English Language and Translation Ii

This is a year-long course stretching across both semesters and taught entirely in English. It is open to students who have already passed the English Language and Translation I exam and have achieved a C1+ level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Building on the first-year course, this course will reinforce students' general linguistic skills, with the intended goal of bringing them to the C2 level. It will also introduce advanced notions about the discursive, pragmatic and rhetorical features of the language of law and institutions (both national and international), combining theoretical perspectives and empirical approaches.
The course will explore the linguistic and textual peculiarities of legal discourse, as well as its specific vocabulary and phraseology, with a brief historical overview of legal traditions (civil law/common law and hybrid systems such as international courts). The key characteristics of the most common oral and written legal genres will also be explored, with a focus on the current trend towards simplifying legal language to bridge the gap between specialist texts and end users, also through the use of new technologies. The section on judicial discourse and court interpreting will introduce students to consecutive interpreting and professional note-taking, emphasising the role played by multilingualism and interpreting services in safeguarding language rights and ensuring equal access to justice. Similarly, institutional discourse will be investigated through the lens of critical discourse analysis, focusing on economic, legal, political and social matters at the centre of public debate.
In line with the importance attributed to inclusion, equity and diversity within the degree programme, the course will also examine the concrete repercussions of legal discourse on active and responsible citizenship practices, from helping citizens understand and protect their rights in everyday life, to achieving a full integration that is respectful of differences. The topic of inclusion also encompasses familiarity with digital practices and a reflection on the use of advanced writing and translation technologies, in order to experiment with their potential applications. Similarly, the analysis of legal and institutional communication aims to spark a reflection on the discursive construction of ideologies in the media and in the public debate, thus raising awareness of the social contexts in which we are immersed.
The course fosters the development of a cross-cutting expertise that is essential for understanding and communicating regulatory and media texts in the multilingual and multicultural environments of international institutions, businesses and organisations, with a focus on the legal dimension and the institutional register.

By the end of the course, students will have reinforced their prior language skills (C1+ of the Common European Framework of References for Languages) and ideally achieved proficiency at C2 level. Moreover, they will have gained advanced knowledge of the discursive, pragmatic and rhetorical aspects of the language of law and institutions. They will also have developed strategic communication skills in key areas of contemporary society, such as law and rights, institutions and media, including through the use of technological tools. Specifically, students will be able to:
- understand and use legal terminology in English;
- recognise and interpret a wide range of legal documents, including but not limited to laws and international instruments, private law contracts, police interviews, and opening statements in court;
- present and analyse legal cases and institutional issues relevant to public debate in English, with critical awareness of the contexts;
- recognise diversity and provide consecutive interpreting services for various types of spoken legal discourse in national and international settings;
- reflect on the use of advanced technologies for writing, translating and interpreting in legal and institutional contexts, and experiment with their potential applications.