 Benefits of offering English in the primary school

2.2 Understanding the objectives for primary English

2.3 Understanding the target requirements for Levels 1 and 2

Readings

 Reading 2.1.1

 Reading 2.2.2

 Reading 2.2.3

 Reading 2.3.2

 Reading 2.3.3

 Reading 2.3.4

Unit 3 Classroom Management

3.1 Motivating children to learn

3.2 Lesson planning

3.3 Classroom instructions

3.4 Questioning in the classroom

3.5 Dealing with discipline

3.6 Teaching large classes

3.7 Managing classroom interaction

3.8 Organizing activities in a lesson

3.9 Correcting errors

Readings

 Reading 3.1.2A

 Reading 3.1.2B

 Reading 3.2.3

Unit 4 Teaching Vocabulary, Grammar and Pronunciation

4.1 Understanding the teaching of vocabulary

4.2 Understanding the teaching of grammar

4.3 Understanding the teaching of pronunciation

Readings

 Reading 4.3.1

 Reading 4.3.2

Unit 5 Teaching language skills

5.1 Listen and do

5.2 Listen and speak

5.3 Learn to read

5.4 Using stories

5.5 Learn to write

5.6 Integrating skills

Readings

 Reading 5.2.3

 Reading 5.2.4

 Reading 5.3.4

Unit 6 Practical Techniques for Teaching Young Learners

6.1 Using songs and rhymes for teaching English to young learners

6.2 Playing games

6.3 Using projects

6.4 Board writing

Readings

 Reading 6.1.2A

 Reading 6.1.2B

 Reading 6.3.2

Unit 7 Assessing Learning with Children

7.1 Understanding assessment

7.2 Setting up targets and designing assessment tasks

7.3 Ways of assessing learning with young learners

7.4 Ways of providing feedback

7.5 Using tests

Unit 8 Adapting and Evaluating Textbooks

8.1 Evaluating textbooks

8.2 Selecting textbooks

8.3 Effective use of course materials

8.4 Using resources

Suggested Key to Tasks

References