Dr Yanhua Liu

Profile

I am an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) educator and researcher, currently based at the Language Centre, University of Leeds, which I joined in December 2024. I teach in-sessional EAP modules for the School of Design and the School of Media and Communication, and I have also taught on Masters pre-sessional EAP programmes as well as the General English programme for visiting international students.

I spearheaded the successful revival of the globally renowned Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition at Leeds, leading the training programme and co-organising the event. Postgraduate researchers at Leeds can now benefit from opportunities to develop transferrable skills valuable for both academic and non-academic career paths, while showcasing their research to wider audiences.

Prior to joining Leeds, I worked as a full-time lecturer in EAP at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou). Earlier in my career, I accumulated nearly a decade of experience teaching general English to university students in China.

My professional experience also includes other work in the UK—teaching pre‑sessional EAP at the University of Southampton and Mandarin Chinese at an independent school in Somerset—and in Singapore, where I taught part‑time as a communication coach, PhD student tutor, and guest lecturer.

I completed three fully funded, full time postgraduate programmes at the National Institute of Education of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, earning a postgraduate diploma with Distinction, an MA (Top Graduate) and a PhD. My thesis received the 2023 BALEAP Doctoral Studies Award for its significant contribution to the field of EAP.

I have published research in the Journal of English for Academic Purposes, English for Specific Purposes, International Journal of Applied Linguistics, System, Journal of Applied Linguistics and Professional Practice, among other journals. I have also co-authored book chapters published by Routledge and Springer. I am the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator of several funded research projects in China and the UK. I have delivered invited talks about my research in Singapore, Indonesia, China, and the UK.

I sit on the editorial board of several journals, including Journal of English for Academic Purposes, Computers and Composition, International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching. I am a peer reviewer for over 10 SSCI- and Scopus -indexed journals.

I am the Socia Media Coordinator of BALEAP TELSIG (from September 2025) and Comms Lead of MERLIN (from January 2026). I serve on the Language Centre Summer Conference Organising Committee (2025-2027).

I welcome enquiries about PhD supervision in areas of my expertise and interests (see below). Please email me your research proposal, CV and transcripts, along with a plan for seeking funding.

Responsibilities

• 3MT Competition Co-lead
• Module Co-lead of ELU3008 Language for Communication and Society

Research interests

My research interests include all areas of EAP, particularly the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) genre, (multimodal) academic discourse, generative AI in EAP, and scientometric approaches to research synthesis. I draw on quantitative, qualitative, as well as mixed methods to explore these areas.

I currently work in two main areas:

1. 3MT
   I am particularly interested in the discourse features of 3MT presentations and in the processes and participant perspectives associated with engaging in this genre. My work has focused on:

• Organisational features: Analysing rhetorical moves and cross-disciplinary variations.
• Linguistic features: Exploring metadiscourse, importance markers, negation, etc.
• Multimodal features: Examining visual resources in the single slide and their relationship to the speech.
• Stakeholder experiences and attitudes: Understanding how presenters, judges, and audiences perceive their participation in the 3MT.

2. Generative AI in Academic Communication
   I am exploring the integration of generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) into the learning and teaching of academic writing and speaking. I currently work on:

• The experiences of students and teachers using generative AI tools.
• Perspectives on the role and impact of generative AI in academic contexts.
• The impact of generative AI on learning outcomes and practices.

Through my research, I aim to bridge the gap between academic inquiry and practical application, offering insights and resources that enhance both the learning and teaching experiences in EAP and language learning contexts.

Qualifications

• PhD in Applied Linguistics (NTU Singapore)
• MA in Applied Linguistics (NTU Singapore)
• MA in Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics (Sichuan University, China)
• Postgraduate Diploma in English Language Teaching (with Distinction) (NTU Singapore)
• CELTA (Cambridge)

Professional memberships

• BALEAP
• BAAL
• SAAL

Student education

My teaching is grounded in research-led practice, prioritising compassion, student agency, and collaborative learning. Through dialogic feedback and technology-enhanced approaches, I aim to foster reflective engagement and empower students to take ownership of their academic development. I teach in-sessional EAP modules for the School of Design, Masters pre-sessional EAP modules for international students, and General English for shorter-term students.

Research groups and institutes

• Language Centre
• Language at Leeds
• PRIA