SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies

Name of School – Kirit P. Mehta School of Law

Program: B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) 8101 & B.B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) 8102 Semester: I
Module: General English Module Code:
Teaching Scheme Evaluation Scheme
Lecture Practical Tutorial Term End
Internal Continuous
(Hours (Hours (Hours per Examinations (TEE)
Credits Assessment (ICA)
per per week) (Marks- 50
(Marks - 50)
week) week) in Question Paper)
4 0 0 4 Marks Scaled to 50 Marks Scaled to 50
Pre-requisite: Basic understanding of English language / Diagnostic Test
Objectives
1. To help the learners comprehend functional English in day-to-day activities (with special
focus on law).
2. To help learners display better LSRW (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing)
competencies in the English language.
3. To equip learners with the sensitivities of functional English, providing them better
opportunities in the professional world (with special focus on law).
Outcomes:
The learners through this course:
1. Can comprehend basic concepts of functional English, to integrate and utilize them in legal
scenarios. (PLO 3a and PLO 3b)
2. Can demonstrate LSRW skills by analyzing and responding to specific situations (PLO 2a)
3. Can use effective communication strategies to persuade without compromising on
professional ethics. (PLO 4a and 4b)
Detailed Syllabus: (per session plan)
Unit Description: Duration
1. Introduction to the syllabus and course expectations 1 Hrs.
2. Unit I: Grammar and Expression 2 Hrs.
Concept of Living Grammar
Ref.: Jespersen, Otto. Chapter: “Introduction: Living Grammar” pg.7 &
Conclusion: “the Soul of Grammar” pg 344. The Philosophy of Grammar. George
Allen and Unwin Ltd. 1951

Pedagogy: Socratic method

3. Basics of grammar (in law): Parts of Speech 2 Hrs.
Ref.: Garner, Bryan A. and and Antonin Scalia. Syntactic Canons. Chapter 17.
Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts. Thompson West. 2012. Pg 93-94,
and 97-98
Pedagogy: Classroom activity and workshop
4. Basics of grammar: Subject – Verb Concord and Tense Agreement 2 Hrs.
Ref.: Raymond Murphy & Louise Hashemi, English Grammar in Use.
Supplementary Exercises. 3rd Ed. Cambridge University Press Ltd. 2012
Pedagogy: Classroom activity and workshop
5 Basics of grammar (in law): Preposition 2 Hrs.
Ref.: Amy Krois Linder and TransLegal. International Legal English: A course for
classroom and self-study use. 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press. 2014
Pedagogy: Classroom activity and workshop
6 Basics of grammar (in law): Conjunction 1 Hrs.
Ref.: Amy Krois Linder and TransLegal. International Legal English: A course for
classroom and self-study use. 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press. 2014
Pedagogy: Classroom activity and workshop
 SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies
Name of School – Kirit P. Mehta School of Law
7 Basics of grammar (in law): Collocation 2 Hrs.
Ref.: Amy Krois Linder and TransLegal. International Legal English: A course for
classroom and self-study use. 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press. 2014
Pedagogy: Classroom activity and workshop
8 Basics of grammar (in law): Punctuation 2 Hrs.
Ref.: Garner, Bryan. Part1: Mechanics §1 Punctuation. The Redbook Manual of Legal
Style. (3rd Ed.) WEST. (pg 4-60)
Pedagogy: Classroom activity and workshop
9 Figures of Speech 2 Hrs.
Ref. link:
 https://www.britannica.com/art/figure-of-speech
 https://www.worldclasslearning.com/english/figures-of-speech.html
Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
10 Idioms and Phrases 2 Hrs.
Ref.: Prasad, Anirudh. Outlines of Legal Language in India. Central Law
Publications. 2014
Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
11 Concepts of Word Expression: 3 Hrs.
i. Command, Instructions, Prohibitions
ii. Requests, Suggestions, Permission
iii. Obligation and Necessity; Conditions and Suppositions
iv. Comparisons and Contrasts
v. Probability and Likelihood; Possibility
vi. Intention; Determination and Resolve; Willingness
vii. Cause; Reason; Result
viii. Promises, Threats and Refusals
ix. Concession
(Please note: points i - ix should be dealt to emphasize speech expressions in
syntax construction)
Ref.: A. S. Hornby, Guide to Patterns and Usage in English. 2nd Ed. Oxford
University Press. 1996. Pg.: 105-123.
Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
12 Unit II: Phonetics and Vocabulary 3 Hrs.
Pronunciation & Transcription of Phonetic Symbols
Ref.: IPA script from website of British Council and Macmillan English
Mobile applications suggested for download:
 Sounds: The Pronunciation App (Macmillan):
https://www.macmillaneducationapps.com/soundspron/
 Sounds Right App: British Council:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/apps/learnenglish-sounds- right?
_ga=2.31716798.1259236577.1610372268-917085404.1610372268
 IPA Keyboard: http://ipa.typeit.org/
Pedagogy: Workshop method
13 Usage of a dictionary for 2 Hrs.
words Ref.:
 Garner, Bryan A. and Antonin Scalia. Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal
Texts. Thompson West. 2012 pg. 232-237
 Garner, Bryan A. Black's Law Dictionary. 7th Ed. West Group, 2010. Pg xxv-
xxx Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
14 Word formation - Prefix, Suffix and Morpheme 2 Hrs.
 SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies
Name of School – Kirit P. Mehta School of Law
Ref.: Gandhi, B. M. “Word formation or word building”. Legal Language, Legal
Writing and General English. EBC. Reprinted 2021
Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
15 Words often confused and misused (and / or, shall, must, will, etc.) 1 Hrs.
Ref.: Amy Krois Linder and TransLegal. International Legal English: A course for
classroom and self-study use. 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press. 2014
Pedagogy: Workshop method
16 Avoiding Ambiguity in sentences 2 Hrs.
Ref.: Rupert Haigh. Legal English. 2nd Ed. Taylor and Francis. 2009
Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
17 Neutral Vocabulary (special focus on gender) 2 Hrs.
Ref.:
 Locker, Kitty and Donna Kienzler. Chapter 3 Building Goodwill. Business and
Administrative Communication. 11th Ed. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. 2014.
Pg 70-75
Case Study
 Tyagi, Chhagi. Does he include she in Sec. 64 CPC. Economic and
Political Weekly. (pp. 68-71)
 Female Start-up owners use male pseudonym to beat sexism
Pedagogy: Classroom discussion through cases and real-life instances
18 Unit III: Communication Skills 2 Hrs.
Concept, Feedback and Methods
Ref.: Shirley Taylor and V. Chandra. Communication for Business: A Practical
Approach. 4th ed. Pearson. 2011. Unit 1. Pp. 4-7, 10-22, 28-36
Pedagogy: Socratic method
19 Verbal (Oral and Written) and Non-Verbal Communication 2 Hrs.
Ref.: Ref.: Shirley Taylor and V. Chandra. Communication for Business: A Practical
Approach. 4th ed. Pearson. 2011. Unit 2. Pp. 28-36
Pedagogy: Socratic method
20 7 Cs of Communication 1 Hrs.
Ref.: Bisen, Vikram and Priya. Chapter 2. Business Communication. New Age
International Publishers. 2009. Pp. 18-20
Pedagogy: Workshop method
21 Principles and Practice: Listening, Reading and Writing 3 Hrs.
Ref.: Listening: Amy Krois Linder and TransLegal. International Legal English: A
course for classroom and self-study use. 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press. 2014
Pedagogy: Class activity
22 Learning the Art of Writing (special reference to The Flowers Paradigm) 1 Hrs.
Ref.: Dr. Bety Flowers Paradigm. University of Texas.
Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
23 Communication and Psychology 2 Hrs.
Ref.:
 Interpersonal skills important for lawyers:
https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/lawtalk/lawtalk-archives/issue-
822/interpersonal-skills-important-for-lawyers
 Lawyers: Gatekeepers for Psychological Issues:
http://www.cba.org/cba/practicelink/careerbuilders_clients/PrintHTML.aspx?Doc
Id=42557
 Sternlight, Jean R., and Jennifer Robbenolt. Good Lawyers Should Be
Good Psychologists: Insights for Interviewing and Counseling Clients. Ohio
State
 SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies
Name of School – Kirit P. Mehta School of Law
Journal on Dispute Resolution. Vol. 23. 2008.
Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
24 Ethical (Interpersonal) Communication 2 Hrs.
Ref.:
 NCA Credo for Ethical Communication:
https://edge.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/ethics_section_03_module01_0.pdf
 IABC Code of Business Ethics: https://www.iabc.com/about-us/purpose/code-of-
ethics/
Pedagogy: Class discussion
25 Unit IV: Professional Skills 2 Hrs.
Preparation & Reading of Formal Correspondence: Letter writing
Ref.: Mason, Catherine and Rosemary Atkins. The Lawyers English Language
Course Book. Global Legal English Limited 2007. Chapter 8: Modern Letter Writing
(Pp 293-315)
Pedagogy: Workshop method
26 Preparation & Reading of Formal Correspondence: C.V. writing 2 Hrs.
Ref.: Shirley Taylor and V. Chandra. Unit 6: Recruitment Correspondence.
Communication for Business: A Practical Approach. 4th ed. Pearson. 2011. Pp. 119-
125
Pedagogy: Workshop method
27 Preparation & Reading of Formal Correspondence: E-mail writing (etiquette) 1 Hrs.
Ref.: Shirley Taylor and V. Chandra. Unit 8: Electronic Email. Communication for
Business: A Practical Approach. 4th ed. Pearson. 2011. Pp. 149-165
Pedagogy: Workshop method
28 Preparation & Reading of Formal Correspondence: Report Writing 2 Hrs.
Ref.: Shirley Taylor and V. Chandra. Unit 10: Reports: Communication for Business:
A Practical Approach. 4th ed. Pearson. 2011. Pp. 196-214
Pedagogy: Workshop method
29 Preparation & Reading of Formal Correspondence: Memoranda, Notice, Agenda, 1 Hrs.
Resolution and Minutes
Ref.: Shirley Taylor and V. Chandra. Unit 11: Meetings. Communication for
Business: A Practical Approach. 4th ed. Pearson. 2011. Pp. 224-236
Pedagogy: Workshop method
30 Interview Skills and techniques 1 Hrs.
Ref.:
 Sreehari and Sreekumar. Interviews and Resume Writing. A Handbook for
English Language Laboratories. Foundation Books. 2007. Pp. 86-99
 Link for Mock Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CetTjU155Y
Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
31 Other Screening Methods: Group Discussion 1 Hrs.
Ref.: Sreehari and Sreekumar. Group Discussions. A Handbook for English Language
Laboratories. Foundation Books. 2007. Pp. 109-124.
Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
32 Other Screening Methods: Presentation Techniques 1 Hrs.
Ref.: Sreehari and Sreekumar. A Handbook for English Language Laboratories.
Foundation Books. 2007. Audio CD playback.
Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
33 Précis Writing and Summarizing Techniques 2 Hrs.
Ref.: Garner, Bryan A. Legal Writing in Plain English: A Text with Exercises. 2nd
Ed. University of Chicago Press, London. 2013. Pp. 10-14, 17-48 (relevant points
only)
 SVKM’s NarseeMonjee Institute of Management Studies
Name of School – Kirit P. Mehta School of Law

Pedagogy: Workshop method

34 Social Networking (Media) as business correspondence 1 Hrs.

Ref.:
 Christina Vassiliou Harvey. 10 Tips for avoiding ethical lapses when using
social media:
http://www.americanbar.org/publications/blt/2014/01/03_harvey.html
 Connected: A lawyer’s guide to social media marketing. attorneyatwork@.
www.alpsnet.com
Case discussion: Lawyer comments on Judge’s facebook post - Shobha Atmaram
Prabhu & others v. State of Maharashtra & others. W.P. No. 6344 of 2018.
Pedagogy: Class activity and discussion
Total 60 Hrs.
Text Books:
1. Amy Krois Linder and TransLegal. International Legal English: A course for classroom and self-
study use. 2nd Ed. Cambridge University Press. 2014
2. Shirley Taylor and V. Chandra. Communication for Business: A Practical Approach. 4th ed. Pearson.
2011
Reference Books:

1. A. S. Hornby, Guide to Patterns and Usage in English. 2nd Ed. Oxford University Press. 1996
2. Bisen, Vikram and Priya. Chapter 2. Business Communication. New Age International Publishers.
2009.
3. M. A. Yadugiri and Geeta Bhasker. English for Law. Foundation Books. Cambridge House. 2005
4. Mason, Catherine and Rosemary Atkins. The Lawyers English Language Course Book. Global
Legal English Limited 2007.
5. Raymond Murphy & Louise Hashemi, English Grammar in Use (Supplementary Exercises 3rd Ed.
Cambridge University Press Ltd. 2012
6. Locker, Kitty and Donna Kienzler. Business and Administrative Communication. 11th Ed. McGraw-
Hill Higher Education. 2014.
7. Otto Jespersen, The Philosophy of Grammar. George Allen and Unwin Ltd. 1951
8. Garner, Bryan A. Black's Law Dictionary. 7th Ed. West Group, 2010.
9. Garner, Bryan A. Garner on Language and Law. American Bar Association 2010
10. Garner, Bryan A. Legal Writing in Plain English: A Text with Exercises. 2nd Ed. University
of Chicago Press, London. 2013.
11. Garner, Bryan. The Redbook Manual of Legal Style. (3rd Ed.) WEST. 2007
12. Garner, Bryan A. and Antonin Scalia. Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts. Thompson
West. 2012
13. Gandhi, B. M. Legal Language, Legal Writing and General English. EBC. Reprinted 2021
14. Mason, Catherine and Rosemary Atkins. The Lawyers English Language Course Book. Global Legal
English Limited. 2007.
15. Prasad, Anirudh. Outlines of Legal Language in India. Central Law Publications. 2014
16. Rupert Haigh. Legal English. 2nd Ed. Taylor and Francis. 2009
17. Sreehari and Sreekumar. A Handbook for English Language Laboratories. Foundation Books. 2007
Any other information:
Details of Internal Continuous Assessment (ICA): 50 Marks
Research Paper: 20 Marks
Seminar: 10 Marks
Viva: 10 Marks
Class Participation: 10 Marks

Signature Signature
 SVKM’s NarseeMonjee Institute of Management Studies
Name of School – Kirit P. Mehta School of Law

(Prepared by Faculty) (Approved by Dean)