How can a SIG help? 

The aim of this SIG is to create a supportive space where members can share their knowledge and experience, and learn from one another and from guest speakers. While there is a need for EAP practitioners to engage in scholarship (Ding and Bruce, 2017), there are different levels of engagement. SIG members can extend their knowledge of the law, legal genres and discourses, based on the research and practical experience of others. There is a body of literature that can help teachers, but they don’t always have the time or resources to make an in-depth study themselves. There is also a great deal of research currently being carried out, for example into Law vocabulary, legal translation, and the use of corpus linguistics to study original meaning. Members can also discover how Law students are supported and how EALP is taught in higher education settings across the world. 

Who benefits? 

The SIG is open to all: from those who know nothing of English for Academic Legal Purposes, but have an interest in the area, or a need to learn; to those with knowledge of Law who wish to share their knowledge with others, but also continue learning themselves. Those outside the EAP community who engage with Law will benefit by being able to disseminate their knowledge andideas to an EAP community. Lastly, but most importantly, it is the Law students who will benefit most, from the best practice that can be generated from collective knowledge and experience.