My View on Course Setting of Legal English Discipline Construction

Deng Ke

【Abstract】Legal English course has gone through over twenty Years development， and gradually developed into a relatively independent special course. However， a series of problems still remain unsolved now， the achievement in teaching legal English fails to match the overwhelming trend of opening-up. From the perspective of actual operation and teaching effect， the author consider that it is very imperative to perfect the discipline construction on syllabus and course setting.

【Key words】legal English； course setting

Every professional variety English has its own particular vocabulary. Different from daily language， Legal English is a carrier of legal ideas， a tool of legal consciousness. It differs from general language as an authorities and restraining carrier. It is a special and technical language that serves legal affairs and legislation activities. Learning legal English means probing into the field of legal English from the angle of the language of English， understanding and mastering how English effectively transmits and communicates in specific legal situations.

1. Time of course setting

Although the effect of learning legal English depends on the linguistic foundation of English， learning legal English differs from previous linguistic training of English， with a great amount of legal terms and concepts as the obstacles in learning. Therefore， apart from a firm linguistic foundation before learning legal English， the students also need to have some basic knowledge of departmental law and Chinese and foreign laws. Thus it is best to establish legal English course to the senior class. Have finished their basic professional courses， these students have had relatively complete and professional basic knowledge. They also have finished college English. Most of them have passed the Pretco-B or even CET-4， with quite a firm linguistic foundation. Under such conditions， they will not have much difficulty in learning legal English. Whats more， they will face the pressure of employment or further education in one or two years， so they will have more enthusiasm in learning legal English， which tends to bring about a satisfactory effect.

2. Contents of course

Through survey and interview， some colleges and universities failed to organize legal English course in order， obviously violating the teaching laws and thus influencing students learning effects. Therefore， legal English course can be set following the mode of gradual transition from the easiest to the hardest， from the lowest to the highest.

Courses on basis of legal knowledge shall be set up， such as Nomology， civil law， economic law， criminal law， international law， international private law， international economic law， etc. Basic legal knowledge shall be introduced so as to acquaint themselves with the properties， functions and origins as well as internal levels of law， and the relations between its space-time alteration and external factors like social， cultural and thinking pattern. These are courses set up to consolidate legal basic knowledge， with high theoretical level and a broad span.

Courses in legal knowledge in English version shall be set up. Courses in legal knowledge refer to major courses in the science of law， like Anglo-American contract law， selected readings of legal English in original version， and legal documents in English and their translated versions， etc. It is undoubted that if original English legal materials are used and these courses are taught in English， then students basic skills in using English will be improved while learning professional legal knowledge. They will not only meet the basic requirement of English majors， but also have a firm foundation of legal knowledge.

Lectures and training on examinations for legal English certificate shall be established. These lectures or training shall be a part of legal English courses， because they can not only stimulate students interest in learning legal English， but also improve their legal English， and thus enhance their competitiveness in job market.

3. Period of course

Most learners choose classroom teaching as the first and best way to learn legal English， which fully confirms course status of legal English. According to the contents of classroom teaching， the course can be set up to students in senior class， 18 weeks per semester， and 4 periods per week. Students can use the time after class to digest and practice the knowledge obtained.

4. Optional or compulsive

The survey through questionnaire on learning of legal English by the students shows that 92% of the students consider it very necessary to learn legal English， 96% show extremely great interest in learning legal English. Legal English， especially elementary legal English course can be set as a compulsive course， to lay a firm foundation for the students employment and further education in the future. Due to restraint of teacher resources and teaching period， legal English of intermediate and advanced levels can be established as optional courses， which can be chosen by the students according to their necessity and interest. With a view to English majors in senior class， legal English is established in the advanced module of college English. At this moment， the students have finished the department law， with some knowledge of Chinese and foreign laws as well as a firm linguistic foundation. They will have great enthusiasm in learning legal English without much difficulty.

5. Conclusion

Courses in legal English linguistic skills include the courses in basis linguistic foundations， including five abilities in listening， speaking， and reading， writing and translating legal English. These skills compose the prerequisites and guarantees for effective communications. They supplement and influence each other and also enhance each other and cannot be separated.

References：

[1]耶登.語言教學課程設計原理[M].北京：外語教學與研究出版社，2000.

[2]張華.課程與教學論[M].上海：上海教育出版社，2000.

[3]Debra S.Lee，J.D.1999.American Legal English[M].America：University of Michigan Press.

作者簡介：鄧柯（1981.1-），女，廣西南寧人，廣西政法管理干部學院外語系講師，教育學碩士學位，主要研究方向：英語課程與教學論。