Legal and Academic Discourse in English | Università degli Studi di Milano Statale

A.Y. 2024/2025

Max ECTS

Overall hours

SSD

L-LIN/12

Language

English

Included in the following degree programmes

International Relations (- Classe LM-52)-Enrolled from 2020/2021 Academic Year

Learning objectives

The course aims to prepare students to use of English academically first and, later, professionally, with specific reference to the field of international relations, especially in the legal area.
The objectives are therefore both theoretical and applicative in nature. Firstly, students will be provided with a reasoned overview of the linguistic tools typical of academic English, in order to promote greater awareness both of a strictly lexical-grammatical type, and of a textual and discursive type; secondly, it intends to address the subject of legal English, examining its characteristics and offering a reasoned review of the major difficulties and peculiarities found in various types of documents. The ultimate aim is for students to acquire tools and strategies that may allow them to optimally use the English language in academic and professional settings.

Expected learning outcomes

The course has a marked practical focus, and aims to consolidate the students' understanding of complex written texts (including about legal topics) in English, as well as the skills necessary to write academic essays.

Lesson period: First trimester

Lessons timetable

Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi

Exams calendar

Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Take a single course

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Responsible

Grego Kim Serena

Lesson period

First trimester

Syllabus
(active tab)
Course structure

Course syllabus

The course comprises two parts. The Legal English part aims to foster the acquisition of the linguistic competences required to read legal texts in English, as well as to discuss topics in international law fluently and with lexical and grammatical propriety. Starting from a general introduction to Legal English, the course will then focus on international law. The course will deal with the following topics:
- introduction to legal discourse in common law systems: lexical, textual and discursive aspects;
- English usage and textual and discursive practices in international relations;
- analysis of legal texts;
- discussion of case studies.

The Academic Discourse part includes the revision, further exploration and consolidation of the lexico-syntactic and phraseological features of academic English. These competences will be combined with the acquisition of essay writing skills. In this part, the focus will be on academic communication in English. In particular, besides grammatical and lexical correctness, the course will teach principles of textual organization and argument development in academic essays / theses, and provide guidelines about their presentation in public.

Prerequisites for admission

The minimum requirement for students to profitably attend the course is a level of English language competence matching the B2 level in the CEFR. The exit level is set at B2 plus / C1of the CEFR.

Students whose competences do not meet the minimum entry requirements must autonomously fill any gaps in their preliminary knowledge of English. To this end, the following book is recommended:
- Murphy, Raymond. English Grammar in Use. Intermediate. With keys.

Teaching methods

The course comprises a mix of lectures and practical tasks, so students are expected to actively participate in class. The development of skills and competences is crucial; for this reason, students will be required to work assiduously on the development and consolidation of legal and academic English skills through constant critical practice. The teaching methods used will draw from applied functional linguistics, especially from the English-speaking tradition. The working language is English.

Teaching Resources

Legal English:
- Malcolm Coulthard, Alison Johnson and David Wright 2017. An Introduction to forensic linguistics : language in evidence. Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, N.Y. , Routledge.
- Sofia Parastatidou, Jacopo D'Andria Ursoleo, Kate Gralton, 2021. Legal English. London: Pearson.

Academic English:
- Alan Meyers. 2020. Longman Academic Writing Series 5: Essays to Research Papers. Pearson. New York.
- Sheldon Smith. 2017. Academic Presentations: EAP Foundation. Evident Press (Kindle edition available).

All the material provided on Ariel:
- slides shown during the course,
- grammar exercises and tasks,
- authentic texts to study and analyse,
- any other additional material used during the course.

Recommended grammar book:
- Hewings, Martin. Advanced Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. With keys.

Assessment methods and Criteria

The exam is written and aims to ascertain students' competences - both theoretical and in applied forms - in respect of the topics and language varieties discussed during the course. In particular, students will have to prove their competence in using the structures of academic English (B2 plus / C1 level), and to be familiar with the key linguistic and discursive structures of legal English.

The exams comprises 35 closed-questions testing the competence acquired in Legal English (30 minutes, no dictionary allowed), and the production of a short (200-300 words) English essay about a topic chosen from a range of issues discussed during the course (60 minutes, monolingual dictionary only allowed).

The exam tests both the theoretical knowledge relating to the characteristics of this specialized language, and the applied skills (both passive - reading - and active - production). The final evaluation (expressed out of 30 points) is based on knowledge of the concepts covered in the course and on lexical and grammatical correctness, textual cohesion and validity of argumentation structure, according to the standards taught and practiced.

Continuous assessment may be implemented for attending students, in the form of texts and/or presentations to be produced or given at scheduled times during the course.

L-LIN/12 - LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION - ENGLISH - University credits: 9

Lessons: 60 hours

Professor: Grego Kim Serena

Shifts:

Turno

Professor: Grego Kim Serena

Educational website(s)

Legal and Academic Discourse in English (a.a. 2024/25)

Professor(s)

Grego Kim Serena

Reception:

Preferably email me for an app.t, but I'm in most days most of the time.

Room 103

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