Corpus
Hong Kong Learner Corpus of Legal Academic Writing in English
As part of the needs analysis for this project, we compiled a corpus of assignments written by undergraduate Hong Kong law students, called the Hong Kong Learner Corpus of Legal Academic Writing in English, or HKLCLAWE. Some of the key features of the corpus are:
- 535 assignments;
- 398 different student writers, mostly second language writers;
- Most student writers enrolled in LLB or JD at one of the three law schools in Hong Kong;
- Texts in five genres: case note, essay, judgment, problem question, and submission to legislature.
The texts have been converted into .txt files, systematically cleaned, and identifying information has been removed. Background information on writers has been collected in anonymized form and includes: year of study, gender, year of birth, first language, other languages, place of secondary education, medium of instruction in secondary education. In addition, based on grades awarded, the assignments have been classified as either ‘Distinction’ or ‘Merit’.
Requesting a copy
The corpus can be shared with researchers in applied linguistics, language and law, and legal education, for research purposes only. Those who would like to consult the corpus may use the Contact Us form in order to request a copy of the texts and associated writers’ background information. Please describe your interest and your purpose in using the corpus when you do so and note that the corpus is provided for research only and may not be further circulated.
Professor Anselmo Reyes (1): Advice on legal writing
June 28, 20173953 views/by adminProfessor Johannes Chan Man-mun (2): Advice on oral advocacy
June 21, 20171792 views/by adminProfessor Johannes Chan Man-mun (1): Advice on legal writing
June 14, 20173186 views/by adminMr Michael Lin (2): My composing process
June 7, 20171209 views/by adminMr Michael Lin (1): What makes good legal writing?
May 31, 20172871 views/by adminMs Vandana Rajwani (2): Advice on oral advocacy
May 24, 20173140 views/by adminMs Vandana Rajwani (1): What makes good oral advocacy?
May 17, 20174668 views/by adminMr John Budge (2): My composing process
May 10, 20171856 views/by adminMr John Budge (1): Advice on legal writing
May 3, 201712285 views/by adminProfessor Michael Hor (2): What makes good oral advocacy?
April 26, 20171058 views/by adminProfessor Michael Hor (1): What makes good legal writing?
April 19, 20171809 views/by adminProfessor Geraint Howells (2): Advice on legal writing
April 12, 2017569 views/by adminAbout Us
We are a team of law teachers and English language teachers working at universities in Hong Kong. We have designed this website for law students, their teachers, and anyone with an interest in language and the law.
Email Us
contact [at] legalenglish.hk
Latest Videos
Mr Ian Mann (3): Advice on client correspondenceMarch 20, 2019 - 12:00 am
Mr Ian Mann (2): Advice on client Emails and text messagesMarch 13, 2019 - 5:41 am
Mr Ian Mann (1): What makes good client correspondence?March 6, 2019 - 12:00 am
Professor Janet Ainsworth: How does the discourse of police interrogation create risks for false confession?August 10, 2017 - 9:52 am