Addressing Challenges in Legal English: Strategies for Non-English Major Law Students

“

This study emerged from a practical educational concern that I observed among law students who are highly capable in their legal studies but struggle when legal concepts are presented in English. At the College of Shariah and Law, many students are not English majors, yet they are expected to engage with Legal English, a specialized form of language that contains complex terminology, unique expressions, and concepts that differ significantly from everyday English. Through this research, I wanted to understand whether students' difficulties stemmed primarily from legal complexity or from language barriers. The findings suggest that language proficiency plays a substantial role in students' ability to comprehend legal materials and perform academically. In particular, limited familiarity with legal terminology creates a significant obstacle, often preventing students from fully understanding legal texts even when they grasp the underlying legal concepts in their native language. One of the most important insights from this study is that students do not necessarily need simplified legal content; rather, they need better linguistic support that makes specialized legal language more accessible. Resources such as glossaries, contextual explanations, guided reading activities, and examples linked to real legal situations can help students bridge the gap between their current English proficiency and the demands of legal education. As a researcher, I believe the findings reinforce the importance of integrating language support into legal education rather than treating language learning and legal learning as separate domains. Legal English should be viewed as a tool for accessing legal knowledge, not as an additional barrier to it. The study also highlights the responsibility of instructors. Effective teaching strategies can significantly influence student success by creating a learning environment that gradually introduces legal terminology while maintaining meaningful engagement with legal concepts. In my view, curriculum designers and educators should collaborate to develop teaching materials that are linguistically accessible while preserving academic rigor. Ultimately, I hope this research contributes to improving educational practices for non-English major law students and encourages institutions to provide targeted support that enables students to succeed both academically and professionally in increasingly globalized legal environments. From a scholarly perspective, I would also acknowledge some limitations of the study. Because the research was conducted within a single institution, the findings may not fully represent the experiences of law students in other universities or countries. Future research could examine larger and more diverse student populations, investigate specific instructional interventions, and explore the long-term effects of Legal English proficiency on legal education and professional practice.

”