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 Organisation‟s (IMO) Model course 3.17 and the IMO‟s 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 can’t 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 ship’s 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 (“sinking”—“thinking”). 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 group’s 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 ship’s 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 objects—ladar. 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 subsystems—physics, 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 ship’s 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 vessel’s 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 society’s 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. China’s 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.
