English Language Skills (ELS 311)

ELS 311 – Legal English

Undergraduate English Language Skills Courses (ELS 311)

This is a skills-based course designed to improve the language skills of participants who will need to operate in English in an international legal environment. The course content consists of realistic texts, tasks and topics similar to those legal professionals would expect to encounter in their daily working lives. The course materials are based on international law and cover such areas as contracts, corporate and real property as well as other relevant aspects of legal practice. The language proficiency of the participants in this course is expected to be at least at an upper-intermediate (B2 level of CEFR) level.

Course participants will also be prepared for a Cambridge ESOL exam specifically designed for law students or practicing lawyers called ILEC (International Legal English Certificate), which awards a certificate internationally recognized by leading associations.

On successful completion of the course students will be able to:

• follow most discussions and deal with most unanticipated questions.
• argue their case fairly effectively and specify needs fairly precisely.
• engage in a fairly extended conversation with colleagues and clients on matters within their authority/competence.
• understand the general meaning of written reports fairly quickly.
• write a report that communicates the desired message fairly effectively.write most correspondence he/she is likely to be required to do in an international legal environment.

Hours per week: 3
Credits: 3

Semester: Fall and Spring

Course Requirements

Materials:

Students need to:

• bring the course book “International Legal English Upper-intermediate” to every class.
• bring any materials the instructor places on reserve at the copy center or posted online.

Attendance

Students are advised to attend classes regularly. Failure to attend classes regularly will result in losing track of the ongoing process of learning as well as missing valuable opportunities to get feedback on their progress. Regular attendance and active participation will constitute 10 points of the total grade.

Participation

Participation is different from attendance. It requires:

• contribution to class discussions and activities.
• acting with academic courtesy and academic honesty.
• bringing all the materials needed to class.
• following online pages regularly.

Bilgi Learn Pages

Since according to university rules all announcements on the online page are official, heeding these announcements is students’ responsibility. Therefore, students need to:

• carefully follow the announcements and materials provided through Bilgi Online Education Pages. Students are advised to check the Online Education page at least a day before each class in order to follow weekly pacing and announcements.

Academic courtesy

Academic courtesy means acceptable behavior in an academic environment. In other words, students are expected to arrive to class on time, show respect to peers and instructor, and come to class prepared with the necessary materials. Moreover, students are responsible for following rules of classroom conduct in addition to university rules. Repeated violations will result in disciplinary action.

Academic honesty

Unethical behavior such as cheating and plagiarism will be officially recorded by the academic staff and reported to the Student Affairs Office which will result in disciplinary action and failing grade on the task or assignment. Plagiarism is claiming somebody else’s work as your own and it is students’ responsibility to credit work they have cited.

“Burden of Proof”: If the instructor doubts that a student has completed his or her work independently, it is the student’s responsibility to show that he or she completed the task on his or her own at each and every stage. Failure to provide evidence is grounds for receiving a failing grade on the assignment.

Assessment

This course is assessed on one midterm exam, one final exam, quizzes and assignments and participation.

Quizzes and/or assignments missed due to absences cannot be made-up.

Letter Grades

* Please note that course requirements and assessment policies / procedures are subject to change based on the student needs and profile.