Excerpt of the Legal English Workshop Guide

7/30/2019 Excerpt of the Legal English Workshop Guide

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LegalEnglishw o r k s h o p

2013 edition


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Chapter 1

Getting

Started

This chapter will help our participants determinepersonal strengths and areas of opportunity. We

associate our materials with individual interests and

specific skills. A diagnostic evaluation will be carried

out in and out of the classroom.


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1. Introduction

The Legal English Workshop is a 12-year old professional training program aimed

to help Spanish-speaking lawyers to improve their professional skills in the English

language.

Over the years, we have experienced a worldwide connection of legal systems

across nations and a huge opportunity for legal professionals to participate on a

global scale either in the public or the private sectors.

Language and law endure an everlasting marriage. Grammar and semantics are

the basis of law itself. And this course has been designed to study and practice

the relationship between both phenomena.

a. Practical understanding and usage of English and Spanish

Grammar

Despite the fact that this is not a grammar course per se. We do encourage the

practical study of the fundamentals of grammar in both languages. This workshop

includes practical grammar presentations and exercises which will help

participants refresh some relevant linguistic principles. Participants soon realize

CONTENT

1. Introduction

a. Practical understanding and usage of

English and Spanish grammar.

b. Accurate interpretation and

application of legal concepts and

terms.

c. Insight on comparative law fromdifferent traditions.

d. Use of tools and technology.

2. Preliminary Evaluation

2www.le-workshop.com 2013 Mario Gonzlez-Hernndez
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Chapter 2

Concepts,

Terms andDefinitions

The marriage between law and language has noroom for divorce. Therefore, a legal professional

must become proficient in the use of grammar and

semantics in both languages.


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1. Introduction

There are some words people use as if they were synonyms. This is the case of

the words: concept, term and definition. Let us briefly explain the difference.

a.Concepts

Human beings are intelligent beings. Not only are we the dominant species on this

planet because of what we know, but also because of the fact that we know thatwe are able to know. In other words, we aresapiens sapiens.

We all have the capacity to think in concepts. Concepts are metal representations

that allow us to draw appropriate inferences about the type of entities we

encounter in our everyday lives.

Concepts are ideas. They exist even before there is a term or a definition for such

an idea. Concepts are the mental substance of what we call knowledge.

Legal concepts are different from legal terms and legal definitions. Legal

concepts are those ideas, either simple or complex, that we have created to give

ourselves a social structure and organization as well as sense of what is permitted

and what is forbidden.

Chapter 2

CONTENT

1. Introduction

a. Concepts

b. Terms

c. Definition

2. Exercises

3. Resources

Concepts, Terms and Definitions

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Chapter 3

The Elements

of theSentence

In order to guarantee an accurate interpretation orexpression of legal content, we most make sure that

we understand how finite ideas are constructed. It

is within the sentence where our critical-thinking

truly begins.


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1. Basic Concepts

It is convenient for us to review the following elements:

a. Words

Words are the basic element that may be expressed in isolation with semantic and

pragmatic content. Words can be put together to build larger elements such as

phrases, clauses or sentences. Words have sounds (phonetics), meanings(semantics) and even forms (morphology). We will talk about those in class.

There are different types of words. In the English language, there are basically nine

categories:

Noun: any abstract or concrete entity; a person (police officer,Michael),

place (coastline, London), thing (necktie, television), idea (happiness), or quality

(bravery)

Pronoun: any substitute for a noun or noun phrase

Adjective: any qualifier of a noun

Verb: any action (walk), occurrence (happen), or state of being (be)

Chapter 3

CONTENT

1. Basic Concepts

a. Words

b. Phrases

c. Clauses

d. Sentences

2. Activities

The Elements of the Sentence



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Chapter 4

Connecting

Ideas

Building great sentences may not be enough. Justlike cities need roads, ideas need bridges. Legal

content is full of these bridges. These connectors

make a huge difference when understood and

applied properly.


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1. Connectors

We link words, phrases and sentences through connectors. Connectors may be

words or phrases. Some of them are common and simple such as:and, or, but,

etc. Others may sound a bit more odd and sophisticated like:moreover, as

though, provided that, etc.

a. Connecting Words and Phrases

After discussing about words and phrases in our previous chapter, let us only say

that we may connect words and phrases using coordinating conjunctions such

as:

and

or

but

We may also use correlative conjunctions such as:

Either.... or

Neither... nor

Chapter 4

CONTENT

1. Connectors

a. Connecting Words and Phrases

b. Connectors that form Subordinate

Clauses

c. Connecting Sentences

2. Activities

Connecting Ideas



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Chapter 5

Tenses &

Modals

You may take away any element of the sentence buta verb. Verbs must always be explicit. In this

chapter, we shall go over the tenses, forms and

other important aspects of what we may call the

heart of every sentence.


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1. Verb Forms

While Spanish may have more than 50forms for a single verb, English has only

five:

English verbs are either regular or irregular. Sometimes American English and

British English disagree on the past form and the past participle form of some

verbs.

2. The 12 Tenses Chart

One of the simplest ways to evaluate the level of English of an ESL student is to

pay attention to the number of tenses that he or she understands and uses in

regular speech. In this course, we want to make sure that you remember and apply

the 12 tenses accurately.

Chapter 5

LOREM IPSUM

1. Verbs Forms

2. The 12 Tenses Chart

3. Modals

4. Phrasal Verbs

5. Activities

Tenses & Modals

19

Natural3rd Person Simple

PresentSimple Past Past Participle Gerund

claim claims claimed claimed claiming

sign signs signed signed signing

break breaks broke broken breaking

fly flies flew flown flying

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Chapter 6

Nouns,

Adjectives &Adverbs

Nouns are second in importance after the verbwithin a sentence. Adjectives and adverbs deserve

our particular attention too. Let us explore some of

the key grammar concepts that will help you used

them even more accurately.


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1. Nouns

We use nouns to call things. There arenoun words,phrasal nouns and evennoun

clauses.

a. Word Nouns

A noun is used to denotea person, an animal, a thing or an idea. They may or may

not include anarticle or a determiner:

People are crazy. (in general)

The people are crazy. (a specific group)

A person is crazy.

Some people are crazy.

Every person is crazy. (determiner)

The plural form of nouns in English is quite easy. There are, however, a few words

that bear an irregular plural format such as:

fish (singular), fish (plural)

Chapter 6

CONTENT

1. Nouns

a. Word Nouns

b. Phrasal Nouns

c. Noun Clauses

d. Gerund Nouns

2. Adjectives

a. Simple and Compound

b. Active and Passive Adjectives

3. Adverbs

a. Classification

4. Activities

Nouns, Adjectives & Adverbs



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Chapter 7

Paraphrasing

Effective communication requires complexintellectual processes. Understanding a message

containing legal concepts is not an easy task.

Paraphrasing is a skill that every lawyer must

exercise intensively. An accurate paraphraser is

always a smart individual.


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1. Concept

Quoting means repeating or reproducing someone elses exact words. Lawyers

certainly need to constantly quote legal provisions. Paraphrasing is the

restatement of the meaning of a text, a passage or a speech using different words.

The term itself is derived via Latin paraphrasis from Greek , meaning

"additional manner of expression".

The act of paraphrasing is also called "paraphrasis".

Paraphrasing requires complex intellectual and linguistic abilities. A paraphraser

cannot do an accurate job unless he or she fully understands the original

message.

You may paraphrase by just substituting some words for others:

The contract will be signed by Robert on Friday

The agreement will be subscribed by our CEO before Saturday.

Chapter 7

CONTENT

1. Concept

2. Paraphrasing Legal Ideas

a. False Cognates

3. Comparison of Legal Systems

a. Paraphrasing across legal systems

4. Activities

Paraphrasing



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Chapter 8

Summing up

and DevelopingIdeas

A legal concept may be reduced to its minimum

expression through a legal term. On the contrary, a

legal concept could be also thoroughly developed

in a book.


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1. Summing up

In the second chapter of this workshop, we talked about concepts, terms and

definitions.

In class, we mention that if you open a dictionary you shall find terms and

definitions about concepts. Some definitions are long and others are short.

Concepts can be reduced to a single sentence and even to a single word.

Summing up is the ability to reduce information without distorting it.

This can take up a lot of neurons since it requires us to be able to discriminate

between:

what is essential;

what is important;

what is complementary;

what is ornamental; and

what is excessive.

Chapter 8

CONTENT1. Summing up

a. How grammar helps

b. How an Outlines helps

2. Developing

3. Activities

Summing up and Developing Ideas



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Chapter 9

Basics of

LegalTranslation


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1. Basics of Translation

Translation is both an art and a science. It requires both knowledge and critical

thinking. Translation is the act of accurately importing a message from one

language to another. Computers and new technologies are new tools to produce

better and faster translations. However,human translation is still the most reliable

form of translation there is today.

a. Translation Units

Experienced translators break information into translation units in order to do a

better job. A translation unit is segment of a text which the translator treats as a

single cognitive unit for the purposes of establishing an equivalence. The

translation unit may be a single word, a phrase, a clause, one or more sentences,

or even a larger unit.

Example of a paragraph broken into seven translation units:

1The earliest written constitution still governing a sovereign nation today2may be that of San

Marino. 3The Leges Statutae Republicae Sancti Marini4was written in Latin 5and consists of six

books. 6The first book, with 62 articles, 7establishes councils, courts, various executive officers

and the powers assigned to them.

Chapter 9

CONTENT

1. Basics of Translation

a. Translation Units

b. Fidelity and Transparency

c. Equivalence

d. Back-Translation

2. Legal Translation Strategies

a. Functional Equivalence

b. Formal Equivalence

c. Borrowing

d. Description

3. Activities

Basics of Legal Translation



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Chapter 10

Common

Documents &Forms

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enim integer ad vestibulum volutpat. Nisl rhoncus

turpis est, vel elit, congue wisi enim nunc ultricies

sit, magna tincidunt. Maecenas aliquam maecenas

ligula nostra.


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1. Certificates

Most legal translations are related to certificates needed by individuals to

complete immigration or school filings.

In this chapter, we are going to translate the most common documents of this

kind.

a. Birth Certificate

A birth certificate is a vital record that

documents the birth of a child. The term

"birth certificate" can refer to either the

original document cert i fying the

circumstances of the birth or to a

certified copy of or representation of the

ensuing registration of that birth.

Depending on the jurisdiction, a record of

birth might or might not contain

verification of the event by such as a

midwife or doctor.

Chapter 10

CONTENT

1. Certificates

a. Birth

b. Marriage

c. Death

d. Apostille

2. School Transcripts

3. Business Letters

4. Activities

Common Documents & Forms


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