Research Guides: Resources for International Students: Jargon Explained

Dictionaries

Longman's Dictionary of Contemporary English

Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus

Library Terms

From "Abstract" to "Wildcard", these resource guides allow you to look up simplified definitions of words you may hear in relation to MacMillan Law Library.

Academic Research: A Guide for International Students: Library Vocabulary: From the University of Denver Library
Library Terminology: Glossary of Library Terms: From the University of Southern California Library
Glossary of Library Terms: From Davidson College Library

The ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries) also has a simplified definition of library terms glossary, along with a multilingual language table that translates these terms into: Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, Arabic , and Vietnamese.

Law Terms

Plain English Campaign's A to Z of Legal Phrases: This glossary of legal phrases should prove helpful to simplify definitions of legal terms.

Glossary of Legal Terms from the United States Courts: This resources, provided by the U.S. government, gives descriptions of common legal terms in a formal way.

Black's Law Dictionary: The most useful book of legal definitions.

Resources for Learning English

Learning Business English in China by Zuocheng Zhang
ISBN: 9783319592909
Publication Date: 2017-07-24
This book analyses the learning experiences of students of Business English at a Chinese university. It addresses several topical issues in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) education and Business English teaching, including how ESP students learn, how they develop multiple identities. In particular, it focuses on their professional identity in the classroom, and how these identities are transferred to the workplace. This allows the author to present a model of learning Business English that corresponds to the lived experiences of students in China, but which can also be applied to other ESP learner contexts. In doing so, he demonstrates how to research the professional identity of ESP learners from multiple perspectives, and contributes to the validity of research on language learning and learner identity. This book will appeal to scholars of English for Specific Purposes, Second Language Acquisition, and TESOL Education.

Working on Your English Over the Summer
This fantastic resource by Prof. Schaetzel lists a number of sources to look into to strengthen your English-language skills.

Academic Legal Discourse and Analysis by M. Baffy; K. Schaetzel
ISBN: 1543815936
Publication Date: 2019-08-07
This book introduces international students to the characteristics of legal education in the United States and helps them develop the linguistic, analytical, and cultural skills to thrive at a U.S. law school. Part I focuses on the academic legal writing skills needed to write in law school. It guides students in reviewing their own writing skills and helps them to adapt to the conventions of academic legal writing at the whole text, paragraph, and sentence levels. It also gives students guidance in effectively presenting their ideas in writing so that a reader can quickly grasp their reasoning and meaning. Part II introduces students to common law and legal analysis. Following a brief introduction to the U.S. legal system, the book focuses on the skills required to read, discuss, and write about legal cases in a U.S. law class. Cases in torts and criminal procedure law provide an opportunity to apply these skills while also teaching high-frequency legal vocabulary. Throughout the book, students can read clear and concise explanations and practice the skills they are acquiring with detailed practice exercises. Professors and students will benefit from: Clear explanations of academic legal writing expected of law students on written assignments, such as exams and papers Straightforward definitions and explanations about how the common law system in the U.S. works Guidelines and practice in reading, discussing, and writing about legal cases Authentic tasks and exercises for all key concepts

Consultation with Prof. Schaetzel

On top of all the resources listed here, you can meet with Prof. Schaetzel about which resources might fit their needs the best.

You can schedule a meeting with her by following this link.

Library Hours

MacMillan Library Hybrid Research Services:

Monday - Friday: 9am - 5pm
Saturday - Sunday: Closed

MacMillan Library Building Hours (May 12, 2025 - August 18, 2025)*:

Monday - Friday: 9am - 6pm
Saturday - Sunday: Closed
*Closed May 26, June 19, and July 4, 2025

Reference Desk:
Monday: 1pm - 3pm
Tuesday: 1pm - 3pm (Virtual only)
Wednesday: 10am - 12pm
Thursday: 10am - 12pm (Virtual only)
Friday: Closed
Saturday and Sunday: Closed

IT Help Desk:
Monday - Friday:
Saturday - Sunday: Closed

Emory Law Archives:
Physical archives: By appointment only.
Digital archives: More information available here.
Limited remote services are available on a case-by-case basis.
Questions? Email Anna Sturgill, Law Librarian for Archives and Assessment Services