How are language and disciplinary knowledge connected in the English for Legal Purposes (ELP) classroom, and how far should ELP practitioners go in supporting students’ acquisition of the conceptual frameworks that shape the genres they are learning? This book presents a pedagogical model for incorporating these conceptual frameworks into disciplinary language instruction and follows four focal participants as they learn to read and write new genres in a second language and disciplinary culture. By examining not just students’ written texts, but also their reading practices and interactions in class and in tutoring sessions, the book traces the ways in which disciplinary knowledge and language interact as students develop academic literacy in a new disciplinary community. Throughout the book, the discipline of law is used as a lens for examining broader connections between language, culture and disciplinary knowledge, and their relevance for English for Specific Purposes and writing in the disciplines.
Alissa J. Hartig is Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics at Portland State University, USA. Her research interests include English for Specific Purposes and second language writing.
AcknowledgementsTranscription Conventions1. IntroductionPart 1: Language, Literacy, and Disciplinary Knowledge2. Second Language Legal Literacy3. Linking Language and Concepts through PedagogyPart 2: Case Studies4. Hong: Legal Concepts Mediating Language Use5. Weixin: Understanding Precedent but Struggling with Language6. Bader: Negotiating Genre to Express a Common Law Argument7. Alima: Distinguishing Discourse Proficiency from 'Professional Vision'Part 3: Addressing Connections between Language and Disciplinary Knowledge8. Implications for Research and TeachingConclusionEpilogueReferencesIndex
An innovative and significant addition to current thinking in English for Legal Communication, proposing a discursive pedagogic model integrating concepts, practice, and culture in legal settings. An excellent resource for ESP researchers and practitioners.