Phyllis N. Zhang

Phyllis N. Zhang is an Associate Professor of Chinese and International Affairs at George Washington University (GW), where she has been a full-time faculty member since 2004. She has served as Director of the GW Chinese Language Program (2004–2014) and Founding Director of the MA in Chinese Language and Culture Program (since 2014). Her expertise includes Chinese linguistics, technology-enhanced language pedagogy, and proficiency assessment. She has authored influential textbooks such as the Developing Chinese Fluency series and David & Helen in China, and her research focuses on digital learning environments' impact on language acquisition. Prof. Zhang is a certified Chinese proficiency tester (OPI) through ACTFL and received the 2006 Bender Teaching Award.

Education: Ed.D. in Applied Linguistics from Columbia University.

Research Interests: Syntax and pedagogical grammar of Chinese, innovative language teaching methodologies leveraging technology, and evaluating proficiency development through digital tools. She emphasizes bridging theoretical linguistics with practical classroom applications to enhance language fluency and cultural understanding.

Awards:

• GW 2006 Bender Teaching Award

Professional Contributions: Board member of the Chinese Language Teachers Association-U.S. (CLTA-US) and the Journal of Technology and Chinese Language Teaching (JTCLT), serving as editor from 2010 to 2019. She actively promotes technological integration in language education and collaborates on interdisciplinary projects.