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Description
This thesis presents a genre-based study of U.S. law school lectures attended by foreign lawyers. With the practice of law becoming more international, an increasing number of working professionals in the field of law are enrolling in U.S. law schools to gain knowledge of the U.S. legal system. Previous research within English for Academic Legal Purposes (EALP) has mainly been concerned with developing and improving reading and writing skills primarily of native speakers. Very few studies have focused on analyzing the spoken interactions in a law school classroom and addressing the needs of foreign lawyers that attend U.S. law schools. This study reports on an analysis of aural and oral needs of foreign lawyers enrolled in a certificate program at a U.S. law school by focusing on the rhetorical structure of lectures and students' role in classroom interaction. The analysis showed that law school lectures constitute a genre made up of moves, steps and sub-steps comprised within three larger units of organization: Content Introduction, Content Development, and Session Closing. Each of these rhetorical functions is signaled by particular lexical items and grammatical choices. The analysis revealed that not all moves and steps are obligatory. Furthermore, instead of following a linear structure, the moves are highly recursive, which is a notable feature of spoken discourse. In addition, the bulk of the lecture is composed of move cycles which resemble the structure of the analytical and organizational tool widely known in the field of law as IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion). The analysis of classroom interaction revealed variation in interactivity across larger units and moves. Turn-taking is most frequently initiated by students' questions fulfilling a number of functions, such as seeking information, confirming understanding, seeking clarification, and applying a legal concept to hypothetical situations. In addition to the functions, the forms of questions were also explored. The thesis concludes with suggestions for employing the results of this study in an EALP course. In particular, the use of lecture transcripts for developing students' aural and oral skills is advocated.
