54
LEGAL MINDS THINK ALIKE: LEGAL ENGLISH SYLLABUS DESIGN AND THE
PERCEIVED LANGUAGE NEEDS OF PRESENT AND FORMER STUDENTS OF LAW
Ba bo a Cho anco á
Masa yk Uni e si y
Facul y o Law
Language Cen e
Ve eří 70, 611 80 B no, Czech Republic
ba bo a[email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
The a icle discusses he esul s o and he a ionale behind a needs analysis su ey ca ied ou
among s uden s and ecen g adua es wi h he aim o modi ying and inno a ing an exis ing
cou se syllabus. I documen s he p epa a ion o he changes in he Legal English syllabus a
he Facul y o Law as pa o Impac p ojec implemen ed a he MU Language Cen e. The
indings om he ques ionnai e su eys a e con as ed wi h he language equi emen s ha
majo law i ms place on hei ec ui s. The pape p oposes some ways o including changes
in he new syllabus o legal English o unde g adua es. The p epa a ion o he new syllabus
aims o make he cou se as ele an as possible o he CEFRL and he u u e language needs
o law s uden s.
In oduc ion
The aim o his pape is o discuss he inno a ion o ins uc ion ha is cu en ly unde way in
he Language Cen e a he Facul y o Law, Masa yk Uni e si y, as a pa o a uni e si y-wide
p ojec ( he “IMPACT P ojec ”). The p ojec is mean o add ess wo main a eas: (1) o
imp o e language es ing and o ensu e i s uni o mi y ac oss all he acul ies, and (2) o
implemen he inno a ion o a numbe o language cou ses in he a ea o LSP (Language o
Speci ic Pu poses). A e desc ibing he esul s o a needs analysis su ey ca ied ou among
cu en s uden s and o me g adua es, he p esen pape sugges s some o he ways in which
he syllabus o he exis ing cou se will be modi ied and edesigned on he basis o he su ey.
1 Cu en s a e o a ai s
All law s uden s a e cu en ly equi ed o ake a ou - e m cou se in a o eign language o
legal pu poses. S uden s can choose om LSP cou ses in English, Ge man, F ench o , mos
ecen ly, Spanish. The cou ses e mina e wi h an exam. As ega ds he “English o Law”
cou se, i is based on a ious ma e ials om di e se sou ces, such as he legal English
ex books by Ma a Ch omá (c ., e.g. [3]), which a e aimed speci ically a Czech s uden s, and
he cou sebooks in in e na ional legal English by Amy K ois-Lindne and Ma Fi h (c . [7],
[8]). In addi ion, eache s ha e been using a la ge numbe o hei own ma e ials designed o
ca e o he speci ic needs o hei s uden s, as well as, o ins ance, a ious ideo-based
ac i i ies on di e se legal opics.
The cu en p ojec has gi en he language eache s in ol ed he oppo uni y o e lec on
hei p esen syllabi and econside i s composi ion in e ms o he language skills p ac ised,
he p o essional opics co e ed, he au hen ic ma e ials used, e c. Teache s ha e been in i ed
o make changes in o de o imp o e he exis ing LSP syllabi and keep hem up- o-da e wi h
he la es de elopmen s in he me hodology o English o Speci ic Pu poses (ESP). In o de
o ensu e ha he modi ied syllabus is maximally ele an o he eal needs o he law
55
s uden s, i was decided o base some o he changes on he analysis o he lea ning needs o
he s uden s.
2 Needs Analysis
Needs analysis, as a diagnos ic ool ha has been a quin essen ial pa o ESP o decades,
was sys ema ically de eloped by Hu chinson and Wa e s, he “god a he s” o he ield, in he
1980s (Hu chinson and Wa e s 1987 [6]). As opposed o gene al English cou ses ha a e
uni e sal in hei o ien a ion because hey ca e o people who wan o use English o e y
di e se non-speci ic pu poses, ESP classes a e aimed a qui e speci ic, usually e y
homogenous audiences. Needs analysis se es as a ool ha helps o pi ch he cou se con en
so ha i co e s he mos ele an opics, language skills, ocabula y and o he language-
ela ed ma e s ha lea ne s may be equi ed o use in he wo kplace. When ca ying ou a
needs analysis su ey, he esponden s and he me hods need o be ca e ully decided upon so
ha he esul s can be ac ually used e ec i ely in cou se design. Thus, o ins ance, a ecen
s udy in he language needs o nu ses in Thailand has documen ed how he p epa a ion o a
medical English cou se e lec ed he needs o mul iple s akeholde s: he nu ses hemsel es,
he pa ien s and he hospi al di ec o , who we e all in e iewed abou hei expec a ions (Gass
2012: 14-18 [5]).
When desc ibing e ec i e ways o ca ying ou needs analysis, Bas u kmen (2013) [1]
speci ies he ollowing componen s: a ge si ua ion p esen si ua ion, lea ne ac o and
eaching con en analysis. While a ge si ua ion e e s o he u u e communica i e si ua ions
o which he s uden s a e p epa ing, p esen si ua ion cap u es he s uden s’ cu en and
immedia e needs. Lea ne ac o in ol es he mo i a ion o he s uden s, hei di e en
lea ning s yles and he easons why hey s udy he o eign language. Finally, eaching con en
analysis ela es o he con en ha can be ealis ically included in he cou se.
In ou eaching si ua ion, he s uden s a e law s uden s in hei i s and second yea s o law
s udies in a i e-yea mas e ’s p og am. When es ablishing he s uden s’ needs, we ha e o
conside no only hei p esen posi ion, bu also a he employmen p ospec s hey ace a e
g adua ion, e en hough o mos s uden s he a ge si ua ion is ou o i e yea s away in a
ela i ely dis an u u e. Thus, a ge si ua ion analysis in ol es da a abou he needs o ou
g adua es’ in hei u u e jobs, p esen si ua ion analysis conside s wha he s uden s need
p o essional English o in he cou se o hei s udies, lea ne ac o analysis akes in o
conside a ion hei mo i a ion (which a ec s, among o he , he eache s’ e o s o make he
lessons enjoyable and s uden - iendly). Finally, eaching con en analysis includes a ealis ic
es ima e o he con en s o a uni e si y ESP cou se, gi en he cons ain s o ime.
As a as he a ge si ua ion is conce ned, i may be di icul o es ablish wha kinds o jobs
he u u e g adua es om he Facul y o Law may pe o m because he ange o possible
u u e ca ee s is qui e b oad. Thus, eache s o ESP may no be he bes judges o wha
s uden s’ u u e needs a e, pa ly because hey do no ha e di ec expe ience o he a ge
si ua ion (c . Eslami 2010 [4]). Fo ha eason, i was decided o app oach ecen g adua es
and ask hem o sha e in o ma ion abou he classes hey had ecen ly a ended. The idea was
ha his app oach could help in e ining he new syllabus so ha i migh p epa e s uden s
well o hei u u e p o essional needs, as a as hei English language skills a e conce ned.
As opposed o hei limi ed abili y o conside he a ge si ua ions, eache s a e much be e
equipped o assess he p esen needs o hei cha ges. This may be done di ec ly du ing hei
lessons, e.g. by moni o ing he s uden s’ pe o mance in class, as well as ou side o he
class oom by inding ou om s uden s and law eache s abou wha English language skills
s uden s may need in he cou se o hei s udies. Lea ne ac o is also some hing ha can be
56
s udied di ec ly in class – a eache will ypically ind i qui e easy o obse e wha s uden s
a e mo i a ed by and wha asks and ac i i ies wo k well.
Teaching con en is closely connec ed wi h he s akeholde s in ol ed in ESP classes, in
pa icula he Facul y o Law ha commissions he cou ses o hei s uden s. I is a gi en
ac o ha he cou se akes place in he i s and second yea s and each o he ou e ms las s
12 weeks. A e a ending he cou se, he s uden s should a ain language p o iciency on he
B2 le el.
3 Responden s
Two sepa a e su eys we e ca ied ou in o de o assess he a ge si ua ion on he one hand
and he p esen needs o ou s uden s on he o he . In he o me su ey, da a we e collec ed
om ecen g adua es ia e-mails. The la e was pe o med on g oups o s uden s in hei i s
and hi d semes e s o s udy by means o a ques ionnai e dis ibu ed in he i s class o each
espec i e e m.
3.1 G adua es’ Pe spec i e
In sp ing 2012, ecen g adua es (up o 5 yea s a e g adua ion) we e sen an e-mail
ques ionnai e, consis ing o 6 ques ions asking hem o assess he legal English classes hey
a ended du ing hei s udies bo h om he s uden and p esen pe spec i e. They we e also
asked wha job hey we e cu en ly in, whe he hey needed o demons a e hei language
skills when applying o he job (du ing a job in e iew), whe he hey needed legal English in
hei cu en job, and, inally, wha English language aining hey hough u u e lawye s
need in o de o be eady o hei jobs.
As ega ds he indings ob ained om he ques ionnai e, he mos impo an one was mos
p obably ha up o h ee qua e s o all he g adua es su eyed said ha hey did no use
English in hei jobs. Tha pe cen age u ned ou o be much highe han expec ed. Some o
ecommenda ions abou wha should be included in legal English lessons in o de o make
hem ele an o he u u e needs o law acul y g adua es included he ollowing eplies:
wo king wi h au hen ic ma e ials; d a ing con ac s; judgemen s; powe s o a o neys;
o mal co espondence; eading o li e a u e in English; wo king wi h legal sou ces in
English; case s udies; Plain English; nego ia ion in English; o al p esen a ions; and
language o mee ings ( o mo e de ails, see Cho anco á 2013 [2]).
3.2 Law i m Pe spec i e
The indings om he g adua e su ey we e compa ed wi h o al in e iews conduc ed wi h
law i m ep esen a i es om se e al law i ms, including Squi e Sande s, Allan and O e y,
Ren sch Legal, Ekologický p á ní se is, Holásek and pa ne s. The in e iews con i med he
in o ma ion ob ained om law g adua es. The equi emen s, as a as English language skills
a e conce ned, placed on success ul job applican s included: being good a legal w i ing,
especially d a ing con ac s in English; being able o wo k wi h legal documen s in English;
ha ing good speaking skills (being able o unde s and when Skyping); and mas e ing business
co espondence.
3.3 P esen S uden s’ Pe spec i e
The pape ques ionnai e ha was gi en o i s - and hi d- e m s uden s consis ed o h ee and
wo ques ions espec i ely. The ques ions we e ‘Wha do you expec o do in you legal
English classes?’ ( i s e m s uden s only); ‘Wha do you expec o use English in you
57
s udies and in you p o essional ca ee o ’; and ‘Wha do you ac ually wan o lea n and eel
you need o lea n?’
3.4 Responses – Fi s - e m S uden s
In esponse o he i s ques ion, mos s uden s answe ed ha hey expec ed o lea n a lo o
“impo an wo ds and ph ases”. O he eplies included “some hing abou law sys ems in
English speaking coun ies”. Some s uden s also men ioned g oup wo k. When p edic ing
hei language needs in he cou se o hei s udies and a e g adua ion, a su p isingly high
numbe o s uden s s a ed explici ly ha hey wan ed o wo k and li e ab oad. Many o he s
exp essed an in e es in wo king in in e na ional i ms, expec ing o use English he e in o de
o communica e wi h hei colleagues and clien s. As a as s udies we e conce ned, he
majo i y o he s uden s hoped o go on E asmus s udy s ays o o he EU coun ies. E en he
s uden s who said ha hey did no expec o use English in hei u u e jobs claimed ha hey
we e s ill highly mo i a ed o lea n English. The lis s o sel -pe cei ed language needs and
wan s mos equen ly included speaking skills (o , as one s uden pu i , “skills in non-casual
communica ion“). S uden s appea s o ha e s ong eelings abou g amma (some eel hey
need i , some would like o a oid i comple ely). Vocabula y was men ioned o en – many
s uden s seem o pe cei e i as he main con en o he cou se. They also said hey wan ed o
ha e un, play language games and wa ch legal mo ies in class. The o e all inding was ha
he s uden s a e highly mo i a ed o imp o e hei English.
3.5 Responses – Thi d- e m s uden s
The ques ionnai es we e also gi en o s uden s in hei hi d e m o s udy. The aim o asking
his pa icula g oup o esponden s was see how he le el o sophis ica ion and insigh in o
wha can be ealis ically expec ed in one’s p o essional ca ee compa e o he opinions o
newly admi ed s uden s. This compa a i e pe spec i e did e eal ha he sel -pe cei ed
needs and wan s o s uden s ac ually change du ing hei s udies, mos likely as a esul o a
mo e ealis ic encoun e wi h he wo ld o law.
While s uden s showed mo e amilia i y wi h op ions a ailable o hem du ing hei s udies
(E asmus; SVOČ; summe school ab oad; diploma wo k; wo k wi h sou ces; wi h a o eign
eache ; o unde s and speake s a con e ences), hei unde s anding o he legal p o ession is
s ill somewha ague. They expec o wo k wi h documen s in English/ om EU; ulings o
o eign cou s, e c. Jus as hei younge colleagues, some also conside wo king ab oad, e en
hough he numbe o s uden s who explici ly say so is conside ably lowe . The ollowing
s uden commen ed on he need o use English as a means o accessing ele an in o ma ion
and being up- o-da e wi h he la es de elopmen s, c . I expec o use Legal English in my
s udies in o eign coun y (E asmus) and in my p o essional ca ee o s udy new in o ma ion
om books, magazines…in English.
Among hi d- e m s uden s, mo i a ion emains high. The e does no appea o be a
signi ican di e ence be ween s uden s in hei i s and hi d e ms o s udy. The wo e ms o
English hey go h ough a he Facul y o Law do no seem o inc ease (o dec ease, o ha
ma e ), hei in e es in he language. The e a e some nega i e esponses, al hough such
o e ly nega i e one as he ollowing a e excep ional: I hope ha in my u u e English will be
used e y li le. My English is ho ible and I hope ha his is my las yea wi h i .
Mos s uden s see mas e ing English as an oppo uni y o ge be e job. Some a e e y p ecise
and ambi ious: To unde s and legal English ha means I would like o ully unde s and
echnical legal, highly complica ed judgemen s, a icles whe e legal English is used and a e
ex emely ha d o unde s and by non-educa ed people. I may be su p ising ha s uden s in
58
hei hi d e m o s udy s ill p edominan ly belie e ha lea ning o eign language in an LSP
class equa es he acquisi ion o new ocabula y, since many eplied ha hey belie e hey
should lea n many new e ms. Some s uden s appea o ha e a mo e accu a e g asp o wha
may be needed in he u u e. C . he ollowing eplies:
 ead law ex s would be g ea , i.e. in e na ional con ac s, judgemen s o he Eu opean
cou .
 I wan o lea n abou anglo-ame ican legal sys ems in much g ea e de ail wi h
ocabula y o suppo i .
 I hink I could need some mo e p ac ical knowledge, e.g. mo e o “legalese“ o be e
unde s and legal documen s.
Some s uden s ha e also exp essed hough s conce ning he English language cou se ha hey
a e (o ha e been) a ending. Al hough he e we e no ques ions in he ques ionnai e asking
explici ly abou hei expe ience wi h he cou se and he syllabus, se e al s uden s did include
posi i e ema ks on hei o e all sa is ac ion wi h he cou se, c . I hink ha wha we lea n
now is wha I need.
Conclusion
The ques ionnai e su ey has e ealed a numbe o in e es ing poin s abou he con ex s in
which s uden s expec o be using English a e g adua ion. I is e iden ha hei expec a ions
do no qui e ma ch he ac ual English-language asks ha ecen g adua es epo ha hey
ha e o be able o pe o m in hei jobs. I hus appea s ha needs analysis aimed a
disco e ing he needs, wan s and lacks o s uden s ha should be add essed in an ESP class
can g ea ly bene i i da a a e ob ained om mul iple s akeholde s – e.g. cu en s uden s as
well as ecen g adua es who a e able o con as hei English language expe ience wi h he
demands o he eal wo ld. This app oach ce ainly con i ms Ta dy’s (2013) [9] obse a ion
ha “ he needs o s uden s wi hin he a ge con ex , using he a ge language, a e a s a ing
poin o cou se design”. A e all, he g adua es ha e he mos accu a e g asp o wha he
needs o he s uden s a e.
In gene al, he needs analysis su ey has ound ha legal English is an ex emely impo an
skill o law p ac i ione s, despi e he ac ha law has adi ionally been seen as local ma e .
In esponse o he indings om he su ey, he new syllabus will include a numbe o
changes and modi ica ions in o de o e lec he eal needs o he p o essionals in he a ge
si ua ion. I is impe a i e ha ce ain skills ha ha e so a been o e looked need o be
p ac ised much mo e and need o be assigned a much mo e cen al ole in he syllabus. This
conce ns, among o he , w i ing in gene al and d a ing legal documen s in pa icula , wo king
wi h au hen ic ma e ials, and p ac ising mo e ad anced speaking skills, such as nego ia ions
o lawye -clien in e iews. Less emphasis should be placed on common law and mo e ocus
should be placed on Czech law and Eu opean legal issues. The new syllabus should y o
es ablish a balance be ween con en and skills – he main emphasis should be on he
p ocessing o in o ma ion. Howe e , he indings conce ning he p esen s uden s’ needs and
wan s also indica e ha a success ul cou se mus be designed in such a way ha i con ains a
lo o speaking p ac ice as well as o e s a po en ial o enjoymen (by including some un
elemen s), which a e all e y impo an o keeping he s uden s ex insically mo i a ed.
Las bu no leas , he newly designed syllabus will also e lec he ex e nal equi emen s o
he Common Eu opean F amewo k o Re e ence o Languages (CEFRL) and es ablish a
be e connec ion be ween cou se and exam. In his way, i will ensu e in e connec edness
wi h he bes in e na ional p ac ices in he ield.

59
Li e a u e
[1] BASTURKMEN, H.: Needs Analysis and Syllabus Design o Language o Speci ic
Pu poses. In: Chapelle, C.A. (ed.) The Encyclopedia o Applied Linguis ics. Blackwell,
2013. Online ISBN: 9781405198431.
[2] CHOVANCOVÁ, B.: F om Class oom o Cou oom: P epa ing legal English s uden s
o he eal wo ld. In: Vys čilo á, R. (ed.) P á ní jazyk – od eo ie k p axi (Legal
Language - om Theo y o P ac ice), Olomouc, 2013, pp. 69–76, ISBN 978-80-7409-
068-4.
[3] CHROMÁ, M.; DVOŘÁKOVÁ, J.; DAVIDSON, S.W.: New In oduc ion o Legal
English, e ised edi ion. P aha, Ka olinum, 2011, ISBN 978-80-24619507.
[4] ESLAMI, Z. R.: Teache s’ Voice s. S uden s’ Voice: A Needs Analysis App oach o
English o Academic Pu poses (EAP) in I an. English Language Teaching, 3 (1), 3–11,
2010, ISSN 1916-4742.
[5] GASS, J.: Needs Analysis and Si ua ional Analysis? Designing an ESP Cu iculum o
Thai Nu ses. English o Speci ic Pu poses Wo ld, 36 (12), 2012, ISSN 1682-3257.
[6] HUTCHINSON T.; WATERS, A.: English o Speci ic Pu poses: A Lea ning-cen ed
App oach. Camb idge: Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, 1987, ISBN 0-521-31837-2.
[7] KROIS-LINDNER, A.; FIRTH, M.; T anslegal: In oduc ion o In e na ional Legal
English. Camb idge: Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, 2008, ISBN 0521718996.
[8] KROIS-LINDNER, A.; T ansLegal: In e na ional Legal English, 2nd ed. Camb idge:
Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, 2011, ISBN 0521279461.
[9] TARDY, C. M.: Language o Speci ic Pu poses – Resea ch Me hods. In: Chapelle,
C.A. (ed.) The Encyclopedia o Applied Linguis ics. Blackwell, 2013. Online ISBN:
9781405198431.
Mg . Ba bo a Cho anco á, Ph.D.
60
LEGAL MINDS THINK ALIKE: SUBJEKTIVNĚ POCIŤOVANÉ JAZYKOVÉ POTŘEBY
ABSOLVENTŮ A JEJICH VLIV NA INOVACE SYLABU PŘEDMĚTU PRÁVNICKÁ
ANGLIČTINA NA PRÁVNICKÉ FAKULTĚ MASARYKOVY UNIVERZITY
Jedním z cílů p ojek u IMPACT, ealizo aného na Cen u jazyko ého zdělá ání
Masa yko y uni e zi y (CJV MU), je oblas i ino ace příp a a a implemen ace změn
sylabu předmě u P á nická anglič ina. Ta o p ezen ace dokumen uje příp a u změn,
založenou na analýze po řeb, k e á byla p o edena na zo ku absol en ů P F MU, a na
následném s o nání ýsledků s jazyko ými požada ky p o žada ele o p áci e ýznamných
p á ních kancelářích. Na základě zjiš ění jsou na ho ány způsoby, jakými by změny měly
bý implemen o ány do no ého sylabu předmě u Anglič ina p o p á níky yučo aného na
MU. Důleži ým k i é iem při příp a ě no ého sylabu je snaha přip a i ku z ak, aby co
nejlépe odpo ídal nejen SERR, ale i budoucím jazyko ým po řebám s uden ů p á a.
LEGAL MINDS THINK ALIKE: SUBJEKTIV GEFÜHLTE SPRACHLICHE BEDÜRFNISSE
DER ABSOLVENTEN UND DEREN EINFLUSS AUF DIE INNOVATION DER LEHRPLÄNE
DES FACHS JURISTISCHES ENGLISCH AN DER JURISTEN FAKULTÄT DER MASARYK-
UNIVERSITÄT BRÜNN
Eines de Ziele des P ojek s IMPACT, das om F emdsp achenzen um de Masa yk-
Uni e si ä B ünn (MU) du chge üh wi d, ha Inno a ion, Vo be ei ung und
Implemen ie ung on Ände ungen im Leh plan ü ju is isches Englisch zum Inhal . Diese
P äsen a ion dokumen ie die Vo be ei ung de Ände ungen, die am Mus e de Absol en en
de ju is ischen Fakul ä de MU du chge üh wu de. Diese Vo be ei ung basie au eine
Beda sanalyse und au einem Ve gleich de E gebnisse mi den sp achlichen An o de ungen
ü diejenigen Absol en en, die sich in bedeu enden Anwal sbü os bewe ben. Au G undlage
diese Fes s ellung we den A en und Weisen o geschlagen, wie die Ände ungen in den
neuen Leh plan des Leh aches ju is isches Englisch implemen ie we den können. Ein
wich iges K i e ium bei de Vo be ei ung des Leh plans bes eh in de Bemühung, den Ku s
de ges al zu planen, dass e möglichs nich nu dem eu opäischen Re e enz ahmen ü
Sp achen en sp ich , sonde n auch den kün igen sp achlichen Bedü nissen de Ju as uden en
ge ech wi d.
LEGAL MINDS THINK ALIKE: SUBIEKTYWNIE ODCZUWANE POTRZEBY JĘZYKOWE
ABSOLWENTÓW I ICH WPŁYW NA UDOSKONALENIE SYLABUSA PRZEDMIOTU
PRAWNICZY JĘZYK ANGIELSKI NA WYDZIALE PRAWA UNIWERSYTETU MASARYKA
W BRNIE
Jednym z celów p ojek u IMPACT, ealizowanego w Cen um Ksz ałcenia Językowego
Uniwe sy e u Masa yka, jes w zak esie innowacji p zygo owanie i wd ożenie zmian
w sylabusie p zedmio u P awniczy język angielski. W niniejszym op acowaniu
p zeds awiono sposób p zygo owania zmian opa ego na analizie po zeb, p zep owadzonej
na p óbce absolwen ów Wydziału P awa Uniwe sy e u Masa yka o az późniejsze po ównanie
wyników z wymaganiami językowymi s awianymi osobom ubiegającym się o p acę
w ważnych kancela iach p awniczych. Na pods awie wyciągnię ych wniosków op acowano
sposoby wd ożenia zmian w nowym sylabusie p zedmio u P awniczy język angielski
wykładanego na Uniwe sy ecie Masa yka.