261). Research Questions

The proposed study will be guided by the following research questions:

1. Can a set of best practices be identified from the existing body of literature concerning implementing and administering a special curriculum for young indigenous non-native speakers of English? If so, how can these best practices best be applied to Malaysia's young indigenous non-native speakers of English?

2. What cross-cultural factors need to be taken into account in developing such a special curriculum?

3. What are some of the common obstacles, challenges and constraints that have been experienced in other countries in general and in Malaysia in particular in implementing English as a second language curricular offerings?

The Design -- Methods and Procedures

A.

Data Collection. The proposed study will draw on both secondary and primary sources to achieve the above-stated purposes and answer the above-stated research questions, an approach that is highly congruent with the guidance from numerous social researchers (Dennis & Harris, 2002; Neuman, 2003). The secondary resources will be collected through a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature and the primary sources will be collected using a survey of high school and college-level non-native speakers of English in Malaysia.

B.

Data Analysis. The qualitative data that emerges from the review of the literature will be synthesized with the quantitative data that results from the administration of the survey to develop informed answers to the proposed study's research questions and formulate recommendations for local, provincial and national policymakers responsible for education in Malaysia.

VII. Limitations and Delimitations

A.

The most significant limitation anticipated for the proposed study relates to the relatively small number of respondents who will complete the survey, which is expected to be fewer than one hundred. Another limitation involves the potential for researcher bias in the interpolation of the qualitative and quantitative data that emerges from the research process.

B.

The proposed study will be delimited to non-native speakers of English in Malaysia, but may hold value for educators who are seeking to implement similar programs of instruction in other...

Significance of the Study
As noted above, a consistent theme that quickly emerges from the research concerns the increasing use of English in the modern business world. In this regard, Dovring emphasizes that, "English is actually the world language of economics, technology, and sports. The same words and phrases in those areas do mean the same thing and are understood in the same way the world over. Air traffic control operations and stock market quotations are two such areas" (1999, p. 2). The need for fluency and experience in using English appropriately, though, is paramount to its effective application in an increasingly globalized marketplace (Crismore, 2003).

References

Charles, M. (2006, October). Language matters in global communication. The Journal of Business Communication, 44(3), 260-262.

Crismore, a. (2003). An American woman teaching in Malaysia: Remembering the obstacles and successes. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46(5), 380-382.

Dennis, C., & Harris, L. (2002). Marketing the e-business. London: Routledge.

Dovring, K. (1999). English as lingua franca: Double talk in global persuasion. Westport, CT:

Praeger.

Kameda, N. & Sullivan, J. (1999). English as the lingua franca of the Far East. Multinational Business Review, 4(1), 52-53.

Malaysia. (2011). U.S. government: CIA World Factbook. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov / library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/my.html.

Matras, Y. & Bakker, P. (2003). The mixed language debate: Theoretical and empirical advances. New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Neuman, W.L. (2003). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches, 5th ed. New York: Allyn & Bacon.

Rahman, a.A. (1999). Economic reforms and agricultural development in Malaysia. ASEAN

Economic Bulletin, 15(1), 59-60.

Tender, T. & Vihalemm, T. (2009). Two languages in addition to mother tongue- will this policy preserve linguistic diversity in Europe? Trames, 13(1), 41-42.

Tsen, W.H. (2005). Openness, financial development and economic growth in Malaysia.

International Journal of Business and Society, 6(1), 93-94.