SUPPORTING LEGAL SCHOLARS’ EFFORTS TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA IN A GLOBALISED WORLD: REVISION OF LEGAL ACADEMIC WRITING

Abstract

This article examines problems encountered in revising legal academic texts translatedinto English or written in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) by legal scholarsthemselves. It starts by discussing globalisation and the rise of ELF in general andspecifically in law and academia, considering the importance of publishing in Englishfor individuals and academic journals. This is followed by a presentation of thePolish perspective on globalisation, as well as the challenges of revising academiclegal writing. Specific examples are provided from the author’s professional experiencein revising such texts. Two error-prone areas were selected: fixed phrases (includingLatin) and legal terminology. Results from several corpora of English are used tojustify corrections. Conclusions concern the considerable power and responsibilityof revisers, as well as the need for greater awareness of the pitfalls of legal translationand better MT literacy among legal scholars.