Applying content and language integrated learning in legal English classes: A vietnamese perspective

• Published in: Issues in educational research Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 1513 - 1531
• Main Author: Thanh-Huong Nhac
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Perth, WA Institutes for Educational Research in NSW, SA and WA 01.12.2023
• Subjects: Aids and devices; Content and language integrated learning; Curricula; Design; Education; English for special purposes; English language; English teachers; Evaluation; Foreign language instruction; Higher education; Language; Language Skills; Language teaching materials; Learning; Learning Activities; Learning environment; Study and teaching; Teaching; Teaching methods; Vietnamese
• ISSN: 0313-7155; 1837-6290

To develop learners' competence for subject-specific terms and language skills, many teaching approaches have been implemented in teaching and learning English for specific purposes (ESP). Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is one of such methods expected to achieve this goal in tertiary education contexts. However, the correlation between language students' and teachers' views on the issue of CLIL in ESP teaching and learning has received inadequate attention from educational scholars. This study, therefore, aimed to examine both teachers' and learners' perspectives on the application of CLIL in teaching and learning legal English. The research used survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 243 students attending legal English courses together with seven instructors of legal English. The results illustrated a general congruence between learners' and teachers' high appreciation of the benefits from CLIL principles implementation in legal English classes. In other aspects, the findings show that two sets of the participants have met obstacles concerning content knowledge for specific law areas. Moreover, English instructors are also struggling in the preparation of teaching materials and activities for their lessons. Such findings set practical pedagogical implications for language educators in ESP teaching and learning.