Dr Yanhua Liu

Profile

I am an applied linguist with extensive international teaching experience in academic and general English at universes in China, Singapore, and the UK. I joined the University of Leeds in December 2024.

From 2022 to 2024, I taught academic English at the newly established Guangzhou campus of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST (Guangzhou)). During my tenure, I initiated and organised two university-wide academic communication events—the Three Minute Thesis competition, and an MPhil thesis writing competition. I also co-led an international language and culture exchange summer programme, which involved about 300 students from over 20 countries. In addition, I served as the Academic Lead for two postgraduate English courses, and chaired the Domain Expert Committee overseeing the recruitment English language faculty members.

Previously, I worked as a Pre-sessional EAP Tutor at the University of Southampton. Prior to that, I served as a part-time communication coach at the Language and Communication Centre at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. During my seven years in Singapore, I earned a postgraduate diploma, an MA and a PhD, all supported by scholarships. My PhD thesis received the 2023 BALEAP Doctoral Studies Award. Earlier in my career, I spent nearly a decade teaching English as a foreign language in China and a year teaching Mandarin at a private school in Somerset, UK.

My research has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of English for Academic Purposes, English for Specific Purposes, the International Journal of Applied Linguistics, and System. I am the Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) of several funded research projects and have delivered invited research talks in Singapore, Indonesia, China, and the UK.

I currently serve on the Editorial Board of Computers and Composition and regularly review manuscripts for some of the journals mentioned above.

Research interests

My research expertise lies primarily in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and (Multimodal) Discourse Analysis, with additional experience in the applications of generative AI, Scientometric, and corpus linguistic tools. I employ quantitative, qualitative, as well as mixed methods to explore these areas. The overarching aim of my research is to provide students and teachers with optimal support for the learning and teaching of English and academic communication skills.

My current research interests span two main areas:

1. Spoken Academic Genres for Non-Specialists
   I have a particular interest in the discourse features of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) presentations, and the process and perspectives of those participating in the genre. My work in this area includes:
   • Organisational features: Analysing rhetorical moves and cross-disciplinary variations.
   • Linguistic features: Exploring interactive and interactional metadiscourse, as well as the use of negation.
   • Multimodal features: Examining visual resources in the single slide and their relationship to the speech.
   • Preparation process: Investigating how presenters prepare for their participation.
   • Stakeholder perspectives: Understanding the views of presenters, judges, and audiences on the effectiveness of presentations.
2. Integration of Generative AI Tools 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. My work in this area focuses 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 assessment 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 contexts.

Qualifications

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

Professional memberships

• BALEAP
• BAAL
• SAAL

Student education

I currently teach on the General English programme at the Language Centre.

Research groups and institutes

• Language Centre