This article presents the results of a study conducted among a group of law students in fift h-level English at a Colombian private university, which analyzed the effects of applying reading through English for Specific Purposes under the criteria of the communicative approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, the students' oral and written samples and the researcher's journals. Findings show that specialized reading motivates students to increase both vocabulary and knowledge about their own field of study and also encourages them to use English in everyday situations.