On the Use of Semantic Frames in Law Enforcement English Methodology
On the Use of Semantic Frames in Law Enforcement English Methodology

Author(s): Ileana Chersan
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Social Sciences, Language and Literature Studies, Education, Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, Criminal Law, International Law, Political Theory, Political Sciences, Security and defense, Politics and law, Peace and Conflict Studies, Labour and Social Security Law
Published by: Editura Universitară
Keywords: semantic frames; English law enforcement methodology;
Summary/Abstract: The methodology of English for specific purposes has long been employed and developed, capitalizing on the latest language research and linguistic traits. Using semantic analysis and more specifically semantic frames (in the sense of Fillmore ) to deconstruct the meanings of a lexical unit or word is a complex and rewarding methodological approach; this can facilitate the comprehension of cultural and social concepts behind the lexical units, contrasting concepts and situations and contextualizing them with more semantic precision. Law enforcement concepts favour this approach due to the social and historical complexity of law enforcement systems and their impact on cross-cultural communication. This paper explores two semantic frames of law enforcement concepts – ‘Criminal attempts’ and the ‘Power to stop and search’ - to demonstrate the rationale and applicability of frame semantics to English law enforcement vocabulary teaching.

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