Introduction
English for Law is an online course, consisting of 56 units of English, and providing approximately 60 hours of study for students.
Course aims
To give students at Intermediate, CEFR B1/Upper Intermediate B2 level practice in general and business-oriented language required for business contexts at this level, specifically tailored towards the specialisation of the law. The course blends grammatical structures necessary for this level, with vocabulary, reading, listening, writing, speaking and pronunciation.
Грамматика
- Use present and past tenses correctly
- Use the appropriate conditional forms to talk about situations and consequences.
- Use the present perfect to describe a link between past and present events.
- Use going to and will to talk about future predictions and intentions.
- Use the passive form correctly
- Distinguish and be able to correctly describe countable and uncountable nouns.
Словарный запас
- By the end of the course students will have learnt approximately 120 expressions used in legal contexts.
Skills
- By the end of the course students will have had exposure to and practice in reading and hearing formal and informal English from a variety of accents and legal contexts.
Unit summary
Module 1
- Introduction to Legal Terminology
- Grammar: Present tenses
- Словарный запас: Essential legal vocabulary, legal concepts, branches of law
- Чтение: Understanding legal texts, articles, and case studies
- Прослушивание: Legal discussions, lectures, and debates
- Написание: My life as a lawyer
- Выступление: Describing a legal concept
- Произношение: Anxious and Chess + connected speech
Module 2
- Contract Law
- Grammar: Past tenses
- Словарный запас: Contract formation, breaches, remedies, contract terms
- Чтение: Contracts and agreements
- Прослушивание: Contract negotiation and dispute resolution discussions
- Написание: Contract clauses and summaries
- Выступление: Discussing contract terms and negotiating agreements
- Произношение: Beats and Beach + connected speech
Module 3
- Criminal Law
- Grammar: Going to and Will
- Словарный запас: Offences, criminal procedure, sentencing, criminal defences
- Чтение: Criminal case summaries and legal statutes
- Прослушивание: Courtroom proceedings and criminal law discussions
- Написание: A case brief
- Выступление: Presenting criminal law arguments
- Произношение: Bet and But + connected speech
Module 4
- Family Law
- Grammar: Present perfect
- Словарный запас: Marriage, divorce, child custody, alimony, adoption
- Чтение: Family law statutes and cases
- Прослушивание: Family law consultations and court hearings
- Написание: A family law document
- Выступление: Discussing family law issues
- Произношение: Bud and Bird + connected speech
Module 5
- Property Law
- Grammar: Countable and uncountable nouns
- Словарный запас: Real property, personal property, leases, mortgages, easements
- Чтение: Property law documents and cases
- Прослушивание: Property law discussions and negotiations
- Написание: A property law document
- Выступление: Discussing property law transactions
- Произношение: Cart and Cut + connected speech
Module 6
- Employment Law
- Grammar: First conditional
- Словарный запас: Employment contracts, discrimination, termination, worker’s rights
- Чтение: Employment law cases and regulations
- Прослушивание: Employment law consultations and disputes
- Написание: An employment law document
- Выступление: Discussing employment law
- Произношение: Day and Ray + connected speech
Module 7
- Intellectual Property Law
- Грамматика: Passive
- Словарный запас: Copyright, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, infringement
- Чтение: Intellectual property law cases and statutes
- Прослушивание: Intellectual property law discussions and disputes
- Написание: An intellectual property law document
- Выступление: Discussing intellectual property law
- Произношение: Guess and Yes + connected speech
Module 8
- Professional Communication for Legal Professionals
- Grammar: Second conditional
- Словарный запас: Formal and informal language, presentation skills, cultural awareness
- Чтение: Professional emails, memos, and announcements
- Прослушивание: Effective communication with colleagues
- Написание: Professional emails, memos, and announcements
- Выступление: Communication between legal professionals
- Произношение:Hope and Hop + connected speech
Follow-up
- Students completing the English for Law course should feel confident in tackling any upper intermediate course, including our Upper Intermediate Business Power course.