Law Syllabus
SAMPLE SYLLABUS – LAW
WHO IS THIS SYLLABUS FOR?
This Law syllabus is suitable for second language learners working in the legal world who want to improve their competence in the target language, using meaningful real-world contexts relevant to their professional working lives.
Actual course content and training format will be tailor-made after a process of consultation. The sample outline below gives an idea of what may be covered. The language levels are based on the Common European Framework.
SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE
Level B2-C2 (Intermediate-Advanced Level)
1. Communicative/Thematic Content may include:
- Types of court
- Persons in court – responsibilities
- Company law: formation and management
- Company law: capitalisation
- Company law: language of change and development
- Leadership & management
- Contracts: remedies
- Contracts: assignment and third-person rights
- Employment law
- Sale of goods
- Real property law
- Intellectual property law
- Negotiable instruments
- Secured transactions
- Debtor-creditor
- Competition law
- Professional Development
- Ethics & values
2. Functional content
- Communicating – phone, email and letter
- The language of debate & argument
- Arranging & conducting meetings
- Speaking to the media
- Making & declining offers
- Diplomacy and tact
- Giving instructions
- Expressing an opinion
- Giving praise
- Planning
- Language of Opinion
- Persuasion & Dissuasion
- Criticising/complaining
- Negotiating
- Making presentations
- Organising a meeting
- Social language (bars, restaurants)
- Travel
3. Pronunciation
- Key sounds/phonemes
- Word and sentence stress & intonation
- Common Problems
4. Structural Content / Grammar
- Tenses: present & past (walk verb in its base form/ irregular verb walked)
- Perfect aspect: progressive & perfective (be + ing/ have + been past participle)
- Modal Verb structures: use of modals in discourse (I think I may…)
- Imperatives: the base form of the verb typically used to issue orders (stop!)
- Word order
- Building longer sentences
5. Non-thematic Vocabulary
- Complex prepositions: phrasal & mixed types (over & above)
- Linking words: (because, so, however, therefore, etc.)
- Word-building (prefix and suffix patterns)
6. Cultural content
- Everyday conventions: greetings, time-keeping, making phone calls, meals, etc
- Body language and gestures
- National traditions/customs & culture
- ‘Do’s & Taboos’
- Intercultural Communication
- Social Life