Supporting legal scholars’ efforts to communicate in English as a lingua franca in a globalised world

This article examines problems encountered in revising legal academic texts translated into English or written in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) by legal scholars themselves. It starts by discussing globalisation and the rise of ELF in general and specifically in law and academia, considering the importance of publishing in English for individuals and academic journals. This is followed by a presentation of the Polish perspective on globalisation, as well as the challenges of revising academic legal writing. Specific examples are provided from the author’s professional experience in revising such texts. Two error-prone areas were selected: fixed phrases (including Latin) and legal terminology. Results from several corpora of English are used to justify corrections. Conclusions concern the considerable power and responsibility of revisers, as well as the need for greater awareness of the pitfalls of legal translation and better MT literacy among legal scholars.