兰天编著的《外贸英语函电（第8版21世纪国际经济与贸易专业系列教材普通高等教育十一五国家级规划教材）》重点是加大了注释中的内容，增加了原书中所没有的常用商业英语的词汇辨析及一词多译，以提高学生的应用能力；针对工作实际应用，作者收集了各种贸易方式的合同，如买卖合同、代理合同、合资企业合同、合作企业合同及技术转达证和设备材料进口合同，并对合同进行了详细的注释，列举了许多合同用词及用法。
为了更突出国际贸易工作流程中外贸英语函电在书信沟通方面的作用，本次改版把第七版中的第十三章即招投标的内容全部删掉，保留了其余的十三章内容；同时，在保留第七版中第十四章内容的基础上增添了一些更真实、更丰富的有关生活和工作场景的书信。第八版还在原有的一些章里添加了样信，帮助读者丰富商务写作实践，提高写作能力。除此之外，在保留了前七版受读者欢迎的诸多特点外，本次改版更加注重商务英语学习的可延展性和可应用型，增加了单词拓展学习的部分，即在一个常用的商务词汇基础上学习该词拓展出来的词汇并配有例句以便更好地掌握。

Chapter One Business Letters
Section One The Structure and Layout of a Business Letter
Section Two Superscription
Section Three Dissimilarities in Letter Writing
Supplement
Exercises 1
Chapter Two Establishing Business Relations
Specimen Letters
Supplement
Exercises 2
Chapter Three Enquiries
Specimen Letters
Supplement
Exercises 3
Chapter Four Offers
Specimen Letters
Supplement
Exercises 4
Chapter Five Counter-Offers
Specimen Letters
Supplement
Exercises 5
Chapter Six Conclusion of Business
Specimen Letters
(I)Sales Contract
(II)Sales Confirmation
(III)Purchase Confirmation
(IV)Contract for Purchase
Supplement
Exercises 6
Chapter Seven Terms of Payment
Specimen Letters
Supplement
Exercises 7
Chapter Eight Establishment of L/C and Amendment
Specimen Letters
Supplement
Exercises 8
Chapter Nine Packing, Shipping Marks and Shipment
Specimen Letters
Supplement
Exercises 9
Chapter Ten Insurance
Specimen Letters
Supplement
Exercises 10
Chapter Eleven Agency
Specimen Letters
Supplement
Exercises 11
Chapter Twelve Complaints and Claims
Specimen Letters
Supplement
Exercises 12
Chapter Thirteen Other Situational Letter Writing
Section One Announcement
Section Two Apology
Section Three Appreciation
Seetion Four Collection
Section Five Congratulations
Section Six Complaints
Section Seven Consolation
Section Eight Decline
Section Nine Human Resourees
Section Ten Invitation
Section Eleven Promotion
Section Twleve Request
Section Thirteen Response to Friends' Request
Section Fourteen Study Abroad
Section Fifteen Travel Arrangements
Section Sixteen Wedding
Section Seventeen Welcome
Supplement
Exercises 13
Appendix
Part One International Economic Organizations
Part Two Glossary