Course Methodology

The course consists of group discussions as well as individual and team tasks. There will be writing exercises and practice exams at the end of each day, culminating in sitting the TOLES Foundation Exam on the final day of the course.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Apply correct legal vocabulary when communicating with clients/law professionals and will be familiar with modern legal writing style
• Recognize common mistakes in English and will be able to identify accurate prepositions and collocations within a legal context, particularly within the context of written contracts
• Differentiate between the English legal system and the American legal system
• Recognize improvements in their reading and comprehension skills of legal documents and demonstrate accurate written solutions within a legal context

Target Audience

This course is useful for law and legal professionals, translators, contract assistants and managers who already possess good general English and are now acquiring legal vocabulary, as well as those who are required to obtain a TOLES certification by their organization.

Target Competencies

• Legal vocabulary and grammar
• Legal communication
• Legal comprehension skills
• Formal written contracts

The Legal Profession

• Working in law
• Making a claim in civil court
• Areas of law
• Vocabulary check
• TOLES Foundation Exam practice

The Language of Banking

• A new bank account
• Working in a bank
• Loans
• Vocabulary check
• TOLES Foundation Exam practice

The Language of Contract Law

• A contract case
• More about precedent
• The elements of a contract
• The end of an offer
• What is consideration
• Contract and statute
• Going to court
• Vocabulary check
• TOLES Foundation Exam practice

The Language of Employment Law

• Being an employer
• An employment contract
• How can an employment contract end?
• Acting for an employee
• Acting for an employer
• An employment case
• Vocabulary check
• TOLES Foundation Exam practice

The Language of Tort Law

• What is the Law of Tort?
• Types of Tort
• The duty of care
• More about negligence
• A famous case in English law
• Vocabulary check
• TOLES Foundation Exam practice

Understanding Contracts – Part 1

• The style of written contract
• Understanding formal expressions
• Understanding technical words
• Understanding archaic terms
• Understanding some common words
• The structure of a contract
• Vocabulary check
• TOLES Foundation Exam practice

The Language of Business Law

• Sole traders
• Partnerships
• A partnership agreement
• Limited liability partnerships
• Companies
• Public and private limited companies
• Incorporating a company
• Vocabulary check
• TOLES Foundation Exam practice

Modern Letter Writing

• The layout of a letter
• Dates
• Complimentary close
• References
• Subject lines
• The body of a letter
• Putting a letter together
• The register of letter writing
• The content of a letter
• Typical sentences in legal letters
• Letter writing clinic
• Correcting common mistakes in letter writing
• TOLES Foundation Exam practice

The Language of Company Law

• Who runs a company
• Areas of company law
• Directors
• Company meetings
• Company finance – a case study
• Closing a company
• Insolvent companies
• Vocabulary check
• TOLES Foundation Exam practice

Understanding Contracts – Part 2

• Some typical contract clauses
• Some important commercial vocabulary
• Termination clauses
• Intellectual property clauses
• Warranty, indemnity and force majeure clauses
• Vocabulary check

TOLES Foundation Exam