ABSTRACT

Communicative language training set in the context of real-life situations at sea has
hardly been part of any curriculum for training merchant navy officers. It is found that
English language skills of the ships crew is at a very low level, resulting in ineffective
communication and it has also been identified that ineffective communication is the
major cause of the many accidents. This fact along with the cultural diversities of multinational ship crews creates a major current problem. The CAPTAINS project (EU
Leonardo Captains Project, 2010-2012) intends to create a knowledge base of real-life
scenarios on linguistic and cultural diversities with respect to effective communication in
English among seafarers on ships and ashore. The CAPTAINS project (ibid) will
develop a software based maritime English tool in which the scenarios developed will
optimally drive the definition of proper learning approaches, virtual collaboration and
learning spaces as a medium of novel learning platforms deploying 2D/3D simulations.
This will be incorporated with educational content and be bundled as online learning
through an advanced e-learning platform. The knowledge base of real scenarios is
intended to be included in the curriculum of Maritime English in maritime education and
training institutions. Industrial and vocational training would benefit from the existence of
a software training tool for its sea-going and port personnel which focuses on effective
English language communication, as an essential ingredient in safe and efficient ship
operations. This paper also includes the needs analysis element of this project, in which
many seafarers and maritime English teachers were consulted. The methodology
followed for this needs analysis involved the creation of a cadet level questionnaire,

which was piloted on the cadets at TUDEV Institute. This was followed by the
development of two main questionnaires, (one for seafarers, and one for maritime
English teachers) which were made available online through the project website, and
promoted widely throughout the partnership s network of contacts. These
questionnaires remain online for additional data collection for future use. Following the
elaboration of the questionnaire results, workshops and round table discussions took
place in order to gather the opinions of the target groups. The following is an account of
the results of the surveys for maritime English teachers and seafarers, and a summary
of the workshop reports.

Chapter I
INTRODUCTION

English has been set as the language of the sea at an international level and it is used
in all situations such as ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore and between maritime personals;
however it is not always non-problematic since nowadays ship crews are multi-national
instead of being from a single nation. Linguistic, paralinguistic and cultural and
discourse formation issues act as a barrier to the safety of the ships at sea (Ziarati,
2006). A careful study identified that 80% of maritime accidents are down to human
factors (Verbek, 2011), of which failure of communication represents one third (Ziarati,
2006, Trekner, 2007). The IMO has also underlined the importance of effective
communication in an International Seminar as a crucial issue for Marine Safety
(Winbow, 2002). Therefore, it is very necessary to remedy those accidents caused by
human factors contributed by communication failures. The problem is not only in the
partner countries but worldwide (Loginovsky, 2002). The CAPTAINS project (ibid) can
help reduce the communication failures, once it sets and develops standards on
scenarios based learning approaches and respective courses on communicative
English learning. Already, it has prepared a knowledge base of scenarios simulating
real-life situations of effective communication that includes sets of real accidents,
incidents and near misses that will then be incorporated in the existing MET
programmes in the partner countries, Europe and later-on world-wide. The CAPTAINS
project (ibid) intends to develop an environment for learning English by means of 2D/3D
simulations and is expected to reduce communication related issues at sea. This will be

purely scenario based extracted from the past accidents, incidents and near misses
which will enable to demonstrate the wrong and right ways to communicate and
potential critical situations may lead to and train those maritime personnel on what
action to take to avoid them. While developing the course, the standards will transfer
innovation from existing English model courses such as the International Maritime
Organisations (IMO) Model course 3.17 and the IMOs Standard Maritime
Communication Phrases (SMCP). This paper is structured as follows: where section
one has provided a brief introduction to the rationale, aims and objectives of the
CAPTAINS project (ibid). The next part (section two) includes the analyses of the
questionnaire, which was handed out to lecturers, professors, and seafarers whom have
sea experience. In section three, the results of the workshops that were carried in the
partner countries to support the outcome of the questionnaires will be provided. Finally,
section five presents the conclusions of the paper.

3. Background of the study

Most maritime accidents are caused by human error, notably breakdowns in
communication or cooperation, and because English is the international maritime
language, instruction in maritime English for communication and cooperation is an
important element in maritime education According to recent IMO statistics 80% of
accidents taking place at sea are caused by human error, with half due to poor
communication.

My personal view on this is that no law in this world, no dictionary, translator or

reduction in salary is going to make a Scotsman or Singaporean talk in understandable
English so whilst all other nations have made great effort to learn the language and to
use it in favor of their own tongue, they will just have to accept the fact that half of those
whose mother tongue is English cant be understood by anybody else. IMO analyses
reports of casualties and accidents in order to see if there are any lessons to be learned
for the future. Many accidents are found to be due mainly to operational issues of
proper procedure, maintenance and design, rather than to proper implementation of
regulations, but effectiveness of bridge resource management and particularly
ineffective relationships between Master, Chief Engineer, crew and pilot are recurrent
themes. Communication difficulties often occur in these areas due in part to cultural
differences but also due to language barriers which seem to be a big problem as the
crew members do not want to acknowledge the fact that communication (especially a
proper one which implies using an English language that can be understood by
anybody) is very important if you want a safe voyage from point A to point B. Maritime
English is to a great extent restricted to IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases
(SMCP), which builds on a basic knowledge of English and has been drafted in a
simplified version of maritime English. It includes phrases for use in routine situations
such as berthing as well as standard phrases and responses for use in emergency
situations.
Lack of operational-level knowledge of English can be the root cause of
casualties. Management-level knowledge of English helps to minimize communication
problems and to prevent the recurrence of these casualties. Corrective and preventive

action processes also require knowledge of written English in order to submit

commitments to external parties. The common language of claim handling is English as
well, with relevant correspondence and objective evidence stated in a reporting
mechanism. Clearly, it is impossible to cover this topic with Standard Marine
Communication Phrases in current Maritime English courses. This study evaluates the
actual expectations and needs of stakeholders in the shipping business like ship
management performance due to the requirements of flag states and port states and
compares them with the existing content of Maritime English Courses. Shipboard safety
as well as environmental management systems require the implementation of English
as a second language. This directly affects the training needs and methodologies at
Maritime Education and Training Institutions. Maritime English courses are discussed
and a model is proposed for management-level knowledge requirements of Maritime
3.1. Theoretical Framework
The Captains (Communication and Practical Training Applied in Nautical Studies)
product, a result of the EU Leonardo Transfer of Innovation Captains Project, was
developed following a language needs analysis of seafarers and Maritime English
teachers worldwide. The Captains product contributes to an enhanced safety at sea
culture by providing a means for seafarers to improve their English language
communication skills. The Captains courses were designed based upon real life
accidents and incidents involving communication failures, and include a range of 2D
and 3D simulations. The advanced elearning platform, Kwebo, provides an interactive
learning environment for all seafarers, with a range of community tools for collaborative
learning.

3.2. Conceptual Framework

The CAPTAINS project aimed to transfer innovation and to conjugate existing
knowledge concerning linguistic, paralinguistic, cultural and discourse formation issues
acting as barriers in ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore-to-ship and crew communication in the
multi-cultural context of a ship particularly since most ships are now multilingual. 80% of
maritime accidents are imputable to human factors, of which failure of communication
represents one third (Ziarati 2006, Trenkner 2007). The IMO has also underlined the
importance of effective communication as a crucial issue for Marine Safety (IMO, 2006)
while communicative language used in the context of real-life situations has hardly been
part of any Maritime
Education and Training (MET) curriculum.
The main goals of the project were:
1.

To contribute to an enhanced safety at sea culture by improving English

communication skills, oral or written, in order to deal with safety issues and real-life
critical situations emerging from English communication problems and diverse cultures
due to multi-national ship crews.
2.To transfer innovations by combining advanced e-learning and collaboration tools,
already existing at AIT, with interactive rich media learning contents created as the
result of aim 1, taking into consideration scenario-based and experiential learning. State
of the art technologies such as 2D/3D virtual and interactive simulators allow users to
be active, interact and socialize with others, be represented as digital entities, etc. thus
significantly reducing the learning curve and the time needed for transferring of skills, a

key issue in competence-based and learning by doing. The main tangible outcome was
transfer of knowledge from various nation/international databases for identification of
communication failures in safety issues and preparation of scenarios for the training of
seafarers working at sea and in ports. The main intangible outcome was that knowledge
previously lying dormant such as technological breakthroughs and modern
communication based learning strategies would be creatively combined forming
dynamic synergies and acting as a pole of attraction for trainees who wish to improve
themselves in their field. Safety will also become the cornerstone rather than just a
concern in shipping (Prasad 2008)

4. Statement of the problem

When students that are not native English go on board merchant vessels for the first
time to be Apprentice Deck Officers (often called Deck Cadets) they find it hard to learn
anything from experienced Officers who are speaking to them in English and also these
Officers are not always speaking the most correct English. As it is well known, most of
maritime accidents happen due to human errors and these occur especially because of
bad communication. This is a result of not using standard Maritime English that should
be well known by all crew members of a ship, with a special attention drawn
towards young Apprentices. Because the concept of a single nationality crew is no
longer met in the world shipping industry, proper communication can be achieved only
by using Maritime English focusing especially on young Apprentices as they are the
mistakes sensitive ones.

Nowadays it is well known all around the shipping industry that English is the main and
only language that should be used in any type of maritime communication. Even so,
more and more people, especially students of Maritime Universities from countries
where a different language is used for teaching, have trouble understanding the
importance of speaking English. Their English language should also be fluent and
easily understandable by all the other members of the team or crew that are not native
English. English is the international language that is used worldwide and therefore the
shipping industry accepted it as the main language on board ships and
in communications ship-to-ship and ship-to-coast.
In this era of globalization, the Apprentice Deck Officers wishing to go on board
merchant ships cannot afford to be left out for not mastering English. This is the
main reason for which teachers from Maritime Universities all over the world should try
to explain to their students the importance of knowing Maritime English. It does
not matter the subject that the teacher has to teach during his/her classes as long as
the specific maritime courses would have the key words attached in English. It is worth
noting that the new learners (in this case students from a Maritime University) of a
language (English language) really do need to build a solid foundation of knowledge
and it is useful for them that all of their teachers know and control Maritime English.
It should become really easy for them to use some important maritime terms used daily
on board ships and in any type of communications.

5. Scope and Limitation of studies

The main goals and objectives of this thesis project were:
-To contribute to an enhanced safety at sea culture by improving English communication
skills, oral or written, through the identification of safety issues based on existing reallife critical situations emerging from English communication problems and diverse
cultures due to multi-national ship crews.
-To create a respective knowledge base of such real-life scenarios of ineffective English
communication and their relevance to potential critical situations.
-To develop attractive students of identified real-life scenarios taking place on ship
(bridge, engine, deck and social interaction) to allow for effective learning of functional
communication of maritime English and avoid culturally originated communicative
incompetence or misunderstandings.
-The ultimate goal was to develop an assessment method that leads to some form of
certification, thereby allowing professionals to establish a meaningful and wellestablished as well as standardized way to carry out safety critical procedures based on
a communication on meaningful topics.

6. Significance of the Study

Formation issues act as barriers in ship-to-ship, shore-to-ship and between crew
members communication. The IMO has also underlined the importance of effective
communication in the International Seminar as a crucial issue for Marine Safety (IMO in

www.imo.org/human element). In the same perspective it has been acknowledged that

communicative language used in the context of real-life situations have hardly been part
of any curriculum when training merchant navy officers. Industry & vocational training
would in fact benefit from the existence of a training tool such as a learning platform for
its sea-going and port personnel focusing on effective communication, an essential
ingredient to safe and efficient ship operations. The situation is as such not only in the
partner countries but worldwide. This reveals the high impact as well as the potential for
sustainable results and services that CAPTAINS can bring around now that it has set
and developed standard scenario-based learning approaches and respective courses
on communicative English learning. In this project, the partnership prepared a
knowledge base of scenarios simulating real-life situations of ineffective communication
that may result in actual accidents and emergency situations or near misses; these
were incorporated into the existing MET programs in the partner countries and efforts
will continue to spread these worldwide. Communicative English learning through
scenario-based learning deploying interactive 2D/3D simulations enhances the
awareness of dangerous situations significantly (demonstrating the wrong and right
ways to communicate and the potential critical situations the wrong ways may lead to)
and trains maritime personnel on what actions to take to avoid them. Moreover it
develops, adds value and enhances the attractiveness of VET systems and practices
incorporating state of the art computer assisted language learning (CALL) in an
experiential environment.
7. Definition of Terms
Captains Communication and Practical Training Applied in Nautical Studies

Chapter 2
1. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
1.1. LOCAL LITERATURE
The Philippines has fourteen (14) regions and Region III-Central Luzon has the
largest number of Maritime Academies/Institutions in the Philippines. Some of
these are the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy of San Narciso, Zambales,
Baliwag Maritime Academy of Bulacan, Maritime Academy of Asia and the
Pacific-Kamaya Point, Mariveles, Bataan and the like.
This paper is therefore intended to discuss the different library resources the
students would use in Maritime English subject. Specifically, the paper will
seek answers to the following questions:
1.
What are the library resources and other instructional materials of
selected Maritime Academies for Maritime English in the Philippines and how are
they organized in the library?
2.
What extent are these resources utilized by the midshipmen?
3.
What do the findings imply in the actual teaching of Maritime English?
In order to present equal perspective on quality maritime education through
quality maritime resources this paper has been conceptualized. Because a
quality maritime education is dependent on the quality of library resources a
maritime library has. It has been observed that although national and
international governing bodies' standards are present, there are still problems
concerning the resources of the Maritime English subject - the standard library
resources to be used in the classroom and other instructional materials needed
for this subject. The study focused on the various library resources and its type of
organization
in selected Maritime Academies of Region III in the Philippines. It also
noted how the resources are utilized by the midshipmen and its implications in
the actual teaching of Maritime English subject.
English.
3.
Teachers should motivate their students to utilize "all" the library
resources and instructional materials by using unique techniques or strategies
in teaching the SMCP.
4.
Teachers should create his/her own instructional materials when there is
no enough textbooks/references in the library. He/she can organize guide
sheets with definitions, questions, review exercises, simulations and games,
assignments and many others to help increase the knowledge of the students.

TO THE SCHOOLS' LEADERSHIP:

1.
The Leaders should encourage their teachers to write books or articles
to be published regarding Maritime English subject and these materials can also
be utilized in the classroom. Such support maybe in the form of moral and/or
financial aspects.
2.
The management should allocate budget concerning the acquisition of
library resources and instructional materials for the students and teachers.
3.
School leaders must encourage the instructors and students to use a
high-technology facilities like the simulated exercises in computers, etc. If
not present in the institution, the school must do something in order to
acquire such resources.

TO THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND OTHER GOVERNMENT

AUTHORITIES
CONCERNED:
1.
Government agencies like CHED should welcome local authors to write
books on Maritime English and include them in the program of the Philippine
Foundation for Maritime Teaching Aids, Inc. (MARTA).
2.
They should also provide a uniform Maritime English resources for
all Maritime Education Institutions.

TO THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER

INTERNATIONAL BODIES
CONCERNED:
1.
International Agencies like the IMO should share copies of
textbooks/references for all Maritime Education Institutions (for free) to
augment the needs of the midshipmen and teachers as well.

1.2. FOREIGN LETERATURE

A LCC (linguistically centered concept) presumes priority of linguistic analysis in any
study of ME (maritime English) oral and written texts meant for MET (maritime
education and training) academic use. In case of any application of authentic materials
for educational purposes, a language teacher should clearly understand the outcomes
of such application in his/her practical work. Nowadays linguistics becomes very helpful
in creating new teaching/learning materials for maritime students as it gives reliable
grounds for methodology. Any linguistic theory emerges from synchronic (concerned
with the events at a particular period) or diachronic (concerned with phenomena as they
change through time) research data and thus may be successfully applied in the
process of teaching English as a foreign language. In comparison with theoretical
language studies, applied linguistics is a pragmatic science. It is an interdisciplinary field
that identifies, investigates and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems
including education. Any detailed linguistic study in a format of a theory or a concept
Corresponding author:Nadiya Demydenko, Ph.D., research fields: linguistics, Germanic
languages, methods of teaching ME, developing course books in the field of ESP.
Email: [email protected]. aims to lay a foundation for designing systematized
language classroom materials taking into account age,former experience and future
occupation of learners. From this point of view, grammar translation method, for
example, can not assist properly when training maritime cadets as members of
multilingual crews. Teachers do not use linguistics on a day-to-day basis, still their

knowledge is based on linguistics. Linguistic approach suggests professionally correct

ME curricula design when planning language classroom activities. For example, the
starting point for describing ships particulars is the language itself but not the technical
essence of the subject. The current situation in MET may be described as the scope of
experiences in teaching ESP (English for specific purposes). A national level of MET
when analyzed in the international context is of great concern for all specialists involved:
authorities, researchers, language teachers and specialists trainers, publishers being
busy with the search of efficient and flexible algorithm underlying the practice of ME
teaching worldwide. In ME methodology, the most serious factors influencing this
process are: (1) absence of consolidated methodological guidelines recognized by the
Maritime Administration, (2) certain isolation of researchers of multiple national schools
and traditions, DAVID PUBLISHING Teaching Maritime English: A Linguistic Approach
250(3) detachment of maritime English from general English practices and neglecting of
the basic linguistic principle of integrity which aims to teach students in full-life
communicative context and (4) insufficient development of an interdisciplinary concept
implying the contacts between language teachers and professionals in navigation and
marine engineering. These issues are of great importance for MET institutions in the
countries where English is taught for non-native learners. Some maritime nations
produce a very eloquent statistics in manpower for shipping industry. According to
BIMCO (Baltic and International Maritime Council), Eastern Europe has become
significant with a large increase in officer numbers. The Far East and South East Asia,
and the Indian sub-continent remain the largest sources of supply of ratings and are
rapidly becoming a key source of officers. Thus, improved training and recruitment

levels need to be maintained to ensure a future pool of suitably qualified and high
caliber seafarers [1]. 2. Maritime English through the Prism of Linguistic Theories 2.1
Maritime English as a Global Language and Lingua Franca Maritime English is
unanimously thought of as a global language used at sea. The definition of ME
produced by the British Council focuses on its linguistic nature. ME is a product of life
on the ocean itself, used for clear communication between ship and shore, between
crew members, between crew and passengers, where the cost of communication
breakdown can be damage to property, to the environment or loss of life. The attempt to
bring some standardization into the terms and phrases used at sea initially came from
two directions: from those who taught English to mariners and wrote books on the
subject, and from the IMO (International Maritime Organization). Despite a widespread
recognition that safety at sea and competency in English are inextricably linked, it is
often the technical side of training rather than the acquisition of linguistic competence.
In any case, is increasing internationalization of ships crews in fact leading to the
creation of pidgin English on board [2]? The latter is mostly referred to situations when
multinational, multicultural and multilingual crews perform work shoulder-to-shoulder at
sea. The psychology of a restricted or isolated group manifests the specific behavior
when inner dynamics suggests new modes of verbal and non-verbal communication.
Working under pressure, the crew members often simplify or even change the common
language in order to conduct their roles properly. In this case, ME becomes the only
means of communication, or lingua franca. Lingua franca (working language, bridge
language, vehicular language and common language) is a language systematically
used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue.

The nature of English being a living world language derives from the centuries-long
experience of its use in different spheres: business, administration, finance, trade which
facilitated significantly its application as a lingua franca at sea. 2.2 Maritime English as
an Operational Language Maritime English has distinct features of an operational
language which may be explained both theoretically and pragmatically. Operational
language is a language which reflects an operational behavior depending on what the
speaker intends and how the listener will interpret this utterance. Operational
(empirical) definitions attempt to specify operations coming along with observational
data [3]. Hence, SMCP (standard marine communication phrases) is a comprehensive
standardized safety language, precise, simple and unambiguous so as to avoid
confusion and error [4]. From the linguistic point of view SMCP (developed on the
principle of conventionalism, or agreement) represents a huge scope of terms and
phrases denoting objects, notions, actions, procedures, Teaching Maritime English: A
Linguistic Approach 251etc. used in everyday practice of mariners. Conventionalism is
fundamental for the document as it is supported by the international community for use
at sea and developed by IMO. Written in modern English, SMCP should be first studied
as a part of vocabulary, a set of text samples and structural samples, then prefabricated
in a specific way for language classroom activity and thereby delivered for practical
work. The earlier this work is started, the better, since the main difficulty for students is
the difference in general English and maritime English. For example, in the message I
require assistance some students prefer saying I need.... In the phrase I am sinking
the error may occur through the wrong pronunciation (sinkingthinking). The idea of
the international examination in the IMO-SMCP must be supported in connection with

both general English proficiency and professional ME competence [5]. 2.3 Maritime
English as a System of Specialized Sublanguages The system of maritime English is
represented by different subsystems. It is an excellent opportunity to view ME as a
compound entirety. The linguistic theory of subsystems/sublanguages boomed at the
end of the 20th century and is still in use to explain functional variability of the language
use under the influence of extra linguistic factors. Sociolinguistics distinguishes speech
communities, more or less discrete groups of people who use language in a unique and
mutually accepted way among themselves. Speech communities can be members of a
profession with a specialized sublanguage to serve the groups special purposes and
priorities. According to Kittredge [6], the definition of a sublanguage could identify a very
large number of linguistic subsets as sublanguages. Sublanguages, or languages of
restricted domains, are most frequently observed in technical and scientific
communications. As a whole, ME is composed of several contrasting
subsystems/sublanguages: (1) general English, (2) general ME, (3) ME for navigation,
(4) ME for marine engineering, (5) ME for ships documentation and correspondence,
(6) ME for radio communication, (7) SMCP, (8) ME for IMO conventions, regulations,
manuals, etc., (9) ME for semiotic systems, (10) ME for visual aids and others.
Thus being a construct, ME involves various language resources to create
sublanguages. Evolution of sublanguages depends on extra linguistic motivation,
or real world effects, such as particular historical events, technological developments,
inventions, religion, culture, etc.. In its turn, ME evolution takes place mainly owing to
development of its sublanguages. In this way language does not passively reflect

reality; language actively creates reality. The grammar and the vocabulary shape our
experience and transform our perceptions into meanings [7]. One of the examples
which support the idea: modern dictionaries of maritime terms have been supplemented
with the new entries lidar and ladar created according to radar pattern. Radar is
an acronym of ra(dio) (detecting) (and)(ranging). In case lightis used to detect an object,
we get lidar; if laseris applied, we call the new means of detecting objectsladar. Many
evolutionary shifts take place through the sublanguage enrichment due to innovations in
technology which leads to the whole English language development. The brief
description below is proposed to understand ME sublanguages nature: (1) General
English. This sublanguage is the foundation in ME training. The main concern is
designing syllabi for universities when the problem arises to arrange teaching/learning
materials according to modules to achieve the better correlation with ME training;
(2) General ME. It is represented by language resources used in language samples
(oral and written) on the subjects common for both navigators and marine engineers.
This sublanguage contains the core ME vocabulary (maritime, marine,
naval,nautical,craft, ship, vessel, , navigation, sea, ocean, cargo used in
multiple collocations), Teaching Maritime English: A Linguistic Approach 252as well as
general English vocabulary, general science terms (nouns and verbs), basic structural
elements, phonology; (3) ME for navigation. The sublanguage originates from the
sailors and explorers of the seas and waters. It may be considered as one of the oldest
sublanguages in the history of the world. Primarily based on descriptions of sailing craft
and sailing techniques, it significantly changed in the course time owing to specialization
and modernization through technological innovations (new types of vessels, invention of

sextant and nautical charts) which opened the perspectives for further developments.
The broadside-cannoned full-rigged 16th-century sailing ship provided Europe with a
weapon to dominate the world. The global nature of the British Empire manifested after
the 17th century. The British Empire was a maritime empire, and the influence of
nautical terms on the English language has been great. Nowadays the sublanguage
incorporates other subsystemsphysics, mathematics, mechanics, astronomy,
geography, astronavigation, oceanography, meteorology, cartography, etc.;(4) ME for
marine engineering. The current use of ME in this sublanguage is based on the
historical descriptions of prime mover developments, the development of the diesel
engine and other innovation equipment. In 1673 Christian Huygens, a Dutch scientist,
produced the first known heat engine from his inspiration of a cannon. Further evolution
is marked by scientific and technological achievements. The sublanguage comprises
multiple sub-subsystems: mechanics, mathematics, physics, thermodynamics,
hydraulics, electrical and mechanical engineering, radio and electronic engineering, IT,
etc.; (5) ME for ships documentation and correspondence. The sublanguage is shaped
under the influence of the principles of written business English. The purpose of the
sublanguage is to maintain recordsand compile correspondence of any kind to ensure a
vessels proper functioning; a (6) ME for radio communi
cation. According to researchers, VHF (very high frequency) radiotelephony is a specific
realization of maritime English. The sublanguage plays a crucial role inmaritime safety
being based on skills of speaking and listening when fluency and spontaneity are
required; (7) SMCP. The sublanguage provides a set of terms, definitions, phrases used
onboard ship, for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication. The standardized

wordings of SMCP foresee their clear, unmistakable use which requires perfect
pronunciation and functionally appropriate application of phrases; (8) IMO conventions,
regulations, recommendations, manuals. The sublanguage may be referred to business
English and technical documentation comprising specific ME terminology and syntax
incorporating distinct features of Maritime Law and Law of the Sea, as well as
management and administration; (9) ME semiotic systems. A sign is understood as a
discrete unit of meaning in semiotics. It is defined as something that stands for
something, to someone in some capacity. It may cover all of the ways in which
information can be communicated as a message. The ICS (international code of
signals), a phonetic alphabet alongside verbal expressions, represent the system of
messages and warnings for safe navigation; (10) ME for visual aids. This is represented
by geographic and oceanographic maps, nautical charts, graphs, tables, pictures,
diagrams and all other additional tools which require verbal interpretation and
presentation skills. 2.4 What is Maritime English? Some definitions of ME are cited here,
in particular: (1) Peter Trenkner: MaritimeEnglish is an entirety of all those means of the
English language which, being used as a device for communication within the
international maritime community, contribute to the safety of navigation and the
facilitation of the seaborne trade [8]; (2) Boris Pritchard: Linguistically, maritime English
Teaching Maritime English: A Linguistic Approach 253 is not any separate language but
just a conventional label for a subset or realization of English language appropriate, in
our case, to a specific maritime setting (e.g. in the act of navigation, in a close-quarters
situation, a cargo handling operation, an act of reading operational or maintenance
manual for the auxiliary engine, etc.), used in a determined context of situation (i.e. in a

specific speech community, in speech events influenced by a number of factors creating

and receiving the message or spoken interaction in communication), arising and being
shaped under specific sociolinguistic circumstances (speaker-hearer
relationships,developing under various degrees of stress) [9]. The idea of P. Trenkner to
provide the language teachers with a handy linguistic and pedagogical label allowing for
a narrow and wider sense of the term maritime English is extremely fruitful. Itmotivates
the ME community to understand in detail all aspects of the phenomenon called
maritime English. In the present paper ME is considered from the point of view of
socio-functional linguistics. Maritime English is a professional subsystem of the English
language, developed through history on the basis of various language resources in
response to the societys requirements in the domain of seafaring and shipping. ME is
the set of specialized (mainly, technical) sublanguages interacting among themselves to
describe in the most appropriate manner all material and non-material entities known in
maritime affairs. As any other specialized professional subsystem, maritime English
may be observed, interpreted, studied and described with the help of different linguistic
theories such as psycholinguistics, functional grammar,comparative and contrastive
linguistics, demonstrating that language signifies certain instrumentalities purposing
intentions of a man to represent thoughts to other men for the sake of communication.
Being communicative, conventional and operational, ME requires further detailed
research which will eventually provoke creation of new pedagogical trends.

2 REVIEW AND RELATED STUDY

2.1. LOCAL STUDY

Maritime colleges in the Philippines included Maritime English as a subject in the
courses of Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) and Bachelor of
Science in Marine Engineering (BSMarE).Teaching the subject has been difficult due to
lack of a clear concept about what and how to teach the subject. In view of this need,
this study was conducted to examine the language teaching practices in Maritime
English classrooms among selected maritime schools in Region VI. Generally, the
study used a descriptive-qualitative method to report the practices in the following
areas: (1) classroom approaches/strategies; (2) art/strategies of questioning; and (3)
instructional materials. Data were gathered through classroom observation among 12
classes through a researcher-made instrument. Analysis of the data revealed the
following: (1) that the direct instruction approach dominated among the observed
classes; (2) that the factual type of questions and the knowledge level of
comprehension prevailed during classroom activities; and (3) that the relationship
between the content and the language areas was not clearly established. Generally, the
results implied a predominant use of the teacher-centered approach, questioning
techniques and activities which lean toward the most basic level of comprehension, and
a cognitive lull taking place during class activities.
2.2. FOREIGN STUDY
MARITIME WORLD TODAY
Our world is an ocean world. Under its many names and with variations in color
and mood, a single ocean spreads across the three-fourths of the globe. At a time when

every last patch of land is claimed by one government or another, the ocean is a realm
that remains radically free
(Langewiesche 2004).
Every day thousands and thousands of ships of various shapes and sizes are
using this free realm and carrying nearly the full weight of international trade. They are
owned by and manned from very many nationalities and cultures where every ship does
not contain a uniformity of crew and management. Ships operating under the "flag of
convenience" frequently change their identity as they are being sold from one owner to
another who are themselves from different nationalities or part of multi-national
corporations.
These managements mix their crews without much reference to their nationality
and language as to obtain optimum cost efficiency in terms of personnel expenditures.
As a result, you can have a German captain commanding Pakistani deck officers who
are managing Chinese deckhands, while the propulsion of the ship maintained by all
Filipino engineering department. In fact, today a considerable percent of the merchant
ships are managed by multi-national crews of various diversities.
Such a multi-national, multi-ethnical and multi-cultural realm of sea is
transcending the
control of each and every nation involved, enjoying almost a wild freedom of action and
status.

Many efforts by international institutions, first and foremost by IMO and the other
organizations, are trying to harness this supranational entity by imposing rules and
regulations on various activities and compliances. Their works are becoming more
detailed and more sophisticated as they try to infuse the multi-layered fabric of the
Maritime World.
Their cerebral produce are solidified and conveyed through a very human
element that is language. This language is mainly English, as it is mostly, in all areas of
international affairs but it sails into an unfortunate course as its impositions are being
carried out. It is soaked by frequent splashes of maritime discourse, eventually changes
its name to Maritime English and finally becomes as free and diverse as the realm it
deals with.
TEACHING AND TESTING OF MARITIME ENGLISH (MarE)
Maritime English (MarE) is a restricted language and it is restricted to the
activities of men (and women) tied to a specific purpose i.e. shipping industry (Trenkner
2002). Therefore we classify it as an ESP (English for Special/Specified Purposes) but
we also face the consequences.
Like in all other ESP's but probably a bit more in MarE (though no more than
in Medical English) it requires a certain level of professional knowledge and experience
to become comprehensible. Although the major part of MarE is general English words
and only a seven percent (7%) belongs to purely maritime or nautical terminology with
their isolated meanings and distribution (Pritchard 2002), combined with semi-lexical or
semi-functional words, it becomes a unique language that only men and women of sea

will understand. All the locations, functions and actions it describes might only mean
something on board a ship, on the sea or by the sea side. You can draw a line on land
but you can only let it go on board.
In this context, teaching and testing of MarE present major challenges.
Teaching of Maritime English. In a survey of MarE teaching materials by Boris Pritchard
in 2004, it is indicated that: * There is rarely a comprehensive, all inclusive MarE
textbook or other learning/
teaching material. * No single material (textbook or other) has imposed itself yet as the
material with world wide use or the one setting standards to other MarE materials
though one or two have found a wider, international use (e.g. T.N. Blakey - 1987, P. van
Kluijven 2003) In parallel with these statements one can say there is no standard or
globally accepted teaching method for MarE. Various Maritime Training Institutions are
trying to apply methods either based on previously published books or practicing self
devised syllabuses fulfilling the curriculums under the impositions of their governmental
bodies.
The latter subjects MarE to national perceptions of Maritime knowledge and its due
inputs and pushes it away from meeting the challenges of the supranational entity as we
speak of Maritime World today. The rapid technical advancements in various sciences
and changes in management policies which also contribute to Maritime Industry, bring
along their new terminology and phrases or remove some, thus easily make the already
existing textbooks incomplete if not out of date. For example, in electronic navigation
LORAN (LOng Range Navigation) gets less and less mentioned while GNSS (Global
Navigation Satellite Systems) dominate the field with all of its newly established

concepts. The veteran oilers and the wipers of the engine room are hardly finding a
place in the engineering departments of the ships anymore as managements equip their
ships with UMS (Unmanned Machinery Space), reducing the number of their crews to
cut the expenditures, benefiting from computerized automation. With the exception of
very marginalized areas of training that can be given in short-term courses (i.e. sea
protests, port state control, spare parts acquisition etc.), the ever changing (and mostly
increasing) domain of MarE is getting more and more extensive and far reaching, to a
level that requires long periods of time and very well organized delivery methods. These
requirements are leaving us with no other option but to install the delivery of MarE to the
main education and training period of the cadet officers. 4 In the four or five-year term
of a cadet's education and training; we may comfort ourselves with plenty of time to
deliver a full scale, all inclusive MarE teaching that may reach a standard form and be
applicable for all the cadets around the world, but things are not easy so. To native
speakers of English, the language for a specified purpose like MarE is a natural part of
the learning when one studies Maritime Sciences. But to those who study maritime in
another language, it is an additional study, an extra effort to comprehend and express
their learning in a foreign language. Even they follow their main courses of maritime
sciences in English, there is still a barrier of a "foreign language" with its lexicon,
grammar and structure; sometimes bent and twisted or simply changed through the
needs of maritime use. This will lead the lecturer to spare an extra time and effort for
making the cadet understand or, better, comprehend the mechanics of English language
in due learning of the topic delivered. This can be hard for the lecturers who are not
much interested in linguistics or whose English are limited to specific areas of their

teaching. In this case, an extra linguistic support of maritime context which requires a
careful planning due the "phase problem" is needed for the cadets. The "phase
problem" is a challenge hard to overcome, mostly for those who are following the main
courses of their profession in their own language. How can you teach a novice cadet
Maritime English without first make him/her understand what you are talking about in
his/her own language. As a MarE teacher; when you are teaching what "hatch" is, the
cadet should have been already familiar with the ship structure and cargo handling.
Because the definition of "hatch" contains other maritime words like "deck" or
"superstructure" or "stowing", that means before you teach the cadet cargo handling
operations in his or her language, you can not teach MarE for cargo handling. If you do,
he/she will force you for further explanation on the subject, most likely in his/her native
language. This will be time consuming and distractive. Worse, he/she will try to
memorize the vocabulary or parrot the phrases, which are undoubtedly not a very
healthy way of learning in a career based education. We call this the "phase problem"
and a precisely synchronized curriculum is needed for the solution but it is not always
possible due the complexities of semester programs. I would like to share with you a
basic method with a new approach to MarE which we have initiated at TUDEV this year.
We called it "Location, Function and Action (LFA) approach. It was an attempt to
overcome some consequences of the "phase problem" mentioned above and to gain
grounds for our novice cadets for an early start to MarE. We have applied this program
by the beginning of the second semester to our prep students who have no or little
maritime background and a level of elementary English. This program aims to supply a
novice cadet with the very basics of Maritime English in terms of vocabulary and

phrases. Its curriculum covers an amount of 200-220 maritime or nautical words which
are considered essential for every one on board. The program requires an elementary
level of English at the beginning and develops its own leveling as it proceeds. Every
newly introduced maritime word is explained and taught with the use of previously
learned words and structures, thus a gradual vocabulary building along with their usage
is achieved at the end of the program.At the completion of the program, a cadet is at
least acquainted with MarE and through it with maritime sphere and he is ready to start
his main study with a certain ground covered. One should keep in mind that this
program is directed to those with null maritime knowledge even in native language. The
amount of vocabulary and sophistication of its usage can be rearranged in parallel with
the prep curriculum of the institution.The following are the general explanation of the
approach, the curriculum of the program and a sample study unit which is handed out to
the cadets in the class.
CHINISE MARITIME ENGLISH
In particular, traditional maritime nations are calling for greater
internationalisation of maritime education and training. The global labour market for
seafarers, which is dominated by employers from traditional maritime nations, demands
internationally minded graduates. Chinas response to these demands for quality labour
exports from new maritime nations is the subject of exploration in this thesis. Within the
specific context of Maritime English teaching and learning, a significant opportunity for
innovation and change is identified. The research took the form of an international
collaborative education project in pursuit of the following question: What teaching and
learning development opportunities are there for improving the communicative

competence of Chinese Navigation officers? The author of this thesis, formally a

seafarer, is a teaching practitioner in higher education in the UK. For the purposes of
this thesis, the author became a visi ting researcher, and later a teaching practitioner, at
the case maritime higher education institution in China. Becoming a member of the
teaching staff at the host institution was a necessary step in order to establish and carry
out teaching practitioner -led research as a member of a professional learning
community. The aim of this professional learning community has been to collaborate on
a Maritime English teaching development project. This development work has since
continued beyond this PhD study into a commercially funded project, which
demonstrates the necessity and timeliness of the research. This thesis sets out to report
on the collaborative process of an international education development project as it was
experienced. Research was carried out over a 15.5 month period spent in-situ at the
case institution. The institution was selected as it is the most influential maritime
university in China in terms of national maritime higher education policy reform, due it
being under the direct authority of the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of
China rather than the Ministry of Education, as is the case with other universities. The
author had to work very hard to overcome a number of cultural issues to become
accepted as a teaching practitioner in the research setting. Once accepted as a
participant researcher, research-based professionalism founded on previous teacher
training and experience allowed for a living theory approach to improving both own
teaching practice and that of new-found colleagues. The outcomes of this PhD study
are multiple: The ethnographic account of the development process in the form of this
PhD thesis. The establishment of a professional learning community between teaching

practitioners and continued research and development work. The local teaching and
learning innovation in the form of a new content and language integrated syllabus for
Maritime English teaching, suitable for Chinese learners at maritime higher education
institutions. The continued collaboration between an industry stakeholder and the local
teaching practitioners in the further development of a new Maritime English syllabus and
accompanying teaching resources to ensure that it meets the needs of employers. As
understanding grew of how Chinese maritime higher education institutions are preparing
their students for employment in the global labour market for seafarers, the research
objectives emerged while in-situ. The aim of the research centred on working with local
teaching practitioners and industry stakeholders to improve the quality of maritime
education graduates transferable skills, in terms of their intercultural communicative
competence. The key feature of the study was to collaboratively identify teaching and
learning development opportunities for improving the preparedness of Chinese maritime
higher education graduates to work in a safety critical environment, where they will need
to communicate effectively in English. The internationalisation of the Maritime English
syllabus, and the wider Navigation curriculum, through content and language integrated
learning and teaching is the main recommendation of this thesis. The evidence
presented in this thesis has led to the conclusion that this curriculum intervention is
necessary for improving the transferable skills of Chinese Maritime Higher Education
graduates. The content and language integrated learning approach to teaching was
found to offer Chinese maritime higher education institutions with a solution to boost
intercultural communicative competence in meeting the demands of the international

maritime industry for professionally skilled, and competent-in-English seafarers for

labour export.
Chapter 3
1. Methodology
This paper utilized descriptive type of research using the following methods of
data collection: observation, interview and documentary analysis. The
respondents were the Instructors and librarians of selected Maritime Academies
of Region III in the Philippines. The institutions involved in this study
were: Baliwag Maritime Academy (BMA), San Rafael, Bulacan, Philippine Merchant
Marine Academy (PMMA), San Narciso, Zambales and the Maritime Academy of Asia
and the Pacific (MAAP) -Kamaya Point, Mariveles, Bataan.

Discussion

One of the greatest contributory factors in teaching and learning Maritime

English subject is the use of the best library resources and instructional
materials in the classroom. But, teachers play much a major role in teaching
the students. They can establish a motivational impact on every student in
learning the subject. Specifically, they provide an atmosphere that will
stimulate the minds of the learners on how to proceed in learning the simulated
exercises and other similar exercises in the classroom. The researcher can
attest that there is always room for improvement thus this study is deemed
necessary.

However, the school also plays a significant role by providing an excellent

maritime resources intended for this subject, which serve as learning guides to
both teachers and students.

Below is the table on the various maritime library resources and other
instructional materials that are being utilized by some Maritime Academies and
briefly state how these materials are organized in their specific institutions
in order that the students could make easy access to these resources when
needed:

TA BLE 1 LIBRARY RESOURCES/INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS OF

SELECTED MARITIME ACADEMIES IN REGION III
INSTITUTION

LIBRARY RESOURCES
IN MARITIME ENGLISH

TYPE OF LIBRARY ORGANIZATION

OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

MAAP

International Maritime Organization.

Standard Marine Communication
Phrases (SMCP). London, IMO,
2000.

International Maritime Organization.

STCW 95. London: IMO, 1995.

Bakr, M.A. English for Nautical

Students. Great Britain::
Prentice Hall, International (UK)
Ltd., 1987.

Blakey, TN. English for Maritime

Studies. Great Britain: Prentice
Hall, International (UK) Ltd.,
1987.

Dela Rosa, Rowena D. English for

Maritime Students. Quezon City:
MARTA, 2001.

Kluijven, P.C. Van. The

International Maritime Language
Programme. Netherlands:
Alk & Heijnen Pubs., 2003. (with
CD-ROM)

Pace, Wayne R. Technidques for

Effective Communication. Mass.:
Addison-Wesley Pub., 1979.

Pascasio, Emy, et.al. Basic English

for College. Rev. ed. Quezon
City: ADMU Press, 1997.

Seidl, Jennifer. English Idioms. 5th

ed. Oxford: Oxford University,
1988.

Installed at midshipmen's computers

Books are cataloged based on DDC system

Open-shelf filing

To be included in the new program of the library i.e. the Computerized

Information File (CIF).

-Newly-acquired material as of July 8,2004

Videocassettes (Videotel Tapes) on

the following:
Shipboard familiarization, Understanding English Onboard Ship Parts 1 and 2,
Basic Firefighting, Fire

Party Operations, Personal Safety on Deck, Personal Safety in the Engine Room,
Good Bunkering Practice and Safe Mooring Practice.

IMO Model courses are also used in this subject.

Handouts from the Instructors are also given

Maritime Education
Sweden AB. Maritime
Communications (CDROM) : Interactive
Multi-media Training
Program according to
GMDSS. 1999.

Periodical articles like Lloyd's List, Maritime Review, AMOSUP Quarterly, Safety
Digest, etc.

PMMA

Blakey, TN. English for Maritime

Studies. Great Britain: Prentice
Hall, International (UK) Ltd.,
1987.

Fernando, Jovita N., et.al. College

Freshman English. Mandaluyong

City: National Book Store, 1973.

International Maritime Organization.

STCW 95. London: IMO, 1995.

Santos, Amanda F. Maritime

Correspondence. Mandaluyong
City: National Book Store, 1995.

Ventosa, F. Maritime English

(MTC Standard Course).

Materials are cataloged

Open/closed filing system

Handouts from the Instructors, newspaper and magazine articles and others.

BMA

Alviola, Victor Y., et.al. Shipping

Terms and Abbreviations.
(Comp.) Quezon City: Booklore,
2000.

Jasmin, Magdalena C. , et.al.

Communication Arts 1 and 2.
Dagupan City: SLA Pub. House,
1995.

Leonor, Ramon (Prep. And comp.)

SOLAS. Manila: Merriam and
Webster, 1996.

Reyes, Edgardo B. A Quick Guide

To GMDSS. [Manila]: Booklore,
2000.

Santos, Amanda F. Maritime

Correspondence. Mandaluyong
City: National Book Store, 1995

International Maritime Organization.

STCW 95. London: IMO, 1995.

Ventosa, Florencio (Comp. and

arranged). Maritime English.
(MTC Standard Course).

Books are cataloged and organized on the open/closed filing system.

Other books are personally acquired by the Instructor concerned.

Handouts from the Instructors, newspaper and magazine articles.

Most of the above library resources contain texts on language and language
communication skills. It includes grammar, phonology, comprehension and
maritime concerns/issues.

The teachers of the Maritime English really have

to observe flexibility and adaptation in using the various resources and

enriching them through the use of pertinent current library resources and
instructional materials like newspaper and magazine articles and the use of
videos and casette tapes.

In Table 1, the Instructors remarked that SMCP is used as the main textbook of
the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific-Kamaya Point, Mariveles, Bataan
which is readily installed in the computer's midshipmen file while the rest are
just references. Among the common references are: the IMO model courses and
the STCW '95.

Other Instructional materials, which are used, are:

videocassettes from the Videotapes collections and other multi-media resources

of the MAAP library, newspaper, magazine and journal articles.

The Librarian's duty is to organize these materials accordingly. Such

organization includes the cataloging of these materials and file them on the
open shelves for easy access. MAAP is also now working on the Computerized
Information File (CIF), which makes the library resources more accessible to
use. Indexing of all the articles in books is being done and this would be
encoded and incorporated in the CIF program designed by the Management
Information and Instructional Technology Department (MIITD).

The Instructor and the librarian of PMMA honestly admitted that there are very
few materials on Maritime English but of course their primordial concern is to
give what is best for their students. Thus, the Instructor really needs to
research more on the internet and provide handouts with the students, if
necessary. But there is a great problem on the use of the internet because
there are very few computers intended for the faculty. Sometimes, the
Instructors have to go out the campus and rent a computer to research.

Whereas the BMA also proved that teaching and learning is a two-way process,
instructional materials as well as library materials should be given a priority
according to the one handling the course. Thus, some of the materials are
personally procured by the Instructor for the students' use. Although,
majority of the titles listed above are organized in their library and
properly circulated among midshipmen. However, the number of copies are not
really enough for all midshipmen who are taking the subject at the same time.

Extent of Use of these Library Resources by the Midshipmen

The researcher found out that there is no common textbook of Maritime English in
Region III. However, they have the common reference and that is the STCW '95
which is published by the IMO. This in fact the standard reference provided
by the IMO and the CHED of the Philippines. SMCP formerly Maritime English
has been created sometime in 2001 thus it is expected that there are minimal
number of materials on this subject. Other instructional materials that are
used are: handouts,
which are personally produced by the Instructors teaching the subject and
some newspaper, magazine and journal articles related to the subject.

The respondents of the selected Maritime Academies of Region III mentioned

several titles of textbooks and references. But almost all of them claimed
that their respective institutions lacked the necessary library resources and
instructional materials that are needed in the subject. The students utilize
those books listed above because their libraries have organized them
accordingly. MAAP Instructors mentioned that the SMCP is used for
communications during emergency cases while scenarios or problems to be
encountered are culled under the various references like those written by
foreign and local author
s. Eventually, teachers who handle the subjects need to be creative and must
have always something to share with his/her students like giving them new and
different scenarios of accidents that are actually occurring on board the ship.

The schools believed that all the library resources and instructional materials
used must be based on the requirements provided by the International Maritime
Organization (IMO), STCW '95 and the local counterpart of it is the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED). However, it goes back with the major problem and
this is the lack of resources for the students to learn well the subject.

In Strategies for effective teaching (Ornstein: 2000), he stated that selecting

appropriate materials, especially textbooks is the responsibility of teachers
because he/she is psychologically close to students and should there fore know
their needs, interests and abilities.

The following general

questions/guidelines should be considered:

1.

Do the materials fit the objectives? Materials should fit the

objectives of the course, unit plan and lesson plan. Given the general nature
of published materials, some might fit only partially; or it might not be
possible to find materials to cover all the objectives. In such cases teachers
need to create all or some of their own materials. On the other hand, there
can be times when the teacher expands the objectives or activities to include
an outstanding set of instructional materials.
2.

Do the materials provide sufficient repetition through examples,

illustrations, questions and summaries to enhance understanding of content?

Young students and low-achieving students need more repetition, overviews and
internal summaries, but for all students the material should be paced properly,
and students should have sufficient time to digest and reflect on it.
3.

Is the material suitable to the reading level of the students? Many

teachers can make this type of judgment intuitively by reading through the
material and others can make the judgment after students experience the
materials. The most reliable method for all teachers is to use a standard
readability estimate.
4.

Does the difficulty of the materials match the abilities of the

students? The material must be appropriate for the age, maturity and
experience of the students.

As a summary, the instructional materials best served the students. In order to

select, use and develop an instructional materials, in the book "The Purposes,
Uses and Contents of Workbooks and Some Guidelines for Publishers (Anderson:
1984) suggested many tips on how to do these and the researcher would like to
adapt various tips as follows:

1.

Materials should be relevant to the instruction that is going on in the

rest of the unit or lesson.

2.

Materials should reflect the most important aspects of what is being

taught in the course or subject.

3.

Materials should contain, in a form readily accessible to students and

teachers.
4.

The language used in the materials must be consistent with that used in

the rest of the lesson and in the textbook or workbook.

5.

The content must be accurate and precise.

6.

Materials should contain enough content so that students will learn

something and not simply be exposed to something.

Implications in the Actual Teaching of Maritime English subject

Almost all the institutions that the researcher had gone through realized that
the subject is very difficult to teach because their institutions could not
really afford to provide all the necessary resources and instructional
materials due to lack of budget. Some of them remarked that they have to use

their own resources in order to produce their own materials for the classroom.
They tend to use the only materials present in their libraries. Others
commented that they have to make use of what they have and they really cannot
do anything about the problem. They produce their own handouts for the
students in order to cope with the various lessons. The teachers concerned
believed that this kind of learning is somewhat "spoon feeding" because there
is no challenge on the part of midshipmen anymore to develop their reading,
thinking and research skills. Teachers' techniques like giving the students
constant follow-up and assignments do suffer because there are no enough
resources to turn to and there are very limited copies to borrow from the
library and from the Instructor. In other maritime school, Maritime English is
integrated in their English 2 which is the Communication Skills 2 and this
leads to the confusion of choosing what textbooks and references are to be
utilized.

In the Philippines, there are some local authors who tried to write about
Maritime English but a lot of them are compilers and arrangers of the texts
only.

In relation to library resources, Sarmiento in his book "Education,

Law and the Private School" stated that that the textbooks and instructional
materials in every school library shall be suitable for the programs or courses
of study offered, of fairly recent edition, up to date in methods of
presentation and content and reflective of current trends, etc. Ulpiano
expounded that textbook is a book which is an exposition of generally accepted

principles in one (1) subject,

intended primarily as a basis for instruction in a classroom or
student-teacher situation.

If the library resources and other instructional materials cannot be provided by

the school, the teaching of Maritime English as a subject will be affected in
terms of the major contents/requirements of the subject because these will not
be taken up due to lack of resources. The Instructors concerned stated that
target skills and competencies will not be acquired and the students would
suffer due to this limited time and resources. The lack of technology hinders
the teaching and learning of the subject.

Teachers consider this as a challenge so they should all do their best in order
to provide at least, the necessary skills to be learned by their students.
Filipino midshipmen, on the other hand, must also do their part in learning the
subject by researching with other maritime institutions or using the Internet
during their shore leave to supplement what the school can provide for them.
Chapter 4
ANALYSES, PRESENTATION, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
To ensure efficiency, both the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) require such library resources and
instructional materials that are suitable to the educational programs of the
school as well as to the needs of our students and teachers. The school has to

cooperate in providing the desired library and or instructional materials

needed in the SMCP subject so that the students would be able to gain the
necessary skills and knowledge that is expected of them. The school as
provider of resources should go hand in hand with the Instructor who is the
key to teaching-learning the SMCP productively well. The librarian must
organize the library re
sources simply to attract his/her clients.

Recommendations

In light of the conclusions made, the following recommendations are advanced:

TO THE INSTRUCTORS TEACHING THE SMCP:

1.

The Instructors should evaluate the present library resources in their

own institution and discuss the changes with the management.

2.

The Instructors should request additional library resources pertinent to

the subject in order to improve the efficiency of teaching-learning Maritime

English.

3.

Teachers should motivate their students to utilize "all" the library

resources and instructional materials by using unique techniques or strategies

in teaching the SMCP.

4.

Teachers should create his/her own instructional materials when there is

no enough textbooks/references in the library. He/she can organize guide

sheets with definitions, questions, review exercises, simulations and games,
assignments and many others to help increase the knowledge of the students.

TO THE SCHOOLS' LEADERSHIP:

1.

The Leaders should encourage their teachers to write books or articles

to be published regarding Maritime English subject and these materials can also
be utilized in the classroom. Such support maybe in the form of moral and/or
financial aspects.

2.

The management should allocate budget concerning the acquisition of

library resources and instructional materials for the students and teachers.

3.

School leaders must encourage the instructors and students to use a

high-technology facilities like the simulated exercises in computers, etc. If

not present in the institution, the school must do something in order to
acquire such resources.

TO THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND OTHER GOVERNMENT

AUTHORITIES
CONCERNED:

1.

Government agencies like CHED should welcome local authors to write

books on Maritime English and include them in the program of the Philippine
Foundation for Maritime Teaching Aids, Inc. (MARTA).

2.

They should also provide a uniform Maritime English resources for

all Maritime Education Institutions.

TO THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER

INTERNATIONAL BODIES
CONCERNED:

1.

International Agencies like the IMO should share copies of

textbooks/references for all Maritime Education Institutions (for free) to

augment the needs of the midshipmen and teachers as well.