The peculiarities of teaching academic writing at the world best universities

the article raises the problem of implementing academic writing in Russian higher education. The academic community in Russia is taking the first steps towards creating a system for teaching effective written communication, overcoming such difficulties as lack of personnel, lack of a unified developed methodological basis, and indifference of the managerial staff. Teachers feel a great need to develop a system of teaching academic writing, because students have difficulty creating literate texts in their native language, not to mention foreign languages. The concept of academic writing has been tested and applied in practice at foreign educational institutions for a long time. The study of successfully functioning models is necessary for effective realization of ideas on formation of academic literacy of the Russian learner. The article gives an overview of the content and methodology of the Academic Writing Centers at the five best foreign universities, their programs, techniques and methods of work with students. In addition to the analysis of the Writing Centers' work, the article provides the description of the system of teaching written and oral communication at the university level which is of great importance. The data show that each of the five universities has active academic writing centers, mandatory courses in basic writing skills, and a wide variety of courses available to those who want to master the craft of writing. Academic literacy courses are an important part of the educational system at world-renowned institutions of higher learning. This article may be useful for practicing teachers, researchers of academic writing, and university administrators.