About This Course

For university students, this course will help you master the essential language to join in academic communications. The eight topics will prepare you for understand and share your ideas in English for academic purposes.

The eight topics are life sciences, art, society, engineering, psychology, economics, management, and architecture.

In this course, there are:

academic words and analysis of texts

learning strategies

seminars on academic reading and writing

mini-conferences on academic topics

simulation of academic reports

techniques for academic writing

This course will help you improve the academic English skills. Besides, with students from different disciplines sharing their insights on the research, we hope to get you prepared to join in seminars and mini-conferences. Come and join us on this journey of academic English!

Course Staff

Weimin Zhang

Weimin Zhang is Professor of Applied Linguistics in Language Center, Tsinghua University. He received his MA in English Language Teaching (ELT) from The University of Nottingham in 1999 and his PhD in Applied Linguistics from Georgia State University (GSU) in 2008. As a doctoral student at GSU, he taught Reading & Listening for Academic Purposes (V) (IEP0850), Reading & Listening for Academic Purposes (IV) (IEP0840), Introduction to Linguistics (AL/FORL3021), and Morphology & Syntax (AL/FORL4012). At Tsinghua University, he teaches Writing Research Papers for Publication (for doctoral students), Thinking & Communication for Academic Purposes, and Listening & Speaking for Academic Purposes. His research interests include English for academic purposes (EAP), English as a medium of instruction (EMI), EFL curriculum design, and language teacher education. His publications mainly involve these areas in English or Chinese journals and edited volumes. He also has presented his research at numerous local and international conferences.

Fang Yang

Associate Professor in Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Tsinghua University. She teaches English for Academic Purpose. She was a visiting scholar in Baylor University.

Yining Zhang

Zhang Yining is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Tsinghua University. Zhang Yining received a bachelor's degree from Tsinghua University in 2009, a master's degree in education from Stanford University in 2011, and a doctorate in education technology and educational psychology from Michigan State University in 2018. She joined the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Tsinghua University in December 2018. Currently she is teaching "English Writing and Critical Thinking", "Comprehensive Essay Training", and "Teaching Theory and Teaching Method". She was selected as Zhongying Young Scholar in 2019. Zhang Yining's research interests include online language education, education psychology in language learning, and learning analytics. She has published papers in several SSCI indexed journals of education technology and psychology.