THE CONTENT OF TEACHING ENGLISH REASONING WRITING TO FUTURE LEGAL PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

In this article the author considers the concept of reasoning as a characteristic feature of lawyer’s speech and as a category of the science of logic. Summing up the results of recent research, the author’s own definition of "English reasoning writing" is proposed. The author also examines modern Ukrainian and foreign textbooks in Legal English on the component devoted to reasoning writing and formulates her own conclusions about its types which seem to be the most effective for teaching English reasoning writing to law students. To prove that, aims and objectives of teaching English reasoning writing are defined. As an example of practical realization the experience of the U.S. universities and author’s own practice of teaching Legal English to law students at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv are also described.

In the article special attention is paid to contentious components of teaching English reasoning writing. Thus, the author analyses the legal content (communication spheres) as the one which takes an exceptional place in the process of teaching law students. To balance at most the content of teaching Legal English and other specific law courses the researcher explores the curricula, programmes and disciplines which are taught to law students and offers her own division of topics (situations) of communication while teaching English reasoning writing. The article also focuses on such specific features of Legal English as style and lexicon, emphasizes the need for the acquisition of necessary skills and considers characteristic qualities of a skill and stages of its formation.

Overall, the article reveals the content of teaching English reasoning writing to law students paying special attention reasoningas a characteristic feature of lawyer’s speech and creating the necessary basis for further research, particularly in terms of developing new models of teaching English reasoning writing to law students.