General English and Legal Language

Unit I — Foundations of Communication and Legal English

Communication – Meaning, Nature and Process of Communication · Characteristics of Effective Communication · Barriers to Communication · Soft Skills and Professional Communication · Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Teamwork and Self Management · Body Language and Professional Etiquette · Language – Nature, Features and Functions · Formal and Informal Language · Introduction to Legal Language · The Interface between Law and Language · Characteristics and Features of Legal English · Plain English Movement and Clarity in Legal Writing · Courtroom Communication and Professional Conduct (Etiquettes at Court, Introduction to Moot Court Language)

• Legal Writing — Language and Law — Characteristics of Legal Language

Unit II — Language Skills and Oral Communication

Language skills- Primary and Secondary, Productive and Receptive · Listening Skills – Importance, Types and Barriers to Listening · Listening in Academic and Professional Contexts · Speaking Skills – Pronunciation, Intonation, Stress and Pace · Introduction to English Phonetics and IPA · Public Speaking and Contexts · Debate, Group Discussion, Elocution and Ex Tempore · Oral Advocacy and Courtroom Communication · Persuasion, Agreement, Disagreement, Formal Expression · Practical Communication Exercises – PPT Presentation, Panel Discussion, Seminar, Turncoat Debate, Role Play and Moot Court Communication

• Oral Communication
• Types of Oral Communication — Verbal Communication — Formal Speech (Oral & Written)
• Elocution/Mock Trials/ Meetings

Unit III — Reading Skill and Legal Interpretation

Reading as a language skill · Reading sub-skills – Skimming, Scanning, Intensive and Extensive Reading · Reading Comprehension and Critical Reading- Introduction · Reading Comprehension - Skills of reading and understanding English language. · Media language (National Dailies, National Magazines and Web Sources)– News, Features, Advertisement, Editorial, Opinions, Columns, Blogs · (Practical Exercises - Analysing the text and context, views, inclinations, Opinions, Rumours, Ideology, Spin Doctoring etc.) · Legal texts - Skills of reading and interpreting a variety of texts on law. Extensive reading practice of legal instruments

Unit IV — Language Skill - Writing

Writing - Notice, Appeal, Reminder, Application · Email, CV/Resumé · Essay Writing – on Contemporary Issues (Narrative, Expository, Analytical, Comparative, Critical, Hypothetical, Argumentative) · Writing Research Articles · Academic Writing – An Introduction (MLA, APA and Bluebook Citation) · Writing and AI · Short Notes, Reports, Paragraph Writing, Precis, Expansion of Ideas, Critical Reviews · Introduction to Legal Drafting - Plaints, Written Statement (This exercise would enable the learners to see Legal Drafting a s a p a r t o f composition.) · Figures of Speech

• Written Communication
• Types of written communication (New Addition)
• Techniques/tips on effective letter writing Letter of Application
• Precis Writing (New Addition)

Unit V — Grammar

Word Classes (With a special focus on Prepositions and Connectors), Usage of Tenses, SV Concord, Usage of Nouns over verbs · Active and Passive Voices in Legal drafting · Direct and Indirect Narration in Legal drafting · Modals for Legal drafting and formal tone · Conjunctions and legal drafting · Simple, Compound and Complex Sentences Transformation of Sentences · Question Tags, Short Answers · Common Errors · Punctuation

• Grammar
• Verbs/Tenses — Activity
• Active/ Passive — Activity
• Reported Speech — Activity
• General English: Essay writing, comprehension, and rules of grammar

Unit VI — Vocabulary

Roots and Affixes, Transformation of Word Classes, Idioms, Phrases, Proverbs · Synonym, Antonym, One word substitution · Collocation · Legal Maxims: Meaning of maxims (list of maxims to be supplied) · Usage of maxims in sentences to bring out the clarity of meaning · Meanings of legal terms and phrases to bring out clarity

• Legal Maxims — Actus de nemini facit injuriam