Purpose of the present paper is to consider and determine the relevance of the discipline "Foreign language" as a means of forming the professional competence of future engineers, graduate students of engineering directions, teachers of engineering disciplines and other stakeholders; to reveal the patterns of change and addition to the status of a foreign language as a marker of "education" the status of a means for applying professional literacy. Methods . The methods of the article are a descriptive method, a method of synchronous analysis and description of the results of development and experimental piloting of the course “Foreign language for engineers. Academic writing", which make it possible to determine the characteristics of perception, communicative status, situational relevance of the course in relation to the professional sphere of use. Results . This course is aimed at building professional competencies by means of the English language, necessary for various types of professional activities within the framework of the existing qualifications. Conclusion . The article considers the issue of the need to develop a course, which is especially relevant at the modern historical stage, when there takes place the integration of world experience in the process of professional and cultural communication at the global international level.