Exciting Partnership: Confucius Institute at Bangor University Teams Up with CUPL for Online Legal English Winter School!

We are thrilled to share the news about the third Legal English Winter School, hosted with great enthusiasm by the Confucius Institute at Bangor University and China University of Political Science and Law!

This bespoke winter school, a collaborative effort with CUPL and skilfully designed and delivered by Michael Pattison from Bangor University, took place from 15-19 January 2024. Michael, a linguist, lawyer, lecturer, and educational consultant, reflected on the experience:

‘Over five days, I had the pleasure of delivering an online Legal English course for 30 students from the esteemed China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing (CUPL). What an impressive group of aspiring young lawyers! They quickly embraced our active and interactive teaching methods—a big congratulations to all of them! We delved into various crucial topics, exploring why Legal English differs from everyday English, with its unique writing conventions and vocabulary rooted in Latin and Old French. We unanimously appreciated the shift towards using Plain English in legal documents for enhanced readability and comprehension. The course covered parliamentary legislation, common and civil law, criminal and contract law, the UK’s Supreme Court and court hierarchy, the doctrine of 'precedent' and legal writing, referencing and argumentation.’

Throughout the course, students had the opportunity to engage with case law, analysing real-life case reports in English and navigating the intricate case citation system. We explored legal reasoning, honed the art of writing case briefs, and ventured into different business entities.

‘Organising online Summer and Winter Schools for CUPL students has become a cherished tradition at the Confucius Institute. Our commitment remains steadfast as we strive to provide personalised learning experiences for CUPL students, facilitating the expansion of their knowledge and fostering familiarity with the legal system in England and Wales. Anticipating a bright future, we eagerly await the opportunity to warmly welcome CUPL students in person at Bangor University in the upcoming year, said Lina Davitt, Director of the Confucius Institute at Bangor University.