Bachelor
2026/2027
Research Seminar “ Legal Terminology in the Anglo-Saxon Legal System”
Type:
Elective course (Law)
Delivered by:
School of Foreign Languages
Where:
Faculty of Humanities
When:
2 year, 3 module
Open to:
students of one campus
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
40
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The programme is designed for second-year HSE students (modules 3 and 4) studying in the bachelor's degree programmes "Jurisprudence" and "Jurisprudence: Private Law." This special course forms language competencies in the field of jurisprudence: knowledge of the basics of the legal system of England; the basics of contract law, public law, criminal law, and tort law. Students of the course will learn to understand legal texts, listen to and understand professional legal communication, and competently compose legal texts, including documents such as contracts, letters, and so on. The course is designed for the formation and development of knowledge of legal terminology and expressions for further use in professional activities, such as when applying for a job or while working in international and domestic law firms, in legal departments and departments of corporations, banks, representative offices of foreign firms, and joint ventures. The programme has been compiled taking into account modern requirements for the formation of foreign language communicative and professional competencies among students of non-linguistic specialties. The programme was developed in accordance with the "Regulations for Interim and Ongoing Assessments of Students at National Research University Higher School of Economics" and the "Concept of Development of English-language Communicative Competence of HSE Students." The discipline provides four tests. The course ends with the protection of the project (individual or group). There are no blocking control elements. The requirement for this course is that students must be proficient in English at the B1 level.
Learning Objectives
- The aims of the course are: - to improve student’s ability to read and understand law journal articles, commercial legislation, legal texts, legal correspondence; - to increase student’s comprehension of spoken English (legal topics in lectures, presentations, interviews, discussions, etc); - to strengthen student’s speaking and writing skills in a range of situations typical of the study of law and the practice of law (client interview, act out in court etc.); - to develop an understanding of the law and consolidate language skills; - to engage in designing a contract or employment contract; - to read or listen to legal articles, letters, proposals, client interviews or presentations.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- distinguishes tort from crime, Tort law from Criminal law; knows the heads, types and classes of tort; knows the structure of a case note or brief; distinguishes remedies and defences available; communicates legal concepts and information confidently and easily; organizes and presents ideas and statements in a clear, logical and appropriate way
- knows the essence of employment contract and the types of its terms and clauses; distinguishes the types of dismissal and other ways to terminate the employment; uses legal vocabulary more accurately, concisely and effectively; communicates legal concepts and information confidently and easily; organizes and presents ideas and statements in a clear, logical and appropriate way; detect logical fallacies in arguments
- knows the main requirements to make a valid contract, the ways to enforce the contract and remedies for breach of contract available; distinguishes legal terminology and the context of its use; uses legal vocabulary more accurately, concisely and effectively; communicates legal concepts and information confidently and easily; organizes and presents ideas and statements in a clear, logical and appropriate way; develop the skills of listening lectures for further deliberation and analysis;
- A student knows the general rules of employment law and the ways to resolve labour disputes Anglo-Saxon law,
- knows the style of written contracts;
- understands formal expressions, technical words, some common words concerning contracts;
- knows the structure of a contract;
- Able to introduce the project and explain the results of the required analysis and/or research
Interim Assessment
- 2026/2027 3rd module0.2 * Independent Assessment + 0.4 * Final Assessment + 0.2 * Oral Assessment + 0.2 * Written Assessment
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Aylott, E. (2018). Employment Law : A Practical Introduction (Vol. Second edition). London: Kogan Page. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1881214
- Cases, materials and text on contract law, , 2019
- Contract law : text, cases, and materials, McKendrick, E., 2018
- Contract law, McKendrick, E., 1997
- Contract law, McKendrick, E., 2009
- Contract law, McKendrick, E., 2019
- Employment law, Lockton, D. J., 2003
- Employment law, Lockton, D. J., 2011
- Hough, T., & Kirk, E. (2018). Contract Law. Abingdon, Oxon [UK]: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1761737
- Tort law textbook, Lewthwaite, J., 2004
- Tort law, McBride, N. J., 2005
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Adams, K. A., & American Bar Association. (2013). A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting: Vol. Third edition. American Bar Association.
- Austen-Baker, R. (2017). Implied Terms in English Contract Law (Vol. Second edition). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1494713
- Butler, M., & Hardy, S. (2016). European Employment Laws - A Comparative Guide. Spiramus Press.
- Common law legal English and grammar : a contextual approach, Riley, A., 2014
- Ebisui, M., International Labour Office, Rōdō Seisaku Kenkyū Kenshū Kikō, Cooney, S., & Fenwick, C. F. (2016). Resolving Individual Labour Disputes : A Comparative Overview. Geneva, Switzerland: International Labour Organization. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1484327
- Legal English : how to understand and master the language of law, McKay, W. R., 2011
- Levi, M. (2012). States, Frauds, and the Threat of Transnational Organized Crime. Journal of International Affairs, 66(1), 39–50. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=asn&AN=84319350
- Modern tort law, Harpwood, V., 2009
- Richard J. Bolton, David J. Hand, & David J. H. (2002). Statistical Fraud Detection: A Review. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.46D88353
- SULLIVAN JR., F. (2018). Banking, Business, and Contract Law. Indiana Law Review, 51(4), 945–991. https://doi.org/10.18060/4806.1209
- The global workplace: international and comparative employment law : case and materials, Blanpain, R., 2012