Tianzhi "Terrence" Zhang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Teacher Education

I am an EFL/ESL teacher, teacher coach, and researcher. Over the past 10 years, I have dedicated my career to teaching and mentoring in the field of English language education. I earned my MA in TESL from Penn State and completed my Ph.D. at the University...

Tianzhi Zhang

Contact Information

Education & Curriculum Vitae

Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Culture, University of Pittsburgh
MA in TESL, Pennsylvania State University


I am an EFL/ESL teacher, teacher coach, and researcher. Over the past 10 years, I have dedicated my career to teaching and mentoring in the field of English language education. I earned my MA in TESL from Penn State and completed my Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, I serve as an assistant professor in the MA TESL program in the Department of Teacher Education at Gonzaga University. I enjoy reading, hiking, skiing, kayaking, cooking, and shooting hoops in my leisure time.

Publications

  • Zhang, T. (2024). Reconceptualizing the Teaching of the Five-Paragraph Essay Through Concept-Based Language Instruction to English as a Second Language Writers. L2 Journal 16(1). UC Berkeley.

Professional Papers Presented

National & International

  • Zhang, T., Godley, A.J., Litman, D. Singh, R. (Nov 2023). A demonstration of a Web-based teacher dashboard that provides English language Arts teachers with analytics of collaborative argumentation in student-centered discussions. Application demonstration presented at the Center for Integrative Research in Computing and Learning Sciences Convening. Alexandria, VA.
    • Zhang, T., (October 2023). “Where does it start and end?”: An exploration of teaching revising processes as a concept to multilingual English writers. Individual paper presented at the Symposium on Second Language Writing. Tempe, Arizona.
    • Zhang, T., Godley, A.J., Litman, D. Singh, R. (April 2023). Using an Innovative Computer-Based System for Fostering High School English Teachers’ Learning about Collaborative Argumentation. Roundtable presentation at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL.
    • Zhang, T., (March 2023). A Concept-based approach to raise multilingual learners’ awareness of cognitive processes of English revision. Individual paper presented at the Council of Graduate Students in Education (CGSE) Spring Conference. University of Pittsburgh, PA
    • Zhang, T., (March 2023). Teaching revising processes to multilingual English learners through technology-enhanced Concept-based Language Instruction. Individual paper presented at the American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL). Annual Convention, Portland, WA
  • Zhang, T., (March 2022). Different revision patterns of English as Second Language writers: an Analysis from the Functional Perspective. Individual paper presented at the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC). Annual Virtual Convention.
    • Zhang, T., (March 2022). The Conceptual Development of Modes of Persuasion: Teaching the Five-paragraph Essay through Concept-Based Instruction to English as a Second Language Writers. Individual paper presented at the American Association of Applied Linguistics (AAAL). Annual Convention, Pittsburgh, PA
    • Zhang, T., (December 2021). How Feedback on Writing Quality and Feedback on Prior Revisions Shape Post-secondary ESL Students’ Revisions on an Expository Writing Task? Paper presented at the Literacy Research Association (LRA). Annual Convention, Atlanta, GA

Research Interests

  • Sociocultural Theory and Systemic Functional Linguistics
  • Second Language Acquisition, Second Language Writing
  • Classroom Discourse
  • Language Teacher Training
  • Educational Technology