Language anxiety has significantly sparked great concern in the second and foreign language learning world. Researches have found negative correlation between language anxiety and academic achievement of English language learners; and, most of the studies focus on average school students and tertiary level students. This paper, however, explores gifted learners' English language anxiety in ESL setting, by surveying 119 gifted learners of PERMATApintar National Gifted Center (PpNGC), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia. The result shows that gifted learners have certain level of language anxiety in English language setting; that language anxiety negatively correlates withgifted learnes' English language performance; and that female gifted learners indicate higher language anxiety than males. Finally, this paper provides some insights towards minimizing gifted learners' language anxiety in English language environment.

Gifted students have unique characteristics and have different ways of thinking and learning. These characteristics affect how they learn a language. This study investigates gifted students' difficulties in English language learning. Data was gathered using semi structured interview with six gifted students of PERMATA Pintar National Gifted Centre. In this study, interview analysis was used to analyze interview transcripts in order to find gifted language learning difficulties among gifted students. An analysis of responses was done by identifying similarities among six gifted students in terms of area of difficulties, language skills difficulties and also reasons behind their problems. Findings revealed that the common difficulties in English language learning faced by gifted students were related to speaking in English, grammar and lack of vocabulary. Furthermore, all gifted students interviewed perceived that speaking skill is the hardest skill to learn. Such insight into English language learning difficulties is helpful to teachers and educators as it provides useful information for teaching and learning the target language as well as developing the suitable education environment for gifted students to reach their potential in language learning.

This study is a needs analysis that aims to develop a psychosocial module based on a psychoeducation approach in order to strengthen the assertiveness, social skills, and psychological well-being of public university students in Malaysia. The specific objectives of this study were to identify the perceptions of university students on the need to design and build a psychosocial module, identify the constructs that should be included in the phase of designing and building of the psychosocial module as well as the support that has been received and the support that the students desire while on campus. This survey study utilized a questionnaire distributed to a total of 286 first year students studying at three public universities in Malaysia. The data obtained were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The findings of the study showed a highly positive response from the students toward the development of a psychosocial module and the constructs listed in the questionnaire. Implications from this study can further solidify the constructs that should be included in the design and construction of the psychosocial module as well as identify the availability of the approaches, strategies, and support activities that have been received and desired by the students.

This article employed secondary data to critically examine policies, mission and vision of a private mission university in line with fundamental human rights and the safety of students. The high rate of violence and criminal activities across Nigeria seems to have given credence to such policies in as much as such policies emphasize students" safety and development. Therefore, academic freedom and students" fundamental human rights should be exercise within the policies designed to ensure students safety and development. In the past and in recent times, studies have explored several areas of student safety and development, most especially in developed nations where priority is placed on student affairs administration, but such efforts are yet to be examined in the literature emanating from Nigeria despite several criticism against the policies of the university. Contrary to the belief of many critics, violation of fundamental human rights does not exist in the university under study; instead, stringent policies and procedures attached to the actualization or implementation of such policies are in existence to safeguard students" safety and development. The study argued that the failure of some students to comply with the procedures attached to these policies seem to have created a scenario of violation which critics contend with. Thus, a stern look at these policies and their applicability to students" matters would have been better understood and appreciated instead of condemnation. However, the paper argued that implementation of policies should be exercised with caution, largely because disciplinary power is a sensitive issue and those exercising it must do so with thoughtfulness and in absolute good faith and in accordance with the rule of law.

Recently, the implementation of differentiated instruction had been proposed by Ministry of Education of Malaysia to be implemented across all schools in the country. Consequently, as announced in the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013) the Ministry had launched a program called Differentiated Teaching and Learning of English Language. After few years of its implementation, a measurement protocol was needed to assess the effectiveness of differentiated teaching approach in the teaching and learning of English language. In this instance, a multidimensional instrument was developed to measure student motivation toward differentiated teaching and learning of English language, and indicate teachers’ overall teaching performance. The questionnaire contains three sections A (Demography), B (78-item scale assessing student motivation based on their experience of differentiated English language teaching and learning), and C (Student Comment/Suggestion). In this paper, the researcher presents the procedures involved in evaluating the psychometric properties of the instrument and discusses its validity and reliability. The items were constructed based on an accumulation of teachers’ differentiated teaching strategies. Face and content validity were evaluated while internal consistency and factor analyses were computed. The final reliability coefficients for the whole scale and subscales range from high to very high, while changes suggested by the analyses were accepted. The overall analysis suggested that the questionnaire is deemed valid and reliable to measure student motivation toward differentiated teaching and learning of English language, and as an indicator of teachers’ performance in applying differentiated approach.