On teaching post-graduate students correct use of articles in English academic discourse

The article is concerned with teaching young researchers correct use of articles in academic discourse (including ‘a'/‘an', ‘the'and zero article). The English article system presents a certain difficulty for speakers whose language lacks this grammatical category or where it functions differently (including Russian). Inadequate use of articles lowers the level of formal accuracy of the academic text, causing ambiguity and negatively influencing perception of the research by academic community. The article considers key functions of articles in academic discourse, suggesting methodological approaches and principles for training aimed at forming stable competence. Special attention is given to the distinctive features of article use in academic discourse and their incorporation into the course of studies.