The level and dynamics of students' physical health during the 1 st and the 2 nd years of studying at a Ukrainian higher educational institution are investigated in this article, and the interrelation between the indicators of students' health and physical fitness is defined. Seventy-three students of Zhytomyr National Agroecological University (38 male and 35 female students) took part in the investigation. The level of the students' physical health was evaluated according to the methodology of Professor Apanasenko based on the anthropometry indicators (body weight and lengths, lung capacity, wrist power) and the state of the cardiovascular system (heart rate, blood pressure, heart rate recovery). It has been determined that the physical health level of both male and female students did not improve during the 1 st and the 2 nd years of studying; more than 80% of the students (both men and women) have below middle and low levels of health; the overall points are measured by 2.31-3.27 points. It indicates the lack of the efficiency of the current system of physical education at Ukrainian higher educational institutions and the necessity of the search for the means of its improvement. The correlation analysis defined an authentic interrelation (p<0.05) between the students' physical fitness level and the indicators of their health. Most of the authentic correlation connections are defined due to the results in the endurance and power exercises.

The article considers the development of academic literacy and intercultural communication in applicants of higher education institutions. In the context of the rapid development of modern information technologies, the European context of higher education sets a demand for qualitative changes in the training of competitive specialists, aimed at the requests of employers. The objective of the article is to analyse theoretical and methodological approaches to the development of academic literacy skills in students, which is the key to education quality, competitiveness in the professional environment and the field of international scientific communications. It has been determined that in modern conditions, with the increase of the use of digital communication technologies in the educational process and their availability, the blended learning model acquires large-scale significance and can stipulate the integration of educational activities and the introduction of digital communications for the development of communication competence in applicants. The basis of academic literacy is comprised of the following skills: operation of diverse languages, understanding of differences between these languages, and comprehension of the languages. Feedback allows students to realize and adjust their activity in accordance with the optimal activity strategy in an artificially created environment. Based on the communicative interaction, students and teachers discuss creative projects, use digital tools and web services to design multimedia electronic educational resources of Moodle system (an educational university portal). In order to improve professional training effectiveness of applicants and the quality of the higher education system, the educational environment should create a new academic community with academic literacy, academic integrity, and, in quarantine conditions, pay great attention to effective online communication. To do this, higher education institutions need to create a system of comprehensive development of academic literacy, academic integrity at all stages of education. That requires activation of discussion on these issues in foreign publications with an impact factor, professional periodicals, at scientific conferences, forums, seminars, webinars and trainings.