The primary objective of the Advanced Dutch Legal Terminology course is to enable students to read and understand case law and legal scholarship published in Flanders.
While passive knowledge of the written language and appropriate vocabulary is a priority, the course also aims to prepare students to deal with concrete situations in which they may need to use Dutch, both orally and in writing.
The main objectives of the course can be summarized as follows:
The Advanced Legal Terminology course is particularly designed to prepare students who are considering (partially) continuing their studies in Flanders, for example within the framework of Erasmus Belgica, the 2+2+1 program, or a master’s degree. To this end, the course will be taught primarily in Dutch, at a pace adapted to the students’ level. Any student with an acceptable level of Dutch at the end of secondary school should be able to follow the course.
The course (24 hours) is structured into 12 lessons, each dedicated to a specific theme in order to cover most branches of law, namely:
Each class will be divided into several parts, each designed to develop one of the objectives mentioned above:
Preparation: before each class, students will be expected to prepare in advance. This means reading the assigned newspaper article and/or listening to the news clip, as well as completing the syllabus exercises provided and published on Webcampus. Thorough preparation is a key factor in success: by working ahead, each student can take the time they need to read and reflect at their own pace. Moreover, learning a language cannot be achieved in just a few days of cramming before exams. On the contrary, it requires regular practice and repetition.
Use of AI
The exam is a written, on-campus exam with no materials allowed. Students are therefore expected to prepare adequately. However, the use of AI for practice, or to help understand texts or vocabulary while preparing for class, is permitted.
For the oral presentation, students are allowed to use AI as support. Out of intellectual honesty, they must mention this at the end of their presentation. The use of AI will not be penalized, as students are primarily assessed on their communication skills. Regarding the content of the presentation, which is also assessed, AI may serve as an aid. Nevertheless, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the information provided.
Assessment
The course will be assessed as follows:
A course syllabus will be made available to students, including the exercises and texts to be read, as well as the related vocabulary.
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Law | Standard | 0 | 3 | |
| Bachelor in Law | Standard | 2 | 3 |