Book contents
- Language and Justice
- Language and Justice
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- 1 Introduction
- Part I Communication and Legal Process
- Part II Communication and Legal Profession
- 9 ‘Being Sure’
- 10 Signposting Topics in the Cross-Examination of Vulnerable Witnesses
- 11 The Ambivalence of Judicial Interventions at the International Criminal Court
- 12 Discourse and Contingency in International Criminal Justice
- 13 The Politics of Official Language Rights in the Multilingual Courtroom
- 14 The Co-construction of Witness Statements in a Refugee Family Reunion Case
- 15 Intercultural Communication in Migration Law Education
- Index
- References
15 - Intercultural Communication in Migration Law Education
from Part II - Communication and Legal Profession
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 February 2026
Book contents
- Language and Justice
- Language and Justice
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- 1 Introduction
- Part I Communication and Legal Process
- Part II Communication and Legal Profession
- 9 ‘Being Sure’
- 10 Signposting Topics in the Cross-Examination of Vulnerable Witnesses
- 11 The Ambivalence of Judicial Interventions at the International Criminal Court
- 12 Discourse and Contingency in International Criminal Justice
- 13 The Politics of Official Language Rights in the Multilingual Courtroom
- 14 The Co-construction of Witness Statements in a Refugee Family Reunion Case
- 15 Intercultural Communication in Migration Law Education
- Index
- References
Summary
This chapter highlights the significance of intercultural communication in immigration contexts, focusing on how migration practitioners develop the specialised professional communication skills needed to successfully do their work. The data comes from the 12-month graduate course required for non-lawyers to register as migration agents in Australia. Drawing on a collection of role-play activities, where students practice conducting client interviews, and debriefing discussions following the role-plays, the analysis examines how (mis)understanding is produced and navigated. The chapter argues that language proficiency, linguistic diversity and gaps in contextual knowledge cannot fully explain the inception or under-detection of misunderstandings; but rather that these are also produced through the participants’ ongoing discursive choices. This has important implications for the design of teaching and learning materials for training migration practitioners who assist migrant applicants to complete complex and demanding legal processes.
Keywords
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Language and JusticeCommunication in Legal Practice, pp. 217 - 231Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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