Management students' intention to use English in university

Malaysia's goal to achieve the status of 'developed nation' by 2020 greatly depends on an effective and efficient workforce. the country's ability to communicate well in the english language is important to achieve that goal. however,there has been a steady decline in the command of english among school leavers (management students in particular,which is a cause for concern,given their future roles as managers in malaysia's workforce),putting them at disadvantageous position at the university. this study attempts to address the following problem: why do students lack the intention to use english as means of communication,in spite of the support available? the study attempts to address the gap in literature by understanding student intention and usage of english,using the theory of planned behaviour (tpb) (ajzen,1985) as a theoretical foundation. the study found that several predictors of tpb (attitude,perceived behavioural control) as well as self-concept affected a student's intention to use english in university. based on this,the study recommends relevant strategies that higher educational providers can adopt to develop and boost student confidence in using english.. © 2016 universiti putra malaysia press.