Linguistic detectives

The main goals of this ESL lesson are:

• – understand what forensic linguistics deals with
• – develop specialized legal vocabulary
• – improve reading comprehension by analyzing a text about forensic linguistics

This advanced lesson plan focuses on developing specialized vocabulary related to legal proceedings.

Warm-up

The students are presented with a number of different opinions. They are asked to share if the agree or disagree with them and give their reasons.

Video

The students watch a video “How Language Nerds Solve Crimes.” Based on video content students match sentence beginning with appropriate endings.

Exercises

Students complete the gaps in sentences with correct words. In the second exercise, they complete sentences so that they have similar meanings to the original sentences. Finally, students read controversial scenarios about the use of forensic linguistics and identify the primary factors that led to the controversy.

Writing

Students create dialogues discussing legal cases involving forensic linguistics.

Reading

Students read a text about forensic linguistics and answer questions to test reading comprehension.

Discussion

Students rearrange words to form questions and answer them.