a.y. 2016-2017
Class contents and exam requirements
Code 50127
English Language, First language
Level B2
Class contents and exam requirements are the same for both attending students and non-attenders
Program
Integrated Master of Arts in Law
Degree course
CLMG
Teaching activity
• 1st year
• annual course; total classroom teaching hours: 96
• courses taught in English
The course is activated if there is an appropriate number of
participants
Minimum Initial
Level
In order to attend the class in a productive way, the
minimum level of language required is a B1+
Objective
The acquisition/consolidation of reading, writing, listening
and speaking skills required to interact at an intermediate
level in an academic and legal context
Final Exam
• Bocconi internal exam or an international certification
among those recognized by the University
• 4 credits, 2nd semester
Head Teacher
JOHN Mc HARDY CLARK
* Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
Set Textbook
•
English for Law, Jeremy Walenn, Garnet Education
We remind you that the Language Center offers to all students an information and consultancy service for
the study of languages. In addition, at its language laboratories, multimedia library, and online a variety of
materials for students wishing to prepare for internationally recognized language certificates also for
Bocconi exams ( visit: www.unibocconi.eu/languagecenter).
Resources
Materials prepared by professors
Self-study programme
Past exams
Extra teaching materials
Language tutors
Office Hours for Bocconi teachers
International certificates recognized
1
Classroom activities & skills
The aim of the course is to enable students to reach a confident B2 level:
• to actively participate in formal and informal oral discussions on familiar and unfamiliar topics
• produce written professional documents by developing arguments
• present in a consistent and detailed way, documents related to a professional environment
• grammar revision and legal vocabulary extension
• development of listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in legal contexts
• mock exam simulation for internal examination
Will contain:
• writing development
• reading comprehension
• listening comprehension
• oral practice
• vocabulary expansion
• grammar revision practice and extension
• mock exams and testing
Self-study Activities & Skills
Learning a language and effective preparation for the exam requires regular attendance at lessons and
constant effort also in terms of autonomous study.
For this purpose, a series of activities to be done in the textbook “English for Law”*. In the Libraries
students can also find the material provided by the teacher in the classroom and some previous exam
papers.
Organisation
Core topic
Unit 1
Law and Order Branches of Law
Key features of Law
Unit 2
Landmarks in Law
Historical landmarks in the
development of law
Judicial precedent
Unit 3
Skills Developed
Self Study
Listening and Speaking
• Understanding a Lecture
• Making Lecture notes
• Speaking from notes
Vocabulary focus
• words from general English
with a special meaning in
law
• prefixes and suffixes
Reading and Writing
• Using questions to focus on
relevant information in a
text
• Writing topic sentences
• Summarizing a text
Vocabulary focus
Definitions , parts of speech
Countable/uncountable- transitive
/intransitive
Writing up notes from a
lecture
Listening and Speaking
• Using different information
Research the European Court
of Justice
Finding examples of judicial
precedent
2
Crimes and Civil Wrongs
Tort vs Crime
Criminal and civil courts
•
•
•
Unit 4
Computers in law
Computers for research
Types of legal information
available on the web
Unit 5/Unit 6
Theft
Definition of theft and burglary
Unit 9
Employment law
Unit 10
Homicide
Unit 11
International Law
sources
Formulating questions
Vocabulary extension
Stress patterns in multi
syllable words
prefixes
Reading and Writing
• Identifying topic
development
• Using the internet
effectively
• Report research findings
Vocabulary extension
• Computer jargon
• Abbreviations and
acronyms
• Discourse and stance
markers
• Verb and noun suffixes
Reading and writing
• Definition of theft
• Differences between
different types of burglary
Vocabulary extension
• Word sets ,synonyms,
antonyms
Research the duties and
responsibilities of High Court
judges
Write a paragraph using
discourse markers
Reporting findings
Reading and Writing
• Fair , unfair and wrong
dismissal
• Employment Tribunals
Vocabulary Extension
• Fixed phrases from legal
English
Writing Essay Plans
Writing Essays
Reading and Writing
• Types of homicide
• Defence to homicide
• Murder v manslaughter
Vocabulary
Fixed phrases from legal English
Reading and Writing
• Origins of International law
• Influence of International
law on domestic law
• International and the
environment
Writing Essays
Building up an argument
3
Vocabulary extension
• Words and linking phrases
• Agreeing /disagreeing
Unit 12
Human Rights Law
Reading and Writing
• UN charter of Human
Rights
• UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child
• Equal opportunities
Vocabulary
• Verbs used introduce ideas
• Words for contrast
• Words for quantities
Writing effective
introductions and
conclusions
Exam content and description
At the end of the first Semester, students have the option of taking a written mid- term exam. This is not
obligatory.
At the end of the second semester, there is a final written exam and an oral exam: Writing (30 marks);
Listening (40 marks); Reading Comprehension (30 marks) and Oral (a max of 4 marks).
Each part is worth an assigned mark and the sum of these marks is converted into thirtieths to give the final
grade.
Both mid-term and final year exam syllabuses are the same for attending and not attending students.
For details, refer to the Course syllabus and examinations on www.unibocconi.eu/languagecenter
Exam Terms
The exam consists of two compulsory parts: a written test and an oral test.
In order to sit for exams, both written and oral, it is necessary to enroll for the exam through Punto Blu.
Both tests must be successful for the exam to be registered.
For the written test:
• the written test can be taken again before sitting for the oral test
• the handing in of the exam paper nullifies the previous written exam
For the oral test:
• it can only be taken if the written test has been successful (minimum mark: 18/30)
• it can only be taken within the validity terms of the written test (see section Written Exam, Validity)
• it involves the preparation of the content and any materials as indicated in the program (see section
Oral exam, Test)
• once the oral exam is passed, the oral mark is added to the written one to define the final grade (see
section Oral Exam, Final grade)
4
Written Exam
First part
Listening
Objective
Check candidates’ ability to identify the subject matter, how it is communicated and
the most important details in three different listening passages
Skill
Listening to short talks, presentations or interviews
Test
Sentence completion or gap fills , multiple choice questions or true and false
Total:40 marks
Second part
Reading comprehension
Objective
Checking that candidates understand basic grammar and vocabulary in a range of
contexts, including expressions common in academic English.
Skill
Reading and comprehension of authentic or adapted text
Test
Multiple choice questions, reading for key information, multiple choice word gaps,
formulating guided questions.
Total: 30 marks
Third part
Objective
Skill
Test
Duration
Dictionary
Validity
Writing
Checking that candidates are able to construct a formal piece of academic writing
possibly argumentative of at least 200-220 words
Writing texts in English
Writing a guided text
Total: 30 marks
150 minutes
Dictionaries are not allowed
it is valid for the 3 subsequent oral exams, and it is also valid for the subsequent 12
months but there is a penalty that must be paid (see Oral Exam, Validity)
Oral Exam
Students must show the ability to summarize and discuss 3 articles of a minimum
1.250 words each one, on topics related to the syllabus.
There are a maximum total of 4 marks available.
Duration
10 minutes
Dictionary
Dictionaries are not allowed
The oral exam can only be taken once you have passed the written exam. Students
will be assessed in terms of their practical ability to communicate. During the oral
Final grade
exam marks can be added to or subtracted from the written exam result in the
following way:
• by +4 or -4, if the oral exam is passed within the 3 oral exams subsequent to
the written exam
• by +1 or -4, if the oral exam is passed after the first 3 subsequent oral exams,
but still by 12 months subsequent to the written exam
As an alternative to the Bocconi exam, students may choose to register one of the international certificates
recognized by the University. The achieved result is converted into a number grade out of a possible thirty
and is registered in the academic career.
Test
5
Additional Points
The assessment of language skills depends both on the result of the final exam and on marks awarded
during the year.
All exam grades on or above the pass mark (minimum 18/30) can be given an extra three points as follows:
1. Positive participation in the course and completion of homework activities given by class teachers
2. First year exam passed the first time it is taken
3. Partial Exam
Points are registered immediately after the oral exam is passed
1. Positive participation in the course and completion of homework activities given by class teachers
Objective
To encourage constant and active improvement in the language
• 1 thirtieth for active participation in at least 75% of lesson hours +
Maximum points awarded
completion of the self-study programme
Defined by professor at the end of the course on the basis of quality of
Assignment of points
work performed and respected due dates as indicated the professor in
the classroom and also online
From June to the January immediately following the course. These
Validity
months are included.
2. First year exam passed the first time it is taken
Objective
Reward students who sit for the exam only when well prepared
Maximum points awardable • 1 thirtieth
Automatically, when the student registers for the written exam and
hands in the exam for the first time, and passes it (minimum 18/30) and
Assignment of points
take the oral exam on the first available date subsequent to the written
exam
3. Partial Exam
Objective
Test
Duration
Dictionary
Maximum points awardable
Assignment of points
Validity
Note
Assess students' progress
• listening – comprehension questions on 1 passage
• multiple choice, sentence completion, cloze test
• sentence transformations and error correction
• legal vocabulary exercises
60 minutes
Dictionaries are not allowed
• 1 thirtieth is awarded on the condition that students pass their final
written and oral exam within the first or second scheduled exam
session
The final grade is expressed by “pass” or “fail”; the extra points will be
awarded in case of positive result (“pass”)
From June to the July immediately following the course. These months
are included
The exam is open to all students enrolled in the first year, both attending
and non-attending students. It is held once each academic year in
January after the end of first semester classes (see general exams
calendar for exact date). Students must enrol at the Punto Blu
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