English teaching methods for the ESP teachers (some materials connected with law)

Thousands of specialties of foreign languages have graduated from universities and institutes since the years of independence of Uzbekistan. A number of textbooks, manuals and tutorials for 5–9 grades of schools written in English, French and German, electronic resources for learning English in primary schools have been produced. More than 5000 schools, professional colleges and academic lyceums have been equipped with language laboratories as well.

All these deeds have done on account of the decree of the first President of the Republic of Uzbekistan I. A. Karimov, by number PD-18/75 called «On measures to further improvement of foreign language learning system [1] » occurred December 10, 2012.

Teaching foreign languages at the educational establishments such as universities and institutes have been very significance since the decree, by number PD-18/75, took place. Especially, different teaching methods have been used throughout the higher educational establishments, as well.

English is taught in different kinds of fields as far as possible by proficient teachers. As we know, teaching is not so easy item for the teachers of each subject; therefore they are called as loyal.

Today, a person, who is busy with teaching foreign languages, should know a lot of teaching methods and use them in his/her lessons. Each teacher is required to use one or two teaching methods in his/her lessons. Because it is useful and interesting for the students to improve their language and the lesson may be clearer than the simple one.

English teachers of our department[1] (under the faculty of Foreign languages, Kokand State Pedagogical institute named after Mukimi, Fergana, Uzbekistan — K.I.) called «Foreign languages of internal faculties» have used some kinds of teaching methods during their lessons.

Some of the teachers of the department have raised the level of their professional skills in some foreign countries and 2 month-courses organized throughout the country in accordance with the decree (occurred in June 12, 2015, by number PD № 4732) of the first President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Each teacher of the department tries to conduct his/her lessons on the basis of different methods of teaching. They use following teaching methods such as «We learn — we want to learn — we have learnt», «Free composition/essay», «Partnership studying groups», «Theme — Discussion», «We are thinking, share your ideas», «Compiling information», «Hang man», «Fortunately, unfortunately», «Imaginary pictures», «Criminal», «Onion», «Jigsaw» «BBB», «Strategy: Zigzag-1», «Insert», «Cluster», «Strategy: What would you do?», «Mind your memory», «Read and analyze!», «Key words», and etc.

There is an opportunity to use additional materials with the exception of certain themes of the texts, because the students of each group are not interested in the themes given in the textbooks. Therefore our teachers try to bring different supplementary materials to their lessons concerning interesting topics.

Some teachers of the department teach the students of the direction of «National ideology, the principles of spirituality and law education» in the faculty of history. During the lessons of this direction, teachers use some teaching methods such as «Criminal». This method may help the students to improve the language as well as the subject. Here I give the definition to this method: «Some pictures of different people are distributed to students, one picture for two. One student will be an investigator; the second will be a witness whom given a picture. Then he/she will describe the given picture as far as possible. The investigator will find the shown picture by his/her own imagination among some pictures which are put on the table after description of all pictures having been told by each student. It makes the students (who are witnesses) speak in English using active vocabularies. It makes the students (who are investigators) listen to English sentences and descriptions and it also increases the imagination ability of the students».

During the lessons of law students teachers use some legal terms such as verbs, word combinations, phrases and nouns, because these verbs and words help the students’ to improve the legal terminology in English.

Here are some more useful verbs connected with crime and law. We have given the English definitions of legal verbs and words. Note that many of them have particular prepositions associated with them.

Useful verbs connected with crime and law:

− to commit a crime or an offence: to do something illegal

− to accuse someone of a crime: to say someone is guilty

− to charge someone with (murder): to bring someone to court

− to plead guilty or not guilty: to swear in court that one is guilty or otherwise

− to defend/prosecute someone in court: to argue for or against someone in a trial

− to pass verdict on an accused person: to decide whether they are guilty or not

− to acquit an accused person of a charge: to decide in court that someone is not guilty (the opposite of to convict someone)

− to fine someone a sum of money: to punish someone by making them pay

− to send someone to prison: to punish someone by putting them in prison

− to release someone from prison/jail: to set someone free after a prison sentence

− to be tried: to have a case judged in court.

Here are some useful nouns:

− trial: the legal process in court whereby an accused person is investigated, or tried, and then found guilty or not guilty

− case: acrime that is being investigated

− evidence: information used in a court of law to decide whether the accused is guilty or not.

− proof: evidence that shows conclusively whether something is a fact or not

− judge: the person who leads a trial and decides on the sentence

− jury: group of twelve citizens who decide whether the accused is guilty or not.

Here are some legal verbs:

− to abrogate a law/treaty: to bring a law/treaty to an official end

− to bend the law/rules: to break the law/rules in a way that is considered not to be harmful

− to contravene a law: to break a law

− to impeach a president/governor: to make a formal statement saying that a personin public office has committed a serious offence

− to infringe someone’s rights: to prevent a person doing what they are legally allowed to do

− to lodge an appeal: to make an official appeal

− to uphold/overturn a verdict: to say that a previous decision was correct/incorrect

− to quash a decision/conviction: to change a previous official decision/conviction

− to set a precedent: to establish a decision which must, in English law, be taken into account in future decisions

− to award/grant custody to: to give one parent or adult the main responsibility for a child, especially after separation of divorce

− to annual a marriage/agreement/law: to declare that it no longer exists and never existed.

As I conclude my words, I may underline the following, that English teaching methods can be used in all the English lessons of ESP students. Such teaching methods, given above, have been used by the English teachers of our department for a long time.

During the lessons of law students some legal terms such as useful verbs and words can be used by the ESP teachers of the department, because by means of such terms students of law directions may learn English better.

Generally speaking, English teaching methods and giving legal terms to the law students are both useful for the ESP leaners of the higher educational establishments.

References:

1. I. A. Karimov. President’s Decree. «On measures to further improvement of foreign language learning system». / «Xalq so’zi». December 11, 2012.
2. T. K. Sattarov. English for Law Students (first part, fourth edition). Tashkent State Law Institute. 2007. Б. 376.
3. Английский язык для студентов-правоведов = English for Law Students: Teacher’s Book: метод. пособие для преподавателей / О. И. Васючкова [и др.]; под общ. ред. О. И. Васючковой. — Минск: БГУ, 2009. — 142 с.
4. R. Wyatt. Check your English vocabulary for law. A & C Black Publishers Ltd. 38 Soho Square, London W1D 3HB. © Copyright Rawdon Wyatt 2006.

[1] This department is responsible for teaching ESP students who study at the faculties of the institute.