MARITIME ENGLISH

Maritime English is very important since English is the universal language; seafarers should learn different terms concerning navigation for ensuring safety, efficient and profitable ship operation. Language learning is to improve the student’s four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, with the base of good grammar and large vocabulary, including technical and maritime jargon. It is also an English language used by maritime industry and its content is specifically different from general English. It can be regarded as English for special purpose.

I would like you all to read the article written by John Stansfield why Maritime English is important for seafarers before you start your lessons of Maritime English.

“Maritime English” – Why it is essential for Seafarers to be proficient in Maritime English?

By John Stansfield, 

As the shipping industry is progressing, it is becoming increasingly important for seafarers to be proficient in Maritime English. While you, definitely, can buy essays and get your regular English-related assignments completed from the professionals available online, but, if you are aspiring to go onboard a merchant vessel and studying Maritime English for the same, it is highly recommended to complete your assignments yourself. This is because the complete knowledge of Maritime English is extremely important to communicate effectively over a merchant vessel and the very life of people along with the integrity of the vessel could be dependent on how well you communicate. 

Following are the major points that highlight the importance of Maritime English in a seafarer’s profession.

• Entire crew doesn’t belong to a single nationality

The shipping industry is not bound to a specific country or region. It is international. Therefore, there are persons belonging to different nationalities on a single vessel. Since English is a universal language; it is the only way seafarers could effectively communicate among one another. Hence, learning the proper use of Maritime English is very important; especially for the young apprentices.

• Majority of the maritime accidents happen due to bad communication

A majority of the maritime accidents occur due to mistakes on the part of a human and one can attribute a significant number of these maritime accidents to bad communication. If a seafarer is not utilizing standard Maritime English aboard a vessel, miscommunication is likely to happen. This miscommunication could cost the life of another seafarer and can even put the integrity of the vessel in danger. Hence, it is exceedingly important to utilize standard Maritime English especially for those who are involved in operational situations.

• Maritime English is a standard

In the initial days of the shipping industry, each nation had its own language of communication which they hailed as a standard. As the shipping industry grew and a single ship started traveling to various nations of the world, the language barrier created many hurdles. Seeing this, the Maritime English came up and the same was adopted as a standard language for seafarers all around the world. After the introduction of Maritime English, the operational hurdles, accidents, and mishaps drastically reduced.

• Be prepared in case of emergencies

Please note that an emergency on the vessel can arise anytime. It may be fire or a man could be overboard. In such cases, it is important for a seafarer to respond accordingly. You will, indeed, be taught the steps to deal with an emergency onboard, however, the same will be in Maritime English. Hence, if you are not proficient in Maritime English, you won’t be able to respond to emergencies effectively thereby resulting in further accidents, mishaps, and even tragedies.

Final Words

Overall, Maritime English is very important for a seafarer to communicate efficaciously when onboard a vessel, therefore, all the aspiring seafarers must give adequate time towards grasping Maritime English and achieve fluency in the same.