Welcome to ERA – Academy of European Law

Objective

Legal terminology is the focus of this course, which explores a wide range of topics: contract, torts, employment law and human rights. Participants work collaboratively on language tasks, enabling them to pool resources and making the learning process more rewarding and enjoyable.

This ‘combined skills’ course aims to allow participants to practise and improve their speaking and writing skills. The modern trend in English legal writing is to avoid the wordy, old-fashioned style with its unnecessary complexity and archaic language. Participants are encouraged to discover for themselves how to write in a way that is clear, accurate and easy to understand using the 'plain English' style that has become the professional standard. This course also aims to develop participants’ speaking skills in English by allowing them to explore and practise the language used, among other things, to express opinions, give advice and negotiate a deal. The emphasis is on communicating ideas in a clear, effective, modern style.

Participants will also be encouraged to explore the difference between the English which is used in the EU institutions and the language used by native speakers.

Course Objectives

The principal objectives are:

• to expand participants' knowledge of legal English terminology;
• to encourage participants to speak and write in a clear, effective style; and
• to enable participants to learn more about the way English is used – and misused – in the institutions of the EU.

Who should attend?

This course is designed for speakers of English at an intermediate level or above who have a particular interest in the language of the law.