Legal English | LSFL | London School of Finance and Law

What you will study

1. CEFR levels: B2-C1 (Upper-Intermediate/Advanced)
2. Developing English language skills: grammar, reading, listening and writing
3. Understanding legalese: legal writing standards, style, terminology and linguistic peculiarities, use of Legal Latin in English correspondence
4. Expanding specialist legal vocabulary: the legal system, legal professions and legal procedures
5. Expanding specialist vocabulary related to corporate and business law: types of business organisations, company formation, company management and administration, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporation tax, law of contract, intellectual property, information technology law, environmental law, competition law, risk management and insolvency, corporate governance and business ethics
6. Improving personal skills: leadership and management, time management, stress management, education and training, interpersonal communication skills, cross-cultural communication skills, professional ethics
7. Developing professional skills: telephoning, dealing with client correspondence and memoranda, explaining procedures, drafting legal documents, understanding the principles of contract interpretation, meeting and greeting people, interviewing and advising people, court advocacy, negotiations, presentations

Key features of the course

- Flexibility to suit your needs – allowing you to study anytime, anywhere
- An emphasis on personal and professional development through independent learning
- Relevance of topics, terminology and language skills to the context of business and legal communications
- Online practice tests and tutor-marked assignments to reinforce learning
- Certificate of completion from London School of Finance and Law

We offer a wide range of English language courses for tax, accounting and finance professionals planning to move to an English-speaking country for work or further studies in their professional fields. All our English language courses have been accredited by Oxford TESOL Accreditation Centre (Accreditation Number: 6172186221).

Legal English is aimed at people who regularly deal with legal documents written in English and need to use clear, accurate English in everyday legal and business situations.

This intensive English language course can be taken alongside your degree or professional qualification studies elsewhere or as part of your informal career development programme. It will be of particular value to prospective students applying to study at a university abroad or to undergraduate, postgraduate or professional students of tax law, accounting and business management with specialisation in law. The course can also complement the preparation to the TOLES (Test of Legal English Skills) exam at higher level.

Legal English is a good starting point for those who are planning to study our Foundations of Law for Professional Practice in Finance but who are not native English speakers. Legal English also forms part of our university preparation course Law and Legal Studies which introduces students to law and the English legal system at the equivalent of A Level in the UK.

Learning outcomes

- Language skills
- Key skills
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Transferable skills

Career relevance

- Law or law-related fields
- Tax advisory
- Accounting professions
- Business administration
- General management
- Management consultancy
- Professional bodies
- Professional training
- Further education
- Educational management
- English for Specific Purpose (ESP) teaching
- Coaching, mentoring and counselling in finance, tax advisory and business management
- Government offices and NGOs

Study method

Online learning with tutor guidance and support

How long it takes

4 months (128 hours)

You need to be able to spend approximately 8 hours per week on studying this module.

Teaching and assessment

A tutor will guide you throughout the study process and mark and comment on your written work. You and your tutor will primarily communicate with each other through email.

The course work includes online practice tests, tutor-marked assignments and end-of-module assessment. You must use the online VLE-system to submit your tutor-marked assignments and end-of-module assessment.

The Pass mark for the module is 50%. Upon successful completion, students are issued a certificate of completion from London School of Finance and Law.

Study materials

All study materials are provided on the module website.

Microsoft Office presentations and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of study material are available.

A computer with a browser and broadband internet access is required for this module. Functionality may be limited on mobile or tablet devices.

If you have a disability or particular study requirements, please tell us as soon as possible.

Fees and funding

Course fees for the 2024/2025 academic year: £880

Course fees cover registration, course materials, tuition and assessment.

LSFL course fees depend on the level and duration of courses: check all tuition fee rates for the current academic year here.

You may be eligible for tuition funding.

Registration

Next term start date: 20 January 2025

The module website will be available to registered students three days in advance of the module start. Module sessions will be opened every week or every two weeks to enable tutor-led, gradual progression through the study materials and continuous assessment.

Course registration is open, but please be aware that due to the increased demand it may take us longer to respond than usual.

Registration closes 10 January 2025 (places subject to availability)

Registration for current students:

ENROL

Registration for new students:

You have to register as an LSFL student to study this course.