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MARINE ENGLISH AS AN IMPORTANT

COMMUNICATION FACILITY FOR SAFETY AT SEA


AND THE METHODS OF TEACHING
S. Rodinadze, T. Mikeladze, Z. Bezhanov
Batumi State Maritime Academy, Batumi, Georgia
Summary. Communication is very important at sea. English is an international maritime language, so all mariners must know it according to the STCW
1978/95. The necessity of choosing the best techniques in teaching Marine English is
very important as seafarers must overtake properly both general and special English
for providing safe navigation.
Key words: communication; navigation; Maritime English; general English;
special English; mariner; teaching methods.

As navigational and safety communications from ship to shore and


vice versa, from ship to ship, and on board ship must be precise, simple
and unambiguous so as to avoid confusion and error, there is a need to
standardize the language used. This is of particular importance in the
light of the increasing number of internationally trading vessels with
crews speaking many different languages, since problems of communication may cause misunderstandings leading to dangers to the vessel, the
people on board and the environment. So, it was definitely clear that a
common language should be used for navigational purposes, and that
language should be English.
English became an international maritime language, so all mariners must know it. According to the STCW 1978/95, future deck and engineer officers have to render a well developed command of this specialized language, otherwise they will not be granted a certificate of competence as a great many accidents at sea and in ports use to happen due to
communication deficiencies. The legislation nowadays emphasizes the
importance of the English language proficiency in relation to safety at
sea. This is widely recognized at every level of shipping industry from legislative institutions to shipowners.
Communication is very important on board. The benefits of effective communication are many. In our professional lives the results of
misunderstandings may have very serious results. In the world of international shipping, with seafarers from many countries sailing on ships
trading to all parts of the world, effective communication between those
on board and between ship and shore is vitally important.
In recent years a growing awareness of the necessity of choosing
the best techniques in teaching Marine English has become evident. Lecturers should choose the best approach in teaching Marine English aiming to develop main language skills: oral and aural speech, grammar,
reading and aural comprehension. As an international language, Maritime English is used as the means of communication in Maritime Indus176

try between people often none of whom is a native user of the language.
Thus any study of Marine English Language must include data on the
forms and strategies employed by practicing people in Maritime industry
who are non-native speakers of English. Maritime English lecturers in a
definite maritime educational establishment have a unique set of variables to work with, all of which influence the content, structure and method of local training.
In the circumstances when English is studied as a foreign language
in an artificial bilingual environment, the problem of Marine English syllabus and principles of teaching will always be of great importance. Detailed syllabus & planning, good facilities, qualified & methodologically
correct teaching are required to solve the problem of English language
acquisition for non-native speaking mariners.
The maritime world has, like many specialized areas of activity, a
language of its own. And some of the words and phrases are unlikely to
mean anything outside of the maritime world or, if the words are understood literally, the reader will gain a wrong, and possibly odd understanding: forward spring a rope; a gypsy part of the windlass; Monkey Island on top of the wheelhouse etc. So any vocabulary chosen has
to be aimed closely to the real work of the seafarer if it is to be used and
be useful.
Maritime English can be divided into several main sections:
1. General education in the English language
2. Special English for mariners (navigators and marine engineers.)
Future navigators must study texts those dealing with the navigation, safety communications, cargo operations, everything used for work
of the deck department.
Future marine engineers must study English texts concerning with
the main and auxiliary engines, pumps, refrigerating plants, boilers
their operation and maintenance everything used for work of the engineering department.
General education in the English language is necessary for all marine students. Seafarers need to have good command of General English
for the following reasons:
General English is a necessary for Maritime English because
when the students come to the maritime content of the syllabus, they
must have already covered all topics of General English and essential
Grammar. Only being aware of the basic vocabulary, structure and phonology of the language, they pay grater attention to terminology, peculiarities of syntax and style.
General English helps seafarers cope easier with all situations
they face while serving aboard merchant ships, the more so if it is a multilingual and multinational crew.
Communicative Language Teaching implies the formation of phonetic, lexical, grammatical skills by involving learners into communica177

tive situations that are close to the situations of real communication. This
approach is aimed to the practical usage of the communicative skills.
Hence the learning situations imitate real communication.
Different activities are necessary for teaching English: cue cards,
activity cards, pair-communication practice materials, and studentinteraction practice booklets. In pair-communication materials, there are
typically two sets of material for a pair of students, each set containing
different kinds of information.
Marine English course must include the teaching/learning of the
IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP) which to appropriately apply is one of the requirements of the STCW 1978/95 to ship's
officers. The SMCP must be embedded in a convincing and trade-related
maritime context so that a boring, isolated rote learning of the phrases
must be avoided. Communicative language teaching makes use of reallife situations that necessitate communication and the SMCP provides a
very useful tool for developing those situations. Unlike more traditional
audio-lingual method of language teaching, which relies on repetition
and drills, the communicative approach can vary according to the students reactions and responses. The real-life simulations can be change
from day to day and be made topical. Teachers can set up a situation that
students are likely to encounter in real life and the students' motivation
and understanding can be enhanced through these phrases.
Teachers of marine English must use different methods and techniques to get students good knowledge of English.
Bibliography
1. Yakushechkina Yu. Maritime English training for non-native speaking mariners.
Kyiv, 2009
2. Pyne R., Koester Th. Methods and Means for Analysis of Crew Communication in
the Maritime Domain. London, 2005.
3. STCW Convention, International Maritime Organization. London, 2001.
4. Hutchins E. Learning to Navigate. USA, 1996.
5. www.rina.org.uk.

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