摘要：According to the Minister of Higher Education in Malaysia, most students who entered public universities have poor knowledge of English. The decline in English proficiency needs to be addressed immediately. (The Star,27 Jan. 2007). The Malaysian situation is comparatively unique. English is taught from standard one through form five but the level of proficiency in English is still very low. Both the ‘intrinsic and extrinsic motivations’ had been given and yet the motivations had been unsuccessful in reaching the greater majority. (The Star,6 Mac 1998). And also, the opportunity to use English is limited and the learner may be easily discouraged. English may be considered a compulsory second language in schools but it is treated as a foreign language. It gets its recognition only at the workplace especially in the private sector. Taking into consideration the current progress of English acquisition, this research paper will analyze the present English curriculum (in continuation with the Malaysian University English Test syllabus) for non-native adult learners at the School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. Findings from this research will provide insights whether a reorientation of the present curriculum is needed or a new curriculum needs to be developed in order to meet the academic and social needs of the students.
