The specific purpose of education is to "prepare" children so that they are able to maximise their potential and participate in the society or community around them. In order for many Third World nations to access information technology, the provision of language programs, particularly English, has become necessary. However, in the implementation of these programs, the influence of the globalisation of English in a different cultural context becomes a crucial concern particularly in relation to curriculum design. In preparing children from a young age to be in a position to gain access to the information technology, perceived as necessary for the country's development, an awareness of the possible but unintended social and cultural outcomes is important. Research in second foreign language (referred to in this paper as "second" language) teaching methodology and curriculum development has been limited in the area of early childhood education. As a result, this paper is an account of an investigation into two second language teaching methodologies ("direct" and "indirect") applicable for young children in Viet Nam. The development of these programs is discussed from two perspectives. One involved a comparative study into English language programs at the pre-school level, using the target language ("direct") as a means of instruction and the vernacular ("indirect") to teach the target language. The other perspective incorporated a brief comparative analysis of native versus non-native target language teachers. This involved four bilingual Vietnamese teachers and four groups of Vietnamese children in two economically diverse early childhood centres, while the second study involved a native English speaker in each of the same centres but with a different group of children. This research was carried out in the context of a descriptive analysis using a hybrid research methodology involving predominantly participant observation--a research process recommended for studies involving young children. The results that emerged led to the development of a basic structure for age-appropriate programs for use in Vietnamese cultural contexts.