Many universities in China are having an attempt in teaching English for Academic Purpose (EAP). However, till now there is no answer to the basic linguistic requirements for the subjects of EAP teaching. This study described the adaptability of students to a general academic English teaching course. Those students belonged to B1 and B2 levels in Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The curriculum had a combination of genre teaching, content reading and project research. Text analysis of student writings showed that during a year’s study these students improved their writing competence: their academic vocabulary, syntax, discourse coherence had all been developed. Moreover their metacognitive attitude to academic research had also been bettered. This study is a model of transitional course from general English to special academic English course that universities of average level in China can learn from.