The purpose of this study is to propose the development phases and the directions of the electronic textbook for English education. In order to achieve this purpose, above all, the conception of electronic textbook based on electronic book is defined. Second, the electronic and traditional printed textbook is compared. Third, the types of electronic textbook are classified, and the practical process of developing CD-ROM titles in the primary English education is presented. In this study, it is suggested that there are six phases in the development phases of the electronic textbook: analysis - design - development - experiment - evaluation - revise - application. Furthermore, the directions of the electronic textbook are proposed in terms of the design of learning contents, functional components, and technical components systematically. Particularly, learning contents based on the national curriculum should be designed in detail. Accordingly, the characteristics of English education and the possibility of application should be considered in designing the electronic textbook.