English – II Syllabus
Section 1: Theoretical Considerations
Topic: Introduction to communication: definition; importance of communication skills for a professional; verbal, nonverbal and paralinguistic communication; the communication model; Written v/s oral communication; Brevity, clarity, simplicity, accuracy and appropriateness; Barriers to communication and how to avoid them; Characteristics of the Language of the law
Reference Text: Developing Communication Skills by Mohan and Banerji
Section 2: Placement Related Skills
Topic: Group Discussion; How to face an interview; Presentation techniques; Resume; Writing for Employment-Designing Cover letters
Reference Text: Developing Communication Skills by Mohan and Banerji
Section 3: Professional Communication
Topic: Nonverbal Communication; Meetings: purpose, procedure, chairmanship, participation, physical arrangement; Writing a professional letter; Hearing and Listening; The plain English movement, Peter Tiersma
Reference Text: Developing Communication Skills by Mohan and Banerji; Legal language, legal writing general English, Dr. S.C. Tripathi, Central Law Publications, 2005, 3rd ed.; Osborn and Osborn, Public Speaking, 4th ed., 2000, Houghton Miffin Company, U.S.A.; Developing Communication Skills by Mohan and Banerji; Peter Tiersma
Section 4: Communication Skills for Advocacy and Business
Topic and Text: The advocate as conductor: painting the picture; my physical presence; where do I look; masking my anxiety; what do I call people; opening statements; agendas; questioning my witnesses; helping the decision maker to understand, Winning Advocacy by Hugh Selby and Graeme Blank, p75-110
Section 5: Literary Readings
Topic and Reference Text: Language and the Law, John Gibbons, 1999, Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 19, 156-173, Cambridge University Press; The Merchant of Venice (Act–IV, the court scene) – William Shakespeare; C.K. Kakodar v. State of Maha. (P. Jaganmohan Reddy. J.), Equivalent citation: AIR 1970SC1390, (1970) 72BOMLR917, 1970CriLJ1273, (1969) 2SCC687, [1970] 2SCR80; Francis Bacon, Of Judicature; Legality of book-banning, A.M. Bhattacharjee; The Bajaj dispute and mediation by Sriram Panchu; Learning Legal Rules (A Student’s Guide to Legal Method and Reasoning) - James A. Holland, Julian S. Webb, Type: Non-Fiction, Genre: Crime & Law
Section 6: Literary Readings 2: Self-Reading for the Students
Topic and Reference Text: Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission by Dhananjay Keer, published by Popular Prakashan, Mumbai, India; An Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam by A.P.J Abdul Kalam, Arun Tiwari, Orient Longman, 1999
Section 7: Using the Language
Topics: Conversation practice; Pronunciation; Punctuation; Correct Usage and Common Errors; Vocabulary; Oral Presentations; Spelling rules; Idioms
Reference Books: Glanville Williams, Learning the Law, Universal Law, New Delhi, 2000, Chapter 14; John Gibbons, 1999, Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 19, 156-173, Cambridge University Press; Lewis, Hedwig, Body Language: A Guide for Professionals, New Delhi: Response Books (A division of Sage Publication), 2000; Mogha, The Indian Conveyancer, Eastern Law House, Calcutta, 2004; Murli Manohar, Art of Conveyancing and Pleading, Eastern Book Company, Lucknow, 2004; S.P. Agarwal, Pleadings, LexisNexis, New Delhi, 2003; A.S. Hornby, Guide to Patterns and Usage in English, OUP, Delhi, 1999; David Green, Contemporary English Grammar Structures and Composition, Macmillan, Chennai, 1999; Geoffrey Leech and Jan Svartvik, A Communicative Grammar of English, Longman, Delhi, 2001; Thomson and Martinet, A Practical English Grammar, OUP, Mumbai, 1970; Wren and Martin, English
