Background
Dr. Xuan Zhang joined the Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication (CWSC) in July 2021. Prior to CWSC, she was conducting her doctoral research that focused on the development of academic language competence in adolescent multilingual students in Canada.
B.A., Japanese language and literature, Wuhan University (China), 2012
M.A., Applied Linguistics, Ritsumeikan University (Japan), 2014
PhD, Audiology and Speech Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2021
Current Role and Responsibilities
In her current role, Dr. Zhang oversees the writing consultation service, designs and delivers academic writing programs (e.g., academic writing workshops, requested seminars, writing retreats) that enhance scholarly communication for UBC students across the disciplines. As a multilingual academic and applied linguist, Dr. Zhang brings both deep personal insight and research-based expertise to her work with graduate students and researchers. Her work focuses on advancing academic language development across disciplines, supporting students in navigating the linguistic and rhetorical expectations of research writing, and exploring the ways generative AI is transforming academic writing across disciplines.