Khóa luận tốt nghiệp: English-majored students' perceptions of legal translation and interpreting courses at Hanoi Law University

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING HANOI LAW UNIVERSITY BUI HUONG GIANG 443028 ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF LEGAL TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING COURSES

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HANOI LAW UNIVERSITY

BUI HUONG GIANG

443028

ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF LEGAL TRANSLATION AND

INTERPRETING COURSES AT HANOI LAW UNIVERSITY

GRADUATION THESIS

Hanoi - 2023

HANOI LAW UNIVERSITY

BUI HUONG GIANG

443028

ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS

OF LEGAL TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING COURSES AT HANOI LAW UNIVERSITY

NHAN THUC CUA SINH VIEN NGANH NGON NGU ANH VE KHOA HOC BIEN PHIEN DICH PHAP LY TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC LUẬT HÀ NỘI

Major: Legal English

GRADUATION THESIS

SUPERVISOR Nhạc Thanh Hương, MA

Hanoi - 2023

I hereby state that I: Bui Huong Giang, 443028, being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts accept the requirements of the University relat- ing to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper de-

posited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and re- search, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper

March 28", 2023

Supervisor's confirmation Researcher's signature

M.A Nhac Thanh Huong Bui Huong Giang

First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to

my wonderful supervisor, Ms Nhac Thanh Huong, for her enormous support towards my research with great patience, devotion, unwavering advice, pro- found insight, and experience I have managed to overcome various obstacles and finished this thesis thanks to her constant, inspiring guidance, and en- couragement throughout the writing process

Besides, my sincere thanks go to all the members of the Thesis Com- mittee, the teachers who work hard and fair to evaluate this research of mine,

give insightful comments and questions, as well as provide me with detailed feedback to help my future studies I would also like to extend my gratitude to all the administrative personnel and staff members of Hanoi Law University and particularly the Faculty of Legal Foreign Languages for their generous assistance

Last but not least, | am indebted special thanks to my family and close friends who have been supportive and caring throughout the journey with their unconditional love, understanding and kindness I am much obliged to

my fellow 4430 classmates and 4429 for the tremendous amount of advice and cooperation to support me in the writing and survey process

Legal translation and interpreting is considered to be one of the most challenging in the translation industry due to its distinctive features related to legal field Although legal translation and interpreting has gained a great con- cern among educators and researchers in recent years, a few institutions offer

such kind of courses to learners At the same time, there has little research on

challenges in the process of legal translating and interpreting as well as the stakeholders’ viewpoints Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of the Legal translation and Interpreting courses at Hanoi Law Uni- versity from the English-majored students' perspectives via survey question- naires and in-depth interviews From the research data of 98 students, a criti- cal evaluation was carried on finding out students' perceptions on different aspects of the courses, including the necessity, the benefits, and the suitability

of the Legal translation and Interpreting courses, the difficulties they encoun- tered throughout the courses, the teaching methods and activities applied in the courses as well as their expectations to improve the courses

This study provides some important findings that the majority of the students were satisfied with the quality of the courses, yet complex nature of Legal English, insufficient English proficiency, and translation and interpret- ing competence were their biggest challenges In the light of these findings, the author also suggested some viable recommendations for both students and teachers with a view to improving the courses in the future

DECLARATIONS i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENT iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii LIST OF FIGURES/ TABLES viii INTRODUCTION 1

1 Rationale for the study 1

2 Aims of the study 2

3 Research questi 2

4 Scope of the study 2

5 Significance of the study 3

6 Organization of the study 3 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 5 1.1 Concep(s of legal translation and legal interpreting .- 5 1.1.1 Concepts of legal translation 5 1.1.1.1 Definition of legal translation 5 1.1.1.2 Classifications of legal transÏation - ¿+ <«+x+x+s+exvxexexexsxs 6 L113 Requitenicnts of legal trafiSIRHDIÏ susassssenosioatodsiodigstgsaaig01080 538g 7

1.1.2 Concepts of legal interpreting 8

1.1.2.1 Definition of legal interpreting aed 1.1.2.2 Classification of legal Interpr€ting «+ s+s++x+ee+x+exexsx 9

1.1.3 The relation between legal translation and legal interpreting II 1.2 The importance of LTI courses in legal education .«- «<< «« 12

1.3 Previous studies on LTI 13

1.4 Summary 14 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 15 2.1 Settings 15 2.2 Participants 15 2.3 Data collection instr t 16

2.3.1 Questionnaire 16

2.3.2 Interview 17 2.4 Procedures 17 2.4.1 Procedures of Data Collection 17 2.4.1.1 Data from questionnaires 17 2.4.1.2 Data from interview 18 2.4.2 Procedures of Data Analysis 18 2.5 Summary 20 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION <-<-<ses<sc<c<e<e 21

3.1 Students' views towards the necessity, benefits and suitablity of LTI courses 21

3.2 Students' views towards the difficulties encountered throughout the

LTI courses 28

LTI courses 34 3.4 Students’ expectations to improve the LTÌ €0UFS€S «- «<< <s« 38 3.5 S Y 40

4.1 Recommendations for the student 42 4.2 Recommendations for the teaClerS . -<<<5< << s5<sesesseseseeseseeses 43 4.3 Summary 44

CONCLUSION 45 4.1 Summary of the main findings 45 4.2 Limitations of the study 46 4.3 Suggestions for further research 46 REFERENCES H APPENDICES

Appendix I: Survey Questionnaire

Appendix II: In-depth Interview XI

: Hanoi Law University

: Language for Special purposes : Legal translation and Interpreting : Source language

: Target language

Table 6 Learners’ perspectives on the teaching methods and activities the LTI courses

Table 7 Students’ expectations to improve the LTI courses

In the initial chapter of the research paper, the rationale for the study, as well as its objectives and scope, are outlined This chapter also serves to identify the research questions, which will serve as a framework for the study

1 Rationale for the study

Globalization has revolutionized the world by facilitating cooperation and the exchange of ideas among different countries This has made communication

an integral part of modern society, leading to an unprecedented rise in the need for translation and interpreting services, particularly in legal fields Thus, legal translation and interpreting (LTI) proves to be an important tool in the enhance- ment of the relations between countries in the recent years

As a result, the demand for legal English proficiency as well as translation and interpreting skills has grown In order to meet the need for LTI, Hanoi Law University (HLU), one of the leading legal education institutions in Vietnam, has been providing LTI courses for English-majored students for the past ten years

By offering these courses, HLU aims to equip its students with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in this competitive field and become successful legal translators and interpreters

Undeniably, students’ perspectives are crucial in observing and assessing the effectiveness of the course in question In other words, the understanding of students’ views is indispensable for enhancing the quality of LTI education It is due to the fact it provides invaluable feedback on the efficacy of the courses and identifies areas that require improvement The feedback obtained, obviously, can

be utilized to refine course content, materials, and teaching methodologies to en-

HLU is of utmost importance

Although this issue has gained a great concern among local educators, lec- turers, and learners in the legal field, there exists little research on students' per- spectives on the translation and interpreting courses in Vietnam Hence, the study aims to fill this gap by investigating the perceptions of fourth-year Eng- lish-majored students towards LTI courses at HLU

2 Aims of the study

The present study aims to

e Investigate students’ attitudes to the necessity, benefits and suitability of the LTI courses;

e Discover the current difficulties of English-majored students on the LTI courses;

e Explore the students’ perceptions on teaching methods and activities ap- plied in the LTI courses

3 Research questions

To accomplish the purpose of the study, this research attempts to answer the following questions:

1 What are the students’ attitudes towards the necessity, benefits, and suita-

bility of the LTI courses at HLU?

2 What are the difficulties that English-majored students have encountered when studying the LTI courses at HLU?

3 What are English-majored students’ attitudes towards the translating and interpreting activities applied in the LTI courses at HLU?

4 Scope of the study

The paper focuses on the students' perceptions of English-majored

Languages at HLU

5 Significance of the study

This research holds significant importance for several reasons First, by scrutinizing the current LTI courses' strengths and weaknesses, the study can provide valuable insights into areas that require enhancement, which is able to help HLU to develop more effective and efficient LTI courses that meet students' expectations and needs

Furthermore, this study provides useful information for other legal educa- tion institutions in Vietnam and beyond The research findings offer insights into students! attitudes towards LTI courses for other institutions to design or enhance their LTI courses

In addition, through examining students' perceptions of LTI courses at

HLU, the research can add to the understanding of their needs, expectations, and

experiences in acquiring legal and translation and interpreting skills Thus, the results of this paper are expected to contribute to the existing literature on legal English and LTI courses for domestic and foreign researchers

6 Organization of the study

The study consists of three central parts: Introduction, Development and Conclusion

The Introduction includes the Rationale, Aims, Research questions, Scope,

Significance and Organization of the study

The Development is segmented into four chapters as follows:

Chapter 1: Literature Review provides background knowledge related to the concepts of Legal Translation, Legal Interpreting as well as the importance of

instruments and data collection and analysis procedure

Chapter 3: Results and Discussion shows the analytical findings of the survey and a detailed interpreting of the data obtained

Chapter 4: Recommendations provide several suggestions related to the study

The Conclusion delivers the summary and limitations of the study, as well

as certain suggestions for future research

1.1 Concepts of legal translation and legal interpreting

1.1.1 Concepts of legal translation

1.1.1.1 Definition of legal translation

Definitions suggested by legal researchers around the world are diverse regarding the concept of legal translation

Translation is simply defined as the transfer from one language to another However, it may not be appropriate to define legal translation in this way as it is one of the special purpose translation fields Sarcevic (1997) states that it is a translation from one legal system into another — from the source legal system in-

to the target legal system Cintas (2004) describes legal translation as "the act of

translating legal texts, such as laws, contracts, court decisions, and other docu-

ments, from one language into another, while Cao (2010) ensuring that the origi- nal meaning and context are preserved."

Later, Cao (2010) of Griffith University, creates a somewhat coherent,

even more rigid definition She states that legal translation is a type of specialist

or technical translation, a translational activity that involves special language use that is language for special purposes (LSP) in the context of law, or language for legal purposes According to Cao (2010), legal language refers to the language of the law and legal process, including language used in various legal communica- tive situations Legal translation refers to the rendering of legal texts from the source language (SL) into the target language (TL)

Besides, similar viewpoints are also approached by other scholars Nord, (1991) defines that legal translation is "a specialized form of translation that re- quires a high level of linguistic and cultural competence, as well as knowledge of

ingful and equivalent legal speech acts in the TL"

To sum up, these definitions highlight the importance of accuracy, cultural and linguistic understanding, and knowledge of the source and target legal sys- tems in legal translation, and emphasize the need to preserve the original mean- ing and context of the source text

1.1.1.2 Classifications of legal translation

Legal translation can be classified according to different criteria For in- stance, legal translation can be categorized into the following classes according

to the subject matter of the SL texts: (1) translating domestic statutes and interna- tional treaties; (2) translating private legal documents; (3) translating legal schol- arly works, and (4) translating case law As well, legal translation can be classi- fied according to the functions of legal texts in the SL: (1) primarily prescriptive,

e.g., laws, regulations, codes, contracts, treaties, and conventions; (2) primarily

descriptive and also prescriptive, e.g., judicial decisions and legal instruments that are used to carry on judicial and administrative proceedings such as actions, pleadings, briefs, appeals, requests, petitions etc; and (3) purely descriptive, e.g., scholarly works written by legal scholars such as legal opinions, law textbooks, and articles, the authority of which varies in different legal systems (Sarcevic, 1997)

Legal translation can also be classified in the light of the purposes of the

TL texts: (1) normative purpose, i.e., the production of equally authentic legal texts in bilingual and multilingual jurisdictions of domestic laws and internation-

al legal instruments and other laws; (2) informative purpose, e.g., the translation

of statutes, court decisions, scholarly works and other types of legal documents if the purpose of the translation is to provide information to the target readers; and

legal settings, and it is used as a general term to cover both the translation of law and other communications in the legal settings

1.1.1.3 Requirements of legal translation

Legal translation is a complex and nuanced process that requires several key requirements in order to produce an accurate and reliable legal translation

An acceptable legal translation is one that contains correctly translated terms, ut- terances that have been translated correctly according to their pragmatic function, and textual conventions that are familiar to the intended readers of target texts and conform with target-language genre conventions (Nielsen, 2010) The most important requirement for legal translation is accuracy Legal

documents often have serious consequences, so it is essential that the translation

is accurate and conveys the same meaning as the source text Besides, legal sys- tems can vary greatly between countries and even within regions, so it is crucial for the translator to have a good understanding of the culture and legal system of both the SL and TL (Baker, 2007) Legal language can be complex and special- ized, which requires translator to have a strong grasp of both the SL and TL, as well as familiarity with legal terminology in both languages (Cintas, 2004) Also, accuracy legal translation demands translators’ knowledge of legal

systems The translators must have a good understanding of the legal systems

and regulations in both the SL and TL to ensure that the translation accurately reflects the legal context and requirements of both (Rossi, 2010) Legal docu- ments often contain technical and specific terminology that must be translated accurately to avoid any misunderstanding or misinterpreting

Lastly, confidentiality and timeliness are often the criteria applied throughout the legal translation process Because legal translation is not only re-

privacy of all parties involved as well as meet tight deadlines and deliver the

translation on time

1.1.2 Concepts of legal interpreting

1.1.2.1 Definition of legal interpreting

Legal interpreting is a branch of interpreting conducted when speakers of different languages have to communicate in legal or paralegal settings Each legal system has its own unique court procedures, legal concepts, and terms that sometimes have no equivalent in other languages (Stern, 2011) This cultural asymmetry of legal systems creates substantial interpreting difficulties In order

to interpret competently, court interpreters must be well versed in legal terminol- ogy The role of the court interpreter is to make communication possible between speakers of different languages A courtroom interpreter has ethical responsibili- ties to fulfil The challenges to courtroom interpreting include lack of bilingual legal dictionaries, obstacles to pragmatic influence Court interpreters require training, in both interpreting skills and court interpreting Effective courtroom interpreting can only be achieved by the professionalization of interpreters through compulsory education, adequate working conditions, and professional remuneration for effective multilingual dialogue

Legal interpreting could include:

¢ Communication with law enforcement personnel

» Interpreting court proceedings

« Interpreting between counsellors and their clients

Like other forms of interpreting, legal interpreting deals strictly with spo-

ing justice in a multilingual society

1.1.2.2 Classification of legal interpreting

One of the most well-known types of legal interpreting is consecutive interpreting Consecutive interpreting is a type of interpreting that occurs after the speaker has finished speaking The interpreter listens to the speaker, takes notes, and then interprets the message in the TL This type of interpreting is commonly used in legal settings such as courtrooms, tribunals, and mediations Another type of legal interpreting is simultaneous interpreting This type

of interpreting occurs in real-time, with the interpreter speaking at the same time

as the speaker Simultaneous interpreting is commonly used in multilingual conferences and legal proceedings Christopher (2020) has noted that this type

of interpreting requires a high level of skill and training, as the interpreter must

be able to listen to the speaker, process the information, and interpret it into the

TL, all at the same time

The third type of legal interpreting is whispered interpreting Whispered interpreting is a type of simultaneous interpreting that is performed in a quiet voice, so as not to disturb the speaker or other participants in the legal setting This type of interpreting is often used in legal settings where there are a small number of participants who need to hear the interpreting

In conclusion, each types of legal interpreting plays a crucial role in facilitating communication and understanding between speakers of different languages in legal settings However, in fact, the first one is mostly used for is frequent applicability in legal proceedings

1.1.2.3 Requirements of legal interpreting

According to Wroblewski (1985), there are some requirements that legal

settings

The first crucial requirements for legal interpreting is a high level of proficiency in both the SL and TL Legal interpreters must have a thorough understanding of both languages, including the legal terminology and jargon used in legal settings This allows them to accurately convey the meaning of the

SL into the TL, ensuring that the intended message is transmitted effectively The second requirement for legal interpreting is a strong understanding of cultural differences and norms Legal interpreters must be able to understand and navigate cultural differences in order to provide effective interpreting services This includes an understanding of nonverbal communication and cultural customs, as well as the ability to interpret and translate idioms, slang, and other expressions that may be culturally specific

In addition to language and cultural proficiency, legal interpreters must also possess excellent communication skills This includes the ability to listen attentively, communicate effectively, and maintain professional demeanor in high-pressure legal settings Legal interpreters must also have strong problem- solving skills, as they may need to find creative solutions to unexpected challenges during an interpreting session

Finally, legal interpreters must have a strong sense of ethics and a commitment to impartiality Legal interpreters must remain neutral and impartial

at all times, avoiding any biases or preconceptions that may affect the accuracy

of their interpreting They must also adhere to strict confidentiality requirements, protecting sensitive and confidential information disclosed during legal proceedings

Legal translation and legal interpreting are integral components of the transfer process from the SL to the TL, and their interrelation is of great signifi- cance Legal translation refers to the written process of translating legal docu- ments and texts, such as contracts, laws, and regulations, from one language to another On the other hand, legal interpreting refers to the spoken process of fa- cilitating communication between speakers of different languages in a legal set- ting, where the interpreter is required to convey the meaning and intent of the original speaker

Sandrini (2004) argues that LTI are closely related and that they both play

a crucial role in ensuring effective communication and understanding of legal texts and discourse Legal translation and legal interpreting are complementary relationship, with each playing a unique role in the legal process Likewise, ac- cording to the International Journal of Translation, Interpreting, and Communi- cation, "The relationship between legal translation and legal interpreting is one

of complementarity, where each serves a different purpose and contributes to the effectiveness of legal communication in multilingual settings" (Gabriela, 2020) These statements are reasonable, as they are due to the fact that both legal trans- lators and legal interpreters are engaged in finding and reflecting meanings in text, as stated by Pelage (2010)

While both legal translation and legal interpreting are important compo-

nents of the legal system, they serve different purposes and require different

skills and knowledge Legal translation focuses on the written text, and requires

a deep understanding of legal terminology, grammar, and textual conventions Legal interpreting, on the other hand, focuses on spoken language, and requires the interpreter to have excellent language skills, as well as a deep understanding

As noted, legal translation and legal interpreting play a crucial role in ensuring that legal documents and communications are accurately translated and understood in different languages and cultures Moreover, LTI is a critical fields that has great importance in the administration of justice and the protection of human rights Therefore, participating LTI courses is essential for those looking

to enter this field as well as for those who want to expand their knowledge and skills in the areas of LTI These courses provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complex world of legal communication and

to accurately convey legal information from one language to another (Nebot, 2015)

It is undeniable that the ability to accurately translate legal documents and interpret legal proceedings is essential for ensuring that the law is applied equally and fairly to all individuals, regardless of language or cultural background LTI courses provide students with the necessary linguistic and cultural competencies to perform this important work This includes training in the specialized vocabulary and terminology used in legal settings, as well as the various forms and styles of legal documents and legal discourse

Additionally, LTI courses also equip students with the necessary intercultural communication skills needed to work effectively in multilingual and multicultural legal environments This is especially important in today's increasingly interconnected and globalized world, where the need for LTI services is growing rapidly

Furthermore, these courses provide students with the opportunity to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as to gain hands-on experience in LTI through practical exercises and simulations This helps to

careers as legal translators and interpreters

In conclusion, LTI courses are of great importance to law students at university, as they provide them with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to succeed in the rapidly growing and challenging field of LTI These courses are not only beneficial to students' personal and professional growth, but also play a vital role in promoting justice, fairness, and human rights in the world

1.3 Previous studies on LTI

Legal translation and legal interpreting have attracted attention from scholars and educators in the literature One of the previous studies related to this topic is "Understanding legal interpreter and translator training in times of change" by Nebot (2015) explored the challenges faced by legal interpreters and translators and the need for professional training in the field The study highlighted the importance of incorporating technology and_ providing opportunities for practice and feedback in LTI courses

Besides, Hu (2016) in the study of legal translation from the perspective of error analysis identify problems of legal translation found in legal abstracts and classify them into several categories After analyzing the problems, authors indi-

cate that translators face with numerous problems when translating legal texts,

including the influence of ordinary language, lack of reliable reference tools, in- sufficiency of legal knowledge, deficiency in the TL or SL, and the peculiar characteristics of legal language

When it comes to the studies of domestic scholars, Tran (2010) researched into problems and difficulties encountered in the translation of legal texts be- tween English and Vietnamese The study examined the outstanding problems of Vietnamese during translating legal texts with a view to enhancing the im-

categories in the translation of legal texts and law related materials

Ly (2022) conducted the efficacy of the 'Translation' course at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Food Industry from the English-majored students’ perspectives Aiming to investigate students' perceptions on different aspects of the course, the study discovered their lack of majored skills and related problems Simultaneously, the author suggested a number of viable recommendations to improve this course in the future

These scholars have researched the problems around legal translation and legal interpreting, focusing on different perspectives and approaches to the pro-

motion of LTI training activities To some extent, the results of the studies have

also made a major contribution to developing understanding of this matter and solving the difficulties of LTI of the learners and translators as well However, studies on the students’ attitudes towards the whole course of translating and in- terpreting are very limited, compared to other topics in the same field This cur- rent research is carried out to clarify English-majored students' perception on studying LTI courses in the context of HLU

1.4 Summary

Chapter | lays out theoretical background for the research and reviews the previous studies It reviews the pertinent literature that delivers the research work and provides the background knowledge on the research questions; specifically, the literature on the concepts, common problems, the importance of legal translation and legal interpreting as the grounds for analyzing matters around the topic

In this chapter, the research method is demonstrated, by which the reliabil- ity and validity of the study are determined Accordingly, this chapter represents

an effort in delivering a method that adequately addresses the research questions Specifically, the settings and sample population of the study are discussed; the description of the data collection instruments, and the procedure of data collec- tion and analysis are presented in this chapter

2.1 Settings

LTI is a compulsory subject in the bachelor's degree program at HLU, ma- joring in Legal English The module aims to equip and train English language students with basic translation and interpreting skills related to different areas of social life and initially train learners in translation and interpreting skills in a number of fields

Accordingly, the LTI courses at HLU focus on the content of several areas

of life and legal fields such as: Culture, Society, Education, sources of law, legal systems, constitutional law, criminal law, company law, and contract law The

courses generally consist of two major parts: (1) Translation; and (2) Interpret- ing (Nhac, 2021)

2.2 Participants

Participants of this research were 98 students chosen randomly from K44

of the Faculty of Legal Foreign Languages of HLU The first language of all par- ticipants is Vietnamese, and their foreign language is English

The author selected the group of senior students mainly because they are

to complete all modules of LTI courses, from basic to advanced ones Thus, their

responses on the perspective of these courses would be a reliable source of in-

personal viewpoints of problems they have been facing in learning process of the courses From then, a variety of opinions and ideas about the LTI courses can be collected by conducting the survey of varied sample population

2.3 Data collection instruments

The research adopts two data collection instruments namely survey ques- tionnaire and interview The survey questionnaire examines the perceptions of English-majored students of the LTI courses at HLU

The interview assists the researcher in gathering in-depth information on students’ perspectives and feelings about the topic of this paper

2.3.1 Questionnaire

The aim of the research is to survey HLU’s English majors' perceptions on

LTI courses, and to enhance the efficacy of the course at this institution Hence,

a survey questionnaire consisting of a list of questions and statements plus as-

sessment scales to clarify the participants’ perceptions on the LTI courses was

employed for data collection

The survey method of data collection is a widely-used technique due to several strengths According to Verhoeven (2015), the survey method is easy to analyze as the average answers can be used to draw conclusions for each re- spondent Additionally, this method is time-efficient, providing immediate re-

sults, which can save valuable time for researchers Another benefit is that it of-

fers consistent results when the same data points are examined under randomized conditions, thereby providing a reliable source of information Furthermore, this method ensures anonymity, as there is no face-to-face interaction between the respondents and the interviewer, which is beneficial when sensitive questions are asked

Besides traditional survey questionnaires in collecting data, researchers have turned to semi-structured interviews to gain a more nuanced understanding

of the study's topic In a study by Smith (2021), semi-structured interviews were conducted with a diverse group of participants to gain insight into their experi- ences with a new educational program The interviews consisted of a set of key questions, but the flexibility of the approach allowed participants to diverge and provide more detailed responses

Accordingly, this instrument offers considerable flexibility and conven- ience as the interviewer can ask for elaboration on certain answers while the in- formants are given the freedom to express their opinion on their own terms Ad- ditionally, a semi-structured interview establishes an amicable environment for both interviewers and interviewees The interviews consisted of a set of key questions, but the flexibility of the approach allowed participants to diverge and provide more detailed responses

2.4 Procedures

2.4.1 Procedures of Data Collection

2.4.1.1 Data from questionnaires

The information is gathered and fortified by interview questions through a researcher-made questionnaire The survey is allowed to collect student’s data from the K44 English Majors at HLU, as well as personal consent The research-

er directly distributes the questionnaire survey to 98 respondents in Google form and collects the form within two weeks

The very first step was Piloting, which is a crucial aspect of an adequate

tionnaire was sent to the research supervisor and 10 students for piloting After finalizing the questionnaire, the researcher connected to the partici- pants in order to ask for their agreement to take part in this step of the research The researcher contacted class monitors of 02 classes of K44 (4429 and 4430) of Legal English Department to ask them to deliver information about the question- naire as well as the clarity and authority of the research to their classmates Stu- dents in such classes expressed their consent to participate in the study The survey was carried out from 18th February 2023 to 4th March 2023 The above mentioned two-week period is suitable for collecting sufficient re- sponses from 98 random samples Due to the reason that all participants were English major students, the survey was carried out in entirely English language 2.4.1.2 Data from interview

The instrument used to collect data was a focus group open-ended inter- view provoking students’ thought The interview sessions would be carried out

in groups in order to help students avoid being reluctant to share experiences in

one-on-one interviews Furthermore, the questions asked in the interviews were

open-ended to gather more detailed information on the students' experiences from their studying interactions

There were three meetings with the contribution of 9 volunteered partici- pants randomly divided into three focus groups of three Each session lasted

about fifteen minutes All interview meetings consisted of 6 main questions,

which were asked in the same sequence Additionally, in the course of the inter- view, the researchers asked supplementary questions to seek clarification 2.4.2 Procedures of Data Analysis

The researcher collected data from 98 random English-majored students,

involves a statistical technique that is used in the questionnaire and is based on frequency and percentage The item with the highest frequency and percentage shows the most important, mandatory responses to the research questions After

a sufficient number of completed questionnaires were obtained, each question- naire was evaluated to collect the responses supplied by each participant The findings were displayed in figures and tables to clearly identify difficulties in dif- ferent aspects

The main measures would be used in this research including Mean, Range, and Standard Deviation via IBM SPSS Mean is the result of adding a set of numbers and then dividing the total by the number of items Calculating the mean works really well for reporting the way students' scores work out on aver- age across the whole class To calculate the range, the largest and smallest num- bers are identified and then subtracted The range offers the spread across all the numbers or the clearest picture when all the scores are relatively closely bunched together The standard deviation (SD) means an average of the distance of each score from the mean SD reflects how each score deviates on average from the mean It is more accurate than the range in showing how scores are spread out

In particular, the prepared data were then entered into SPSS for analysis and tabulation to produce mean scores with the formula:

Mean = (Maximum — Minimum)/n = (5-1)/5 = 0.8

Accordingly, the means scores would be interpreted as follows:

1.0 — 1.79: Strongly disagree

1.8 — 2.59: Disagree

2.6 — 3.39: Neutral

Data from semi-structured interviews were utilized to support the re- searcher in interpreting and explaining the result obtained from the question- naire As the information from this form of data collection was considered quali- tative, it was to be presented in the form of quotations or sayings The presenta- tion of data followed the convergent mixed-method design Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed separately The results from the analysis of both datasets were compared and interpreted to check whether the re- sults supported or contradicted each other The quantitative and qualitative re- sults were described in the discussion

2.5 Summary

In this chapter, the researcher has laid out and supported the approach in the implementation of this research and presents it with details to justify it within four parts: Settings, Participants, Data collection instruments, and Procedures

This chapter demonstrates all data gathered by surveys and interviews and statistically visualized the data in tables The results are discussed and further explained and supported by the findings of related studies

3.1 Students' views towards the necessity, benefits and suitablity of LTI courses

Before seeking learners’ perspectives on the LTI courses, the research tried to investigate their self-assessment of English proficiency

Advanced

Pre-Intermediate

19,5%

Intermediate 46,3%

Upper Intermediate

26,9%

Figure 1 Self-assessment of respondents’ English proficiency

As illustrated in Figure 1., there are four levels of English proficiency for students learning Legal English to self-evaluate upon, namely pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate and advanced Moreover, K44 students of the Department of Foreign Languages at HLU have been able to determine their cur- rent level of proficiency through exam results

It is evident from the chart, the majority of respondents rated their English proficiency as Intermediate, with the percentage 46.3% A similar pattern was observed in the rate of Upper Intermediate and Pre-Intermediate learners, which accounted for 26.9% and 19.5% respectively However, only a modest 7.3%

considered themselves to be at the Advanced level

21

moderate level of legal English even though they have been studying this subject for quite a long time In comparison to the previous study by Vu (2019), this study shares the same findings regarding the English language proficiency of fourth year college students which is generally low It seems that students may have not achieved the expected outcomes

Table 1 Learners’ perspectives on the necessity of the LTI courses

As can be seen from Table 1., the outcomes demonstrate that 4 out of 6

items received substantial mean values, with the high mean score of the necessity

of the LTI courses ranging from 3.92 to 4.46 In particular, the majority of stu- dents concurred with the statements 5 "Students see the courses as a way to broaden their cultural and linguistic knowledge" making it reach the highest mean score of 4.46 Furthermore, the importance of LTI in facilitating cross-

derstanding the legal system via legal terminology and context emphasized in the courses stood on the next ranks of courses' necessity with a high proportion among participants, which are 4.21, 4.19, and 3.92 respectively Most students believed that LTI courses provide a solid foundation for ongoing training and professional development (M=3.15) as well as promoting global legal coopera- tion and understanding through the courses (M=3.08), are not necessarily re- quired Generally, there is no doubt that a large number of participants found these 6 abovementioned courses' necessity statements important in their LTI learning process

These aforementioned statistics can be explained that the LTI courses were such the necessary courses for students to have adequate training and ex- pertise for their LTI skills These statistics and results are in line with the previ-

ous researches (Kacprzak, 2020; Bojarski, 2018; and Borja-Albi, 2017)

According to Kacprzak (2020), the courses not only enhance students! le- gal English proficiency but also broaden their cultural and linguistic knowledge, which is highly valued in today's globalized world Besides, Bojarski (2018) stated that LTI play a crucial role in facilitating cross-cultural communication, and the courses provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge to bridge the gap between different legal systems and languages The reason for quite positive mean score for item 3 was that for those are planning to pursue ca- reers in the legal field, the courses provide essential training in legal language, terminology, and procedures Borja-Albi (2017) Such findings were confirmed through follow-up interview Student 3 shared the similar point:

"I believe that LTI courses are essential for anyone who wants to work in the legal field or pursue a career in translation or interpreting Without

cultural competencies to work effectively in this field" (Student 3)

It can be seen that item 4 and item 6 did not highly appreciate by partici- pants On the contrary, Alfakih's study (2018) showed that ongoing training and professional development are necessary for professionals in the LTI field, as it requires both linguistic and legal knowledge and skills The courses can provide

a solid foundation for continued learning and development Moreover, LTI courses can promote global legal cooperation and understanding by providing students with the necessary cultural and legal competencies to work with legal systems of different countries and cultures (Kacprzak, 2020)

In short, participants agreed that LTI courses were very necessary for their translation and interpreting learning, as one of the participants mentioned in the

interview:

"LTI courses are not only necessary, but highly beneficial for anyone in- terested in this field In today's globalized world, where legal systems and international businesses often involve multiple languages and cultural dif- ferences, the ability to accurately translate and interpret legal documents and communication is crucial Without proper training and education in LTI, mistakes can be made that could have serious consequences" (Stu-

dent 5)

Table 2 Learners’ perspectives on the benefits of the LTI courses

The statements aiming at explores English majors' viewpoints about the benefits they attained throughout the LTI courses with the results are illustrated