Yan (Olivia) Zhang
Title: Associate Professor
Affiliation: School of Foreign Languages, Sun Yat-sen University, China

Email: zhangyan39@sysu.edu.cn

 

毕业院校及学位 / Education

  • 香港大学（The University of Hong Kong），应用语言学哲学博士（Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Linguistics, PhD）
  • 布里斯托大学（University of Bristol, UK），教育研究理学硕士（Master of Science in Educational Research, MSc）

  • 埃克塞特大学（University of Exeter, UK），对外英语教学教育学硕士（Master of Education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, MEd TESOL）

     

研究领域 / Research Areas

  • 学术话语（Academic Discourse）
  • 反馈与评估（Feedback and Assessment）
  • 研究生学术指导（Academic Supervision）
  • 博士生教育（Doctoral Education）
  • 学术发表写作（Writing for Publication）

  • AI辅助写作（AI-Mediated Writing）

     

核心议题 / Core Research Themes

  • 话语权力与认识权威（Discourse Power and Epistemic Authority）
  • 反思性判断与认识论判断（Reflective Judgement and Epistemic Judgement）
  • 学习者能动性与作者自主权（Learner Agency and Authorial Ownership）
  • 知识评价、协商、转化与运用（Knowledge Evaluation, Negotiation, Transformation, and Use）

Her research spans academic discourse and writing, academic supervision, doctoral education, and AI-mediated writing in higher-education settings. She studies how knowledge is evaluated, negotiated, transformed, and used in academic communication, with particular attention to power, judgement, positioning and individual agency.

 

主讲课程 / Courses Taught

  • 学术阅读与写作（Academic Reading and Writing）
  • 高级英语（Advanced English）
  • 学术论文规范与写作（Academic Conventions and Research Paper Writing）

  • 学术英语交流（Academic English Communication）等（among others）

     

主持项目 / Research Projects as Principal Investigator

  1. 中国学者国际发表中的知识权威构建模式与策略研究（2025）
    Models and Strategies for Constructing Epistemic Authority in Chinese Scholars’ International Publishing
    广东省哲学社会科学规划青年项目（Youth Project of the Guangdong Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning Programme）
  2. 中国学者学术话语权与知识权威联动发展模式与提升路径研究（2024）
    Coordinated Development Models and Enhancement Pathways for Chinese Scholars’ Academic Discourse Power and Epistemic Authority
    教育部人文社会科学研究青年基金项目（Youth Fund Project of Humanities and Social Sciences Research, Ministry of Education of China）
  3. 学术英语课程融合文本、谈话与任务提升学习者语言使用意识的研究（2025）
    Developing Learners’ Awareness of Language Use through the Integration of Texts, Talk, and Tasks in EAP Courses
    中山大学校级教学质量工程项目（University-level Teaching Quality Enhancement Project, Sun Yat-sen University）

  4. 学术英语课程中写作资源的整合与使用研究（2024）
    Integrating and Using Writing Resources in EAP Courses
    中山大学校级教学质量工程项目（University-level Teaching Quality Enhancement Project, Sun Yat-sen University）

     

论文发表/ Research publications

Zhang, Y. O. (2026). Mentoring through advice: Shaping rhetorical agency in doctoral supervision. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 80, Article 101645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2026.101645[SSCI]

Zhang, Y. O., & Hyland, K. (2025). Developing students’ reflexive knowledge through EAP instruction. Journal of Second Language Writing, 70, Article 101245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2025.101245[SSCI]

Zhang, Y. O., & Hyland, K. (2025). Unpacking advising: Boundaries as a key resource in academic supervision. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 36(1), 835–847. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12806[SSCI]

Zhang, Y. O. (2024). Multi-formed power and coordinated responses in academic supervision. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 35(2), 782–795. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12660[SSCI]

Zhang, Y. O., & Hyland, K. (2023). Mediated performance in the feedback process: Reinforcing improvement. Studies in Higher Education, 49(3), 518–533. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2242395[SSCI]

Zhang, Y. O. (2023). Tracing development: Feedback orientations and knowledge construction in master’s theses. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 63, Article 101246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2023.101246[SSCI]

Zhang, Y. O., & Hyland, K. (2022). Responding to supervisory feedback: Mediated positioning in thesis writing. Written Communication, 39(2), 171–199. https://doi.org/10.1177/07410883211069901[SSCI]

Zhang, Y. O., & Hyland, K. (2021). Elements of doctoral apprenticeship: Community feedback and the acquisition of writing expertise. Journal of Second Language Writing, 53, Article 100835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2021.100835[SSCI]

Zhang, Y. O., & Hyland, K. (2021). Advice-giving, power and roles in theses supervisions. Journal of Pragmatics, 172, 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2020.11.002[SSCI]