Dr Zuocheng Zhang

Biography

Zuocheng Zhang is a member of the English, Literacies and Language Education team within the School of Education, the University of New England. He completed undergraduate and post-graduate studies in China and obtained his PhD from the University of Sydney in Australia. He was a full professor in applied linguistics at the University of International Business and Economics in China. In this capacity, he contributed significantly to the founding of the nationally accredited Business English Major course in China.

His primary teaching areas at the University of New England include TESOL education, disciplinary literacies and teaching for cultural diversity. He leads the Interculturality Strategic Research Group at the School of Education.

He has won a number of research grants including a grant awarded by the National Office of Philosophy and Social Sciences in China which supported his study of multimodal discourses and two recent internal grants at the University of New England supporting his study of international student education. His current research concerns discipline-based literacy practices, ESP teacher development, construction of prestige and reputation on university websites, interdisciplinarity in Business English Studies and transcultural agency in international students and graduates.

Qualifications

BA(XISU), MA(NPU), PhD(USyd)

Teaching Areas

EDEE300/500 Literacies and Numeracies in Context
EDLA503 Perspectives on Language, Society and Culture
EDUC303 Teaching for Cultural Diversity
EDLA387/487/388/488 & EDLI502/504/505 TESOL I/II
EDLA523 Second Language Acquisition: Research into Practice

Research Interests

I am interested in issues related to English for Specific Purposes, multimodal discourse analysis, internationalisation of education and interculturality.

Current funded projects

Multimodal construction of diversity and inclusivity for international education: A critical study of Australian university websites targeting international students, School of Education Wider Pool Funding, University of New England, 2017

Study-abroad experiences of international students: Towards a research framework, School of Education Internal Research Grant, University of New England, 2015
Team: Zhang, Z. C., Feez, S., Kigotho, M., Benthien, G., Goldie Sun

Use of interactive media in English Language Teaching at a distance: Impact on pedagogy, practice and outcomes, Deputy Vice Chancellor Strategic Funds, University of New England, 2013
Team: Blass, E., Chan, E., Feez, S., Clary, D., Zhang, Z. C., Morgan, A.-M., & Hathaway, T.

Research Supervision Experience

English for Specific Purposes
Language, discourse and identity
Second language acquisition

Current HDR students

Jennifer Kompara, Doctor of Philosophy thesis titled “The attainment of subject literacy in secondary school Legal Studies: Functional linguistic and LCT perspectives”, Supervisors: Zuocheng Zhang, Helen Harper.

Amanda L. Roberts, Master of Education (Research) thesis titled “Factors effecting Asia engagement programs in selected Queensland schools pre and post COVID-19 outbreak”, Supervisors: Zuocheng Zhang, Frances Quinn.

Iromi Weerakoon, Doctor of Philosophy thesis titled “A study on language anxiety: Towards creating a customized low anxiety classroom model for English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms in public universities of Sri Lanka”, Supervisors: Zuocheng Zhang, Vegnes Maniam.

Adam Crosby, Doctor of Education thesis titled “Japanese university students’ unwillingness to speak English in class: Insights through imagined communities, investment, and identity”, Supervisors: Zuocheng Zhang, Keita Takayama.

Completions

Jennifer Susan Ball, Doctor of Philosophy thesis titled “The English writing requirements in the first year of a Bachelor of Communications in Oman”, Supervisors: Zuocheng Zhang, Susan Feez, Liz Ellis.

Ingrid Wijeyewardene, Doctor of Philosophy thesis titled “Rhetorical and represented agency in Thai political science texts on the 2006 coup d'état", Supervisors: Zuocheng Zhang, Mary Macken-Horarik.

Gaby Benthien, Doctor of Education thesis titled “Study abroad, L2 motivation and English language acquisition: A longitudinal study of the experience of Japanese university students studying English abroad and at home”, Supervisors: Susan Feez, Zuocheng Zhang, Ruth Nicholls.

Wai Sa Ip, Doctor of Education thesis titled “University students’ beliefs about English learning and their use of learning strategies: A mixed-method study in Macao”, Supervisors: Susan Feez, Zuocheng Zhang, Thu Ngo.

Publications

Recent publications

Zhang, Z. C., Dobinson, T., & Wei, W. (2022). Australian universities engaging international students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A study of multimodal public communications with students. In S. Tan, & K. L. E. Marissa (Eds.), Discourses, modes, media and meaning in an era of pandemic: A multimodal discourse analysis (pp. 117-140). Routledge.

Liu, H., Qiu, H., & Zhang, Z. C. (2022). Flipped classroom in ESP teaching and learning: An Activity Theory perspective. Ibérica, 44, 263–284. https://doi.org/10.17398/2340-2784.44.263

Zhang, Z. C., Tan, S., & O’Halloran, K. L. (2022). Managing higher education and neoliberal marketing discourses on Why Choose webpages for international students on Australian and British university websites. Discourse & Communication, 16(4), 462-481. doi:10.1177/17504813221074076

Zhang, Z. C., & Sun, J. (2021). International nursing students’ professional expertise and classroom interaction. In Z. C. Zhang, T. Grimshaw & X. S. Shi (Eds.), International student education in tertiary settings: Interrogating programs and processes in diverse contexts (pp. 191-209). Routledge.

Zhang, Z. C., Grimshaw, T., & Shi, X. S. (Eds.). (2021). International student education in tertiary settings: Interrogating programs and processes in diverse contexts. Routledge.

Zhang, Z. C., Grimshaw, T., & Shi, X. S. (2021). Mapping the terrain of international student education in tertiary settings. In Z. C. Zhang, T. Grimshaw & X. S. Shi (Eds.), International student education in tertiary settings: Interrogating programs and processes in diverse contexts (pp. 1-20). Routledge.

张佐成. (2020). 商务学科背景教师培养学生商务话语和学术话语能力的研究：基于“语境下的读写”课程教学的探讨(Business-background teachers teaching business discourse and academic literacies: Insights from a teacher education course "Literacies in Context" in Australia). 第十三届全国国际商务英语研讨会会议论文集(13th International Business English Conference, Harbin, China, 17th - 19th August, 2018), p. 171-177.

Zhang, Z., Tan, S., Wignell, P., & O’Halloran, K. L. (2020). Addressing international students on Australian and Chinese university webpages: A comparative study. Discourse, Context & Media, 36, 1-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2020.100403.

Zhang, Z. C., & Tu, W. (2019). Representation of international students on Australian university websites: A critical multimodal discourse analysis. Ibérica: Journal of the European Association of Languages for Specific Purposes, 37, 221-244.

Zhang, Z. C., & Sun, Y. (2018). Teaching business vocabulary. In J. I. Liontas (Ed.), The TESOL encyclopedia of English language teaching. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Zhang, Z. C. (2018). Programme for Business English majors. In L. Woodrow, Introducing course design in English for Specific Purposes (pp. 244-249). London: Routledge.

Zhang, Z. C., & Liu, H. (2018). Expanding the horizon of teaching in and of English. Review of Ruth Breeze and Carmen Sancho Guinda (Eds.). Essential competencies for English- medium university teaching (2017), London/New York: Springer. 307 pp., ISBN 978-3-319-40954-2 (HBK). ESP Today, 6(1), 125-129.

Feez, S., & Zhang, Z. C. (2018). Learning genres. In A. Burns, & J. Richards (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to learning English as a second language (pp. 233-241). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Zhang, Z. C. (2017). Learning Business English in China: The construction of professional identity. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Zhang, Z. C., & Chan, E. (2017). Editorial: Current research and practice in teaching disciplinary literacies. ESP Today, 5(2), 132-147.

Zhang, Z. C., & Chan, E. (2017). Current research and practice in teaching disciplinary literacies (guest-edited special issue of ESP Today journal).

Chan, E., & Zhang, Z. C. (2017). Teaching reading through multimodal texts. In H. P. Widodo, A. Wood, & D. Gupta (Eds.), Asian English language classrooms: Where theory and practice meet (pp. 49-70). London: Routledge.

Zhang, Z. C. (2016). “Somewhere in the middle is the optimal balance”: A subject specialist negotiating business and language in teaching business writing. ESP Today, 4(2), 145-164.

Zhang, Z. C. (2015). The new and the familiar in digital business discourse.  Erika Darics (Ed.), Digital business discourse. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015. ESP Today, 3(2), 247-251.

Zhang, Z. C., & Guo, Y. Y. (2015). Linguistic choices in the Chinese workplace: A language ecology perspective. In L. Tsung, & W. Wang (Eds.), Contemporary Chinese discourse and social practice in China (pp. 163-184). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Zhang, Z. C. (2015). Disagreements in plenary addresses as multimodal action. In B.C. Camiciottoli, & I. Fortanet-Gómez (Eds.), Multimodal analysis in academic settings: From research to teaching (pp. 17-38). London: Routledge.

Zhang, Z. C. (2015). Unpacking professional identities for Business English students. In D. Djenar, A. Mahboob, & K. Cruickshank (Eds.), Language and identity across modes of communication (pp. 291-311). Boston, MA: Walter de Gruyter.

Zhang, Z. C., & Tobias, S. (November 10, 2015). The rise of China: A threat or opportunity for Australian universities? The Conversations (https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-china-a-threat-or-opportunity-for-australian-universities-49145)

Zhang, Z. C., & Li, Y. X. (2014). Sarah Benesch, Considering emotions in critical English language teaching: Theories and praxis. London: Routledge, 2012. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 37 (1), 69-71.

Zhang, Z. C., Xing, J. Y., Wang, Y., Zhu, M. H., Sun, J. Q., & Liu, J. X. (2014). duomotai jixihuayu yanjiu (Multimodal study of situated discourses). Guangzhou: World Publishing Corporation.

Zhang, Z. C., & Li, S. (2014). Negotiating membership in employment interviews at a Chinese media institution. International Journal of Business Communication, 51 (1), 9-30.

Zhang, Z. C. (2013). Identities in needs analysis for Business English students. ESP Today, 1, 26-44.

Zhang, Z. C., & Cruickshank, K. (2013). Andrew McKinlay and Chris McVittie, Identities in context: Individuals and discourse in action. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. Discourse & Communication, 7, 361-363.

Zhang, Z. C. (2013). Teaching Business English. In C. A. Chapelle (Ed.), The encyclopedia of applied linguistics. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Bargiela-Chiappini, F., & Zhang, Z. C. (2013). Business English. In B. Paltridge, & S. Starfield (Eds.), The handbook of English for specific purposes (pp. 193-211). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Zhang, Z. C. (2013). Business English students learning to write for international business: What do international business practitioners have to say about their texts? English for Specific Purposes, 32, 144-156.

Memberships

Asia-Pacific Rim LSP and Professional Communication Association

ATESOL

PETAA

Consultancy Interests

Curriculum design and evaluation
ESP teacher development
International student education

External Profiles

• Google Scholar Profile
• ORCid Profile
• LinkedIn Profile