Her research interests are in teaching Chinese for specific purposes and second language acquisition. Since 2012, she has taught Chinese at all levels, including business Chinese and a Chinese debate course.
Zhang has an M.A. in teaching Chinese as a foreign language from Fudan University and an M.A. in teaching Chinese at college level from Brandeis University. She is also a certified Oral Proficiency Interview tester. Previously, she taught at Brigham Young University.