Topics / Thèmes
SamBen and I welcome anyone, individual or group, who seeks a supportive and friendly environment in which to grow and prosper.
SamBen clients have ranged from prestigious law firms to solo practitioners (juristes et avocats). SamBen clients have also included, inter alia, engineers, administrators, chemists, international trade professionals, electricity industry officials, health care officials, bankers, technology consultants, medical and pharmacy professionals, hospitality & tourism hosts, and international and public administration officials.
I provide detailed presentations in English on virtually any professional subject. Here are a few examples:
- We can discuss business negotiation tactics, dealing with employment issues, handling class actions, undertaking and assessing due diligence, all in English.
- Are you monitoring litigation that is occurring abroad, and you would like better to understand the “legal jargon” you are receiving but not really understanding?
- How long have you wondered about variances between the French and American legal systems, or perhaps the operation of the multi-district litigation rules in the U.S. Federal Courts?
- Perhaps your interests turn to resources like international treatises?
- Of course, we can occasionally just just chit-chat: to ensure you are ready also for the cocktail party that will follow the big client business meeting. What about how to handle that networking opportunity you and your boss will attend shortly in Washington DC or London?
Here is an overview of subjects and exercises I have used to teach English to French professionals. Again, this is merely a sampling.
Click on any item to expand it for further detail.
Legal English
Litigation
Contracts
Corporate / Commercial
Employment
Public Law
US Courts and Institutions
Evidentiary Procedure and Terms
Legal Terms (Complaint, Demand, Summons, Discovery, Judgment)
Business English
Contract Terms (e.g., Term sheet)
US Government Agencies & Acronyms
Presentations & Meetings
How to Prepare and Present PowerPoint in English
How to Present a Speech and Take Questions Afterwards
The Impromptu – The American who Interrupts
Networking / Socializing
How to Work a Large Room – Do not Stay in the Corner
The Mystery – Find the Killer or Your Next Spouse?
Terminating Awkward Encounters
Introducing Unknown Fellow Participants to One Another
Writing
Style Editor
Differences in Punctuation, Styles
Bluebook
Legal Dictionary
Emails, Texts, Letters and Phone Calls
Formatting Formal Email Messages
Formatting Messages to a Known Client / to a New Client
Public Distribution Chain – Email Etiquette
Formal Texts
Informal Messaging via Text
Emojis – Acceptable vs Dangerous
Proper Telephone Etiquette
Informal Telephone Mannerisms you may encounter but probably should avoid employing as a non-native speaker
AI – Artificial Intelligence
Case history, how the courts are treating it in the US
Advantages / Disadvantages
Discussing this in a round table
Listening / Oral Comprehension
Reviewing short videos, then providing a summary of content
Listening to speakers with unusual speech patterns or patois
Round table discussion of any topic of the day
Usage – Styles, Danger Zones, Culture Clashes
A boy and his dog
why an American client does not want to hear (or read) your conclusions
As American as baseball and apple pie
la litote (Pourquoi pas ; je ne dirai pas non) contrasted with the American (Yes, thank you)
Pronunciation Exercises
It may include selected professional topics, video material, points of grammar and usage, differences among American, British, Scottish, Australian, Indian and other varieties of English, and examples of the linguistic and cultural traps that arise when something perfectly sensible—or funny—in one language goes sideways when translated literally into another.
Grammar
The Chicago Manual of Style
Murphy’s English Grammar
Grammar Reference Materials – both digital and legacy paper
Verb Tenses – Review and Exercises
Reference Materials / Learning Tools
Roget’s Thesaurus
Black’s Law Dictionary
ANKI app – Shared Decks built on Your Classes
YouTube Resources
And for Fun: Topically apt Crossword Puzzles Designed Just for You
Practical English
PDF cheat sheets for when you are traveling, eating out, etc.
How to handle the routine in conversational English
Homework Exercises
Grammar Review
Vocabulary Building with image assistance
Antonym / Synonym development