k 2012

Pragmatic issues and soft skills in English for law

HRADILOVÁ, Alena and Kirby VINCENT

Basic information

Original name

Pragmatic issues and soft skills in English for law

Authors

HRADILOVÁ, Alena (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution) and Kirby VINCENT (124 Canada)

Edition

Law, Language and Professional Practice, the 2nd International Conference, Napoli, 2012

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Prezentace na konferencích

Field of Study

60200 6.2 Languages and Literature

Country of publisher

Italy

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14640/12:00060334

Organization unit

Language Centre

Keywords in English

videoconferencing; soft skills; pragmatics; negotiating; politeness; cultural differences
Změněno: 21/4/2014 22:14, Mgr. Alena Hradilová, Ph.D.

Abstract

V originále

Language for specific purposes education at university level has experienced a shift from traditional vocabulary and the 4-skill-based (reading-writing-listening-speaking) language teaching towards incorporating pragmatic issues and “soft skills” elements into classroom activities. Such activities aim at preparing students for their future careers in terms of good professional as well as social practices. This paper will offer an insight into a joint international programme for students of law which is run between the University of Helsinki (Finland) and Masaryk University (Czech Republic). The language centres of the two universities cooperate on English for law courses that are partly run together, via videoconferencing, in a virtual classroom. In addition to practicing professional English in an international environment, the students are encouraged to practice negotiating, arguing, persuading, being polite, presenting, video conferencing and intercultural skills. The paper aims at introducing the course structure, giving examples of soft skills and pragmatics based activities, and discussing relevance of such activities in modern language for law training.