This article reports on English second language (ESL) students’ experiences of academic
writing in a university setting. It draws on the notion of community of practice to explain that
it is not sufficient for academic literacy courses to concern themselves only with the questions
relating to the development of student academic literacy. Rather they should also be
concerned with how students learn in social contexts and what knowledge is included and
what knowledge is excluded. Such an orientation is vital because academic writing in the
context of the university is more than just the ability to read and write, it is often the basis for
the evaluation of students and, as such, becomes a powerful gatekeeper
