The current research study aims at inspecting various levels of apprehension and anxiety faced by university postgraduates in Pakistan and China when learning a foreign language (FL). The target population of this research was the university postgraduates from a Chinese university in Wuhan, and a public sector university in Lahore, Pakistan. The sample of this study was 206 postgraduates, out of which 106 (male =28, female= 78) from a Chinese university and 100 (male=53, female= 47) from a Pakistani university in Lahore. The sample was selected randomly and aged (21-30), and all participants belonged to the postgraduate level. Horwitz's foreign language classroom anxiety scale (known as FLCAS) was used as a survey model, a theoretical framework for collecting data from both universities. The Statistical Package of a Social Sciences (SPSS version23) was used to get quantitative results. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate the anxiety level. Mean score and standard deviation were computed of both groups, besides it, the independent samples t-test was run to compare the mean score of both groups and infer if there existed any difference in the target language anxiety level. The results revealed that Chinese postgraduates face more anxiety than Pakistani postgraduates, and there existed significant differences in foreign language anxiety levels of both groups. Based on the results, it can be implicated that combined efforts of mentors and students can pave the way in tackling anxiety among university postgraduates.

Objective:To compare the perception of medical students on the usefulness of the interactive lectures, case-based lectures, and structured interactive sessions (SIS) in teaching and learning of Physiology.Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out from January to December 2012 at Bahria University Medical & Dental College, Karachi, which had qualitative and quantitative aspects, assessed by self- reported questionnaire and focused group discussion (FGD). The questionnaire was distributed to 100 medical students after completion of first year of teaching of MBBS Physiology. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 15. Differences were considered significant at p-values <0.05 after application of Friedman test. Responses of FGD were analyzed.Results:All the teaching methodologies helped in understanding of precise learning objectives. The comprehension of structure and functions with understanding of difficult concepts was made best possible by SIS (p=0.04, p<0.01). SIS enabled adult learning, self-directed learning, peer learning and critical reasoning more than the other teaching strategies (p< 0.01).Conclusion:SIS involved students who used reasoning skills and power of discussion in a group to comprehend difficult concepts for better understanding of Physiology as compared to interactive and case-based lectures.

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This study deals with the positive backwash effect of self-assessment on Second Language Learners in Pakistan. The hypothesis of this study is self-assessment will positively improve learners' performance. Therefore, small scale experimental research was conducted with fifty undergraduates of a public sector university. They were asked to write essays; those were also assessed by students themselves and also cross-checked by their language teacher. The 'Assessment Rubric of Punjab University for BS-level' was a research tool. Afterwards, all results were statistically analyzed in SPSS, i.e., dependent t-test. The results conclude the improvement in self-assessment to highlight the needs and demands for taking bold steps in traditional evaluation criteria that would ultimately become the cause for students' active participation and self-learning.