When you have no basis for an argument, abuse the plaintiff: Argumentation in a Legal English Syllabus

HRADILOVÁ, Alena. When you have no basis for an argument, abuse the plaintiff: Argumentation in a Legal English Syllabus. 2023.

Basic information

• Original name: When you have no basis for an argument, abuse the plaintiff: Argumentation in a Legal English Syllabus
• Authors: HRADILOVÁ, Alena.
• Edition: 2023.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Field of Study: 60202 Specific languages
• Country of publisher: Poland
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• Organization unit: Language Centre
• Keywords in English: autonomy argumentation sft skills based syllabus
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

The talk is based on experience with the development and pilot of new micro-tasks and activities that aim at the practice of argumentation skills as a tool towards the successful completion of an authentic macro-task, a major negation performed in front of an audience. First, it brings forth the question of including the skill of argumentation in a Legal English Syllabus as a way to practice not only active listening and speaking skills, but also as a means to employ higher cognitive processes (the processes of forming reasons and of drawing conclusions and applying them to a case in discussions) on the way between language reception and production. The talk offers selected examples of types of problematic argumentation that origin either in misinterpretation of propositional logic or the use of informal logical fallacies. It presents samples of original activities that help students understand these fallacies, identify them in both spoken and written production, analyse how they influence the audience (or the receiver), and discuss if and how they can be eliminated. Subsequently, it will be shown how students practice distinguishing between the function and use of such problematic arguments in everyday life and politics as opposed to the context of law. A discussion on the pilot use of these materials based on preliminary student feedback will follow and offer arguments for as well as against the relevance of use of such activities in a legal English course. The talk will report on how students reflected on the improvement of soft skills and their general communication skills, not only from the exercises, but also from working independently or in teams on argument preparation for their final negotiation macro-task that was presented in front of a peer audience. Based on their feedback, the talk will also discuss to what extent these activities challenged their comfort zone in language learning.