MARITIME ENGLISH SKILLS FOR MERCHANT NAVY DECK CADETS: CHALLENGES AND TEACHING STRATEGIES

Eirini Nektaria Trikoili, Dimitrios Balalis

Abstract


Given the global attribute of the shipping sector, maritime English constitutes a crucial component of maritime education in general and deck cadet training, more specifically, as it ensures safe and effective communication in multinational ship environments. Despite the adoption of Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCPs), merchant navy deck cadets continue to struggle linguistically with the use of English in real-world shipboard circumstances and with their everyday encounters with multinational personnel. There is a great disparity between traditional classroom language training and the practical linguistic demands on board vessels. This paper explores the main challenges faced by both merchant navy deck-cadet academy students and their English professors and proposes effective teaching methodologies to address these challenges within the Maritime English Curriculum of the academies. The study also contributes to the field of English for specific purposes (ESP) as maritime English equips students with linguistic and cultural competencies specifically addressed to the maritime industry.

Keywords


Maritime English, deck-cadets, merchant navy academy students, maritime linguistic challenges, maritime teaching strategies, English for Specific Purposes (ESP)

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejel.v11i3.6759

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