English language teachers in China are expressing growing interest in the model of language provided by systemic functional linguistics and genre theory. This paper offers further insights into the methods developed in this framework, for teaching reading and writing in school and academic contexts. These methods involve carefully planned interactions between teachers and students, that enable all students in a class to successfully practise skills in academic reading and writing. The paper outlines the models of language and language learning that underpin the methods, and illustrates the kinds of classroom interactions used for writing and reading. It concludes with a discussion of the implications of these methods for language teaching in China.