Unit 1 Maritime education and English Contents
Objectives 1.1. The appearance of maritime English 1.2. Ways of classifying it by domains 1.3. Articles Self-assessment test Progress test Answers to self-assessment test References
I.
Maritime education and English
1.1.
Objectives
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reading comprehension skills – the appearance of maritime English; ways of classifying it by domains. language development – articles.
There are many versions of the English language in the world today. The most well-known variants are separated by large expanses of ocean. Maritime English is a product of life on the ocean itself. There are at least three reasons for its appearance: 1. the need 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. 2. the development of a set of terms to refer to the parts of ships, and the procedures involved in sailing them. 3. the globalization of the shipping industry: - crews have become ever more international in character; - the need for a lingua franca has arisen; - English, being a world language, has filled the gap. 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 International Maritime Organization (IMO). It was only from 1995, however, that the IMO officially adopted English as the language of the sea. It also introduced the International Safety Management Code to reduce communication failures, and developed the SMCP (Standard Marine Communication Phrases) as a comprehensive safety language. The results have been an increase in the teaching of English to mariners, whether in the state or private sectors. The IMO established the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden in 1983, to which students come from as far apart as Chile, Kenya and India. Maritime English appears as a course module in places as diverse as the Maritime Academy in Kiev, Ukraine, the Department of Maritime Tr ansport in Istanbul or the Maritime University at Dalian, China. The International Maritime Lecturers’ Association holds an international conference every year t o discuss aspects of research and methodology. The Centre for Maritime Studies at Turku, Finland is currently pioneering a web-based Maritime English learning tool. So what constitutes Maritime English? One way is to classify it by domain: On board - above deck - navigation, safety communications, cargo operations; - below deck – operation/maintenance of main and auxiliary engines, the electrics and electronics. On shore - commercial business of the merchant marine, Maritime Law procedures, insurance; - general education in English. 7
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 which is seen as a priority at maritime colleges and institutes. In any case, is increasing internationalization of ships’ crews in fact leading to the creation of Pidgin English on board? And how much longer will it be needed? With increased automation of navigational systems, computers may well speak directly to other computers in order, for example, to bring a ship successfully into port, so eliminating the human element in communication entirely. 1. Answer the following questions: 1. What is the secret of language learning? 2. Give o brief presentation of the English language in the world today; Maritime English and the IMO. 3. What things could you do to improve or practise your English at sea? 4. Read the passage and give the main ideas: Current legislation emphasizes the importance of English language proficiency in relation to safety at sea. Seafarers must now demonstrate a knowledge of English adequate for professional and safety purposes. Although many seafarers bring some understanding of maritime English to the workplace, their language skills may not be sufficient for communicating instructions and commands. This deficiency is most apparent among multi-national crews in emergency situations when language accuracy is critical. When inability to communicate in a common language affec ts performance, pro-active language training becomes a necessity. Language training for seafarers has traditionally focused on technical vocabulary and navigational phraseology while practice in the basic communication skills necessary for fluency and confidence is often neglected. Training in these basic language skills enables the seafarer to activate and build upon his existing knowledge.
1.2.
Articles
Nouns in English can be preceded by the definite article (the) or by the indefinite article (a, an) or by no article at all. The definite article (the) is used when the noun (singular or plural, countable or uncountable) being referred to has a particular rather than a general reference, that is, when we can identify what is being referred to. Here are three situations when we can identify what is being referred to: 1. When the noun has been mentioned already Example: Colliers are designed to carry coal. The coal is carried in bulk. 2. When words following the noun define which particular one it is Example: Ships of all types use this port; the ship over there is an LNG carrier. (Note: The phrase 'over there' tells us which ship is being referred to, but 'of all types' does not.) 3. When there is only one of the noun in the world, or only one in the context being referred to Example: the sun, the equator (with reference to the earth) the bridge, the Captain (with reference to a ship). This quality of uniqueness is also present with superlatives; example: the largest ship, the most important port. The indefinite article (a, an) is used in front of singular nouns when they are used as countable nouns and when the reference is general rather than particular, that is, when we do not say which example of the noun is being refer red to: Example: There is a ship in the port. When the noun is plural, or when the noun is used as an uncountable noun, no article is used. 8
Example: There were cadets on board. There was oil floating on the water . When we refer to a class of objects rather than to examples of that class, the distinction between definite and indefinite use disappears, and there are three possible ways of referring to countable nouns: Example: The container ship is designed to carry containers. A container ship is designed to carry containers. Container ships are designed to carry containers. (Here all three sentences mean: All container ships are designed to carry containers.) but there is only one way of referring to uncountable nouns; example: Oil is carried in tankers.
1. Put a/an, the or zero article (-), whichever is most likely, in the spaces in these sentences. In some cases, you can use either the or zero article (write the/-). 1. a. She starts work on ………. Monday next week. b. I last saw her in town earlier in the year. I'm sure it was ………. Monday, because that's when I go shopping, but I can't remember the exact date, c. They phoned on ………. Monday before the accident. 2. a. I remember when Frank was last here. It was ………. Christmas I got my new bike. b. It was ………. Christmas to remember. c. We're returning after ………. Christmas. 3. a. The race is always held in ………. June. b. We last saw Dave ………. June your mother was staying with us. c. Even though it was March, the weather reminded me of ………. hot June day. 4. a. With the wedding and the new job, it was ………. summer she would always remember. b. There was a long drought in South Africa in summer of ………. 1993. c. I'm hoping to visit Italy in ………. summer. 5. a. We had a really good time over ………. New Year. b. Have ………. happy New Year! c. I'll contact you in ………. New Year.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
2. If necessary, correct these sentences: Sri Lanka has the wonderful climate. The organization’s aim is to educate the public about the dangers of smoking. We need an environment free from pollution. She has worked in a fashion industry since she left school. The wind is blowing dust all the way from Africa. We can look forward to a warm southerly wind this weekend. The USA is a country with the high level of immigration. How can we combine economic growth and respect for an environment? Car exhaust emissions are having a major e ffect on a world's climate. That's Terry - he's the third person on the right. She has become the important figure in Norwegian politics. It's a most important issue and we need to discuss it in detail.
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Self-assessment test 1. Describe your job. 2. Fill in the blanks with the corr ect articles: 1) I like ………… blue T -shirt over there better ………… than red one. 2) Their car does 150 miles………… hour. 3) Where's ………… USB drive I lent you last week? 4) Do you still live in ………… Bristol? 5) Is your mother working in ………… o ld office building? 6) Carol's father works as ………… electrician. 7) The tomatoes are 99 pence ………… kilo. 8) What do you usually have for………… breakfast? 9) Ben has ………… terrible headache. 10) After this tour you have ………… whole afternoon free to explore the city.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
3. Complete with the correct articles: What is ………….. name of your ship? Manila is ………….. big city. There is a computer in ………….. radio room. The Amazon is ………….. loner river. Kenya is ………….. country in Africa. I want to speak to ………….. Captain please. The Helmsman is on ………….. bridge. There is a swimming pool on ………….. ship.
Progress test 1. Summarize the following passage: English language proficiency is very important in relation to shipboard operations and safety at sea. Companies who employ non-native English speaking seafarers have an obligation to ensure that effective English language training is available, especially as crews are now required to demonstrate a knowledge of English adequate for professional and safety purposes. Much shipboard communication is routine or technical and is recorded in documents such as Standard Marine Communication Phrases. However, fully effective communication depends on the ability to operate instinctively in English. With many more multi-national crews at sea, this ability has become even more critical. Accidents, incidents, emergencies or inspections by their very nature are not routine. Consequently, seafarers must have a broad-based knowledge of English and good communication skills to be able to respond as the situation demands. 2. Put a/an, the or - in the spaces. Bob Collins recently become (1) ……… minister in the new government, being appointed (2) ……… Minister for Industry. Mr. Collins has had a varied career. He was (3) ……… professional footballer in the 1960s, some people considering him to be (4) ……… most skillful player of his generation. After a serious injury, he became (5) ………. manager of (6) ……… oldest pub in Edinburgh. Five years later, he was offered the position of (7) ………….. executive director of Arcon, one of (8) ………..biggest supermarket chains in t he country. 10
Answers to self-assessment test 1. As a seafarer, I must demonstrate a knowledge of English for professional purposes …. 2. 1) I like the blue T-shirt over there better than the red one. 2) Their car does 150 miles an hour. 3) Where's the USB drive I lent you last week? 4) Do you still live in x Bristol? 5) Is your mother working in an old office building? 6) Carol's father works as an elec trician. 7) The tomatoes are 99 pence a kilo. 8) What do you usually have for x breakfast? 9) Ben has a terrible headache. 10) After this tour you have the whole afternoon free to explore the city. 3. 1. the; 2. a; 3. the; 4; a; 5. a; 6. the; 7. the; 8. the
References Alexander, L., G., English Grammar , Longman, London, 1996. Bell, I., Gower, R., First certificate – expert – coursebook , Pearson Education Limited, Edinburgh, England, 2009. Blankey, T., N., English for Maritime Studies, Pergamon Press, Great Britain, 1983. Hewings, M., Advanced grammar in use, Cambridge University Press, Edinburgh, 2003. Logie C., Vivers E., Nisbet A., Marlins English for Seafarers – study pack 2 , Marlins, Edinburgh, 1998. Nisbet A., Kutz A. W., Logie C., Marlins English for Seafarers – study pack 1, Marlins, Edinburgh, 1997.
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