The extended Contracts Word List: A register approach to specialized word list creation

What is it about?

Widespread use of English as the international language for various professional fields, such as business, medicine, and law, has increased the need for field-specific language learning resources. One helpful resource is specialized word lists, which contain essential vocabulary for everyday tasks and communication within specific fields. This study introduces the expanded Contracts Word List (CWL+; see also Hanks et al., 2024), which is composed of specialized word lists for 54 different types of contracts. The CWL+ is available to access free of charge in the supplementary material of this article as well as at the following website: https://wordlists.projects.unibz.it/. In addition to introducing this resource as a tool for learning English for legal purposes, this study also addresses important methodological considerations in the creation of specialized word lists; namely, the importance of considering registers--culturally-recognized language varieties--in order to provide appropriate resources for learners who require advanced skills in any specific field.

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Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash

Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash