Abstract:

The paper deals with the experience of integrating an on-line module in the programme of an academic writing course. The office of academic writing of the South Ural State University has been successfully delivering several courses of academic literacy to the academic and teaching stuff of the university for a year. Among the main problems the lecturers encounter while teaching these disciplines are unequal level of English language knowledge in one group, lack of time, preventing students from attending all the classes and doing home assignments properly, and absence of feedback and connection between a lecture and students outside the classroom.

The authors performed an experiment, using the methods of questionnaire survey and interview, to obtain the data on the necessity to implement an online module to the course.

The results of the experiment are discussed in the paper. The recommendations on the module content and its structure are given.

Keywords:

Academic writing, blended learning, on-line module, academic literacy, questionnaire survey.