Evaluation of CLIL Approach in Legal English Pedagogy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v9i2.1846Keywords:
Legal English, Linguistic Proficiency, Integrated Methodology, ESP course, CLIL Approach.Abstract
This study aims at evaluating the efficiency of an integrated legal English course designed to meet the special needs of legal professionals (lawyers, solicitors, and barristers) at the Bar Association of lawyers in Lebanon. The experimental study involves two groups of legal professionals of intermediate English level; one experimental group taught legal English integrated with general academic English using the CLIL methodology, and one control group taught general Academic English (GAE) solely. The study contributes to the body of knowledge about CLIL in a legal context. The results of the study reveal that lawyers of the experimental group outperform those of the control group and are able to comprehend and produce highly professional legal texts. Lawyers’ perceptions towards the integration are highly positive, and the study proves that the CLIL approach quickens the pace of the acquisition of language skills and help lawyers reach a higher degree of language proficiency.
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