ACADEMIC INTEGRATION OF LAW AND JOURNALISM ESP COURSES THROUGH MOCK TRIAL

Abstract

The paper studies academic integration of two ESP courses: Law and Journalism through
the common educational setting – a role play Mock Trial. The purpose of this study is to prove
that a role play is an advantageous form of making academic integration to master integrated
skills while studying ESP. The research is based on integrative approach to incorporate two ESP
courses and to single out integrated skills as well as competency approach to develop professional,
language and other skills in the role play. After the role play was completed two surveys
were conducted among students to get their feedback and to evaluate the academic integration
efficiency. Likert scale and ranking method were used. We reviewed literature on ESP teaching
and analyzed examples of academic integration. Moreover, we suggested authors’ implication of
academic integration and justified that law and journalism can be regarded as adjacent professions
as they are both human oriented. Being convinced that the role play Mock Trial is the apt
integral educational setting, it was hosted to practice new integrated skill – social justice as
an anchor for professional and personal qualities. The results of the study aimed at enhancing
integrated skills can also be applicable for other ESP settings. The research might encourage
ESP teachers to design valuable educational settings to incorporate different ESP fields which
may share common professional purposes to develop integrated skills.