NETWORK ENCULTURATION PROCESSES IN TEACHING LSP TO LAW STUDENTS

The role of acculturation in learning foreign and second languages has been long advocated as one of the effective factors. Acculturation model has been developed by J. Schumann (1978) within the theory of second language acquisition, who claimed that the second language acquisition depends on learners’ integration into language community. Acculturation models came to be used in teaching LSP, and the notion of disciplinary enculturation has been introduced in education (Casanve, 2009).
Acculturation processes are going on in many spheres of human activities and their studies involve consideration of cognitive processes. Cognition as an integral part of linguistic consciousness develops in a particular cultural context. Cognitive domain of learning deals with knowledge and intellectual abilities and skills development.

The Internet has become a complex social and cultural phenomenon in the modern world which affects greatly many aspects of people’s life. We have to deal with and adjust to this new reality. The Internet is a powerful factor affecting our cultural environment and can be used as a means of acculturation. The use of the internet technologies in education open new opportunities and make us take into account network enculturation process and use network environment to get acquainted with target language and profession culture.

In this context we find it more appropriate to speak about enculturation which is defined as development of traditions and behavior norms common to the particular culture, unlike acculturation which presupposes the acquisition of other culture while living in foreign country.
With the Internet becoming a common place to people of different nationalities and professions, and they share some common experience, it’s possible for them to know more of a particular professional culture in different countries and understand better their profession.
New technologies facilitate contacts with target language professional communities which provide new setting for enculturation in professional sphere thus fostering the development of linguistic and cross cultural communication competences. Enculturation process enshrines social, psychological, cognitive and other processes. The article will elaborate the notion of net enculturation model in LSP and effectiveness of its different factors while teaching legal language and communication to law students. The theoretical foundations and practical results will be outlined, taking into account students and instructors’ attitude to the LSP course integrating a net enculturation model.

References:
[1] Schmidt R. W. Interaction, Acculturation, and the Acquisition of Communicative Competence: A Case Study of fn Adult. In N. Wolfson and E. Judd eds., Sociolinguistics and Second language Acquisition. Newbury House, 1983.– p.137–174.
[2] Schumann J. H. The Acculturation Model for Second –Language Acquisition. In R.C. Gingras Ed., Second Language Acquisition and Foreign Language Learning. Washington, D.C.: Center for Applied Linguistics, 1978.– p.28–50.
[3] Basturkmen H. Ideas and Options in English for Specific Purposes. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 2006.– 185p.
[4] Casanave Ch.P. Writing Games: Multicultural case Studies of Academic Literacy Practices in Higher Education (New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Inc.,2009)