Dr. Tzipora Rakedzon

Language and communication research lab

About me

I received my PhD in Science Communication from the Department of Education in Technology and Science at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and my BA and MA in Linguistics from the University of Haifa.

Since 2002, I have been a faculty member at the Technion. I currently head the Language and Communication Lab in the Department of Humanities and Arts, where I also serve as Academic Head and lecturer of Graduate Academic Writing. Previously, I served as Associate Head of the Department of Humanities and Arts and as Director of the English Program at the Guangdong Technion Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) in China.

My research focuses on academic writing, STEM science communication, and the use of artificial intelligence to support writing instruction and assessment. I develop pedagogical, rhetorical, and AI-based tools for teaching, assessing, and researching writing in multilingual and multicultural academic contexts. My work brings together applied linguistics, science communication, educational technology, and STEM higher education.

A central theme of my research is helping scientists and engineers communicate more effectively with academic, professional, and public audiences. More recently, I have explored how generative AI can transform writing education—not as a replacement for human writers, but as a tool for studying writing processes, providing formative feedback, and supporting writers from diverse linguistic, cultural, and educational backgrounds. Through this work, I aim to develop evidence-based frameworks that make academic and scientific communication more effective, accessible, and inclusive.

Call for doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows

MY LAB

Current lab members

Ilana Shlomov

Ilana received her double major B.A. in Special Education and Counselling and Human Development from the University of Haifa and her MS in Neuroscience from the Technion. Her research focused on the Neurodevelopmental Effects of cognitive training in children. Now, her PhD research aims to explore the connection between executive functions and writing pedagogies. Specifically, she will aid in developing and researching up-to-date English for Academic Purposes (EAP) pedagogies to improve Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students’ English academic writing outcomes.

Shallom Abla Lumor

My study aims to explore the experiences and challenges faced by female professors in West Africa and the Middle East, shedding light on the unique gender-related issues within academia in these regions.

By investigating the influence of gender on academic writing, particularly in the context of West Africa and the Middle East, this research seeks to uncover how gender dynamics shape scholarly communication.

Through examining strategies employed by female academics, this study aims to reveal effective approaches for overcoming gender-based barriers, contributing to a better understanding of how women navigate their academic careers in these regions.

Xinyi ZHANG

Advisors: Dr. Avital Binah-Pollak & Dr. Tzipora Rakedzon (2025)

My research focuses on young children’s second/foreign language development in Asian contexts. I hold a Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong, where my thesis examined the association between home environment and young Chinese children’s English as a second/foreign language development. My current research project is about exploring the potential of AI technology to support young children’s English as a second/foreign language learning, particularly those from low socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds.

Amani Jaber

Dr. Amani Jaber’s postdoctoral research at the Technion explores the cultural and pedagogical dimensions of integrating AI-based tools into multilingual and multicultural Israeli classrooms. Her study investigates how students and teachers perceive and use AI for learning, with particular attention to language choice, cultural awareness, and inclusion. By comparing Jewish and Arab school settings, the research seeks to uncover how access to AI tools shapes identity, equity, and differentiated learning. The project aims to inform inclusive educational practices that harness AI responsibly within diverse learning environments.

Peng (Patrick) Zhang

Peng (Patrick) Zhang received his master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) from Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining the Technion, he taught English at Shantou University and the Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) for over eight years. Patrick believes that students learn a language best when they are given diverse opportunities and affordances to practice it, and that thoughtfully designed classroom activities are key to successful intake. His research interests include second language writing instruction, Sociocultural Theory, and Task-Based Language Teaching. His current research project focuses on authorial voice in English writing within AI-mediated environments among Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students.

Adam Asad

Adam is a linguist with a background in theoretical linguistics, multilingualism, and second language acquisition. He teaches academic writing to doctoral students at the Technion. In the lab, his research examines English-Medium Instruction (EMI) in Israeli higher education, with a particular focus on institutional language policy, quality assurance, program sustainability, and lecturers’ cognition. He also investigates prompt literacy and second language writing among multilingual STEM students, using discourse-analytic methods.

Past lab members

Andrey S. Druzhinin

Andrey S. Druzhinin is Associate Professor at MGIMO-University (Moscow, Russia) and Guest Researcher at the Technion. He received a PhD degree in Linguistics from MGIMO-University in 2014. He has authored a number of articles in the Scopus-indexed peer-reviewed journals about philosophy of language and communication. He is now investigating categorization practices and patterns of embodied reasoning in the contemporary English discourse, Western culture and society. He believes that humans and their experience arise with, in and through the language(s) they speak/write, that is why a language study allows for a better understanding of modern trends and changing values in interpersonal and institutional interactions.

Caterina Scaccia

Caterina is a postdoctoral fellow at the Technion. She holds a BA in Philosophy of Science and an MA in Languages from the University of Milan (Italy). She developed a research focused on the persuasive role of humor in stand-up comedy within the ADARR research group (Discourse Analysis, Argumentation, and Rhetoric) and received her Ph.D. from Tel Aviv University. Confident in the power of multidisciplinary approaches, she is now undertaking an original study of verbal humor in quantum physics discourse.

Laila Haddad Najjar

My academic interests include language acquisition, bilingualism, and the evolving role of technology in language learning. I hold a PhD from the University of Haifa. My doctoral research explored the influence of languages on each other, with a particular focus on the effect of first-language (L1) linguistic skills on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning and vice versa.

Currently, my research project deals with the impact of artificial intelligence on academic writing, investigating how AI tools shape academic writing practices in terms of coherence and critical thinking.

IN THE NEWS

Science Communication Workshop at Princeton

Dr. Rakedzon recently conducted a dynamic workshop at Princeton’s Plasma Physics Laboratory, focusing on research-based tools for effective science communication.

The session introduced innovative AI-powered tools and tasks to make scientific communication more accessible and impactful. Participants explored strategies for handling jargon, writing concisely, crafting persuasive messages, and addressing ethical aspects of research.

Through hands-on activities, live demonstrations, and practical insights, attendees gained valuable skills to better engage both public and academic audiences.

The event was well-received, highlighting the growing importance of clear, impactful communication in science and research.

Click here for more details

My department seminar - April 2025

From Rubrics to Robots: The Transformation of STEM Writing Instruction, Assessment and Research

Abstract

Writing is one of the most challenging language skills to master, yet it is essential for academic success. Therefore, many universities offer academic writing courses to support students and future researchers in effectively communicating and publishing their work. Similarly, science communication courses provide researchers with the skills to engage broader audiences and enhance the dissemination of their findings beyond their academic community. To maximize the effectiveness of such training, it is crucial to design and assess these courses carefully. Consequently, research in academic and science communication focuses on identifying the most effective ways to support researchers in developing their writing skills and evaluating the impact of various instructional approaches – a central focus of my work.
In this seminar, I will present my research on science communication and academic writing in STEM, situating it within the broader development of writing instruction, assessment, and research. To frame this discussion, I will trace the progression of assessment methods in pedagogy and research – from human-scored rubrics and standardized evaluations to computational approaches such as corpus linguistics, natural language processing (NLP), and machine learning (ML). These technological advancements have enabled large-scale writing analysis, paving the way for AI-driven assessment tools that provide real-time text generation and personalized feedback. By examining these developments, I will highlight how AI has been integrated into my work and the broader field, shaping the way STEM graduate students develop their communication skills and how their writing is assessed.

To watch the seminar

Contact

Offices

Email: Dr. Tzipora Rakedzon hutzipi@technion.ac.il

Links:

Research gate https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tzipora-Rakedzon

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tzipora-rakedzon-81062343/

Google scholar profile: https://scholar.google.co.il/citations?user=RgBkBwMAAAAJ&hl=en

You can find me at:

Office: 206 Department of Humanities and Arts

Lab: 315 Department of Humanities and Arts

Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Technion City
3200003 Haifa, Israel

Dr. Tzipora Rakedzon

Language and communication research lab

About me

MY LAB

Current lab members

Ilana Shlomov

Shallom Abla Lumor

Xinyi ZHANG

Amani Jaber

Peng (Patrick) Zhang

Adam Asad

Past lab members

Andrey S. Druzhinin

Caterina Scaccia

Laila Haddad Najjar

IN THE NEWS

Contact

GALLERY

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