Abstract

This critical review provides a thorough examination of the development of English academic literacy among graduate students in Iranian higher education institutions. It delves into how the students' sociocultural and educational backgrounds, combined with the dynamics of institutional factors, shape their academic literacy competencies. The study also assesses the potential of academic literacy as an alternative approach to enhance academic writing in the given academic landscape. To this aim, it explores the critical factors that mold English writing and its pedagogy. An analysis of existing literature, encompassing both international research and local studies, reveals the existing challenges Iranian students encounter in English writing. Key issues include gaps in the curriculum, the absence of a comprehensive academic literacy framework, and the inadequacy of effective teaching methodologies. Given the global emphasis on multiliteracy and multiculturalism, with a drive towards equal educational opportunities, this study promotes the implementation of genre-based writing and targeted strategies to advance academic writing in Iran, regarded as “English as a Foreign Language” (EFL) context. This proposed strategy is aimed at addressing the substantial difficulties students face in achieving proficiency in English academic literacy.

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