以内容为依托的法律英语教学探究——以美国合同法为例

Content-based Legal English Teaching: A Case Study of American Contract Law

以内容为依托的外语教学(CBI)是一种内容与语言相结合的外语教学模式。法律英语学科课程体系设置不是由语言形式和语法规则决定,而是由适应语言教学的学科内容决定。法律英语教学的实质就是一种以内容为依托的教学,而CBI的教学理念能够很好地契合法律英语教学的需求。根据CBI的理论框架,法律英语教学的理据应包括限制性输入假说、输出假说以及认知学术语言能力说。在此理论框架下,法律英语教学可遵循"限制性输入—目的语输出—认知学术语言能力发展"的教学模式。基于该教学模式,美国合同法的教学可按照教学者内容输入、学生语言输出、语言与内容的连续统一等步骤开展。

Content-based Instruction(CBI)is a kind of foreign language teaching mode that combines content with language.Legal English is one of the most suitable and effective courses to adopt content-based instruction.The curriculum of legal English is not determined by language form and grammar rules,but by the subject content adapted to language teaching.The essence of legal English teaching is contentbased,and CBI teaching concept can well meet the needs of legal English teaching.According to the theoretical framework of CBI,the motivation of legal English teaching should include narrow input hypothesis,output hypothesis and cognitive academic linguistic competence hypothesis.Within this theoretical framework,legal English teaching can follow the teaching model of'Narrow Input—Target Language Output—Cognitive Academic Language Competence Development'.Based on this teaching model,the teaching of American Contract Law can be carried out in accordance with the steps of input of the content of the instructor,output of the language of the students,and continuous unification of language and content.