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The study aimed at exploring the English language problems adult students of law in the Ethiopian Civil Service College (ECSC) face, establishing their needs for the language to succeed in their studies and function effectively in their legal profession and proposing guidelines for English for law courses that would address the established needs and constraints. In addition to solving a practical problem, it was also the objective of the study to contribute to the scarce theory and practice in Ethiopia and worldwide in the fields of English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) in general and English for law in particular. In order to address these issues, the study employed the qualitative case study approach that used varied instruments for data collection and involved different stakeholders in the teaching and learning of English for law. It mainly used semi-structured interviews, participant observation and direct observation, focus group discussions, as well as questionnaires, test results and document analyses. Law students, law and English language instructors, law graduates working in legal and non-legal offices and their immediate heads and or sponsors selected from half of the regional states of Ethiopia participated in the study. It was found out that law students manifested English problems at all levels of the language, that is, in the four skills and also faced serious lexico-grammatical problems. It was also found out that student background, the mechanisms employed by the College in the processes of selection and admission of students, lack of relevance of the current English courses to law study, among others, also contributed to the failure of law students to gain the most out of the English courses offered by the College. This in turn contributed to the difficulty students faced in studying law effectively because it was also established that there is a strong relationship between law discipline and the language it is embodied in and taught thro~ that is, English. It was, thus, concluded that if law students at the ECSC are to study and function in law effectively, the English courses offered by the College need to be relevant for these purposes and address the specified target and learning needs. This could be achieved, it is recommended, by introducing a new English for law syllabus that addresses the needs and alleviates the English language problems of law students. |
