Unit Focus 5

• There is a need for a better communication

of seafarers in their field of maritime
experiences and ship operation.
• Enhancing the seafarers’ skills or ability to
communicate well in the language is
addressed in a book on how English
Language is used in a purposive and
relevant setting of maritime transportation.
Adapted and excerpted from Voyages in Maritime English
by Christine Desacado & Hjalmar Hernandez, 2014
• Officially the language of international trades.
• The common lingua franca of seafarers in the global
maritime industry.
• In 1998, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
formally adopted English as the language of the sea and
birthed Maritime English.
• The Maritime English has been officially recognized as
specialized but standardized language for communication
exclusively created for and used by all seafarers.
• It includes the introduction of the Safety Management
Code (SMC) and Standard Marine Communication Phrases
(SMCP) which aim to lessen certain communication failures.
• Necessity for clear communication.
• Development of a set of terms
referring to the parts of ships and the
procedures involved in navigating
them.
• Globalization of the shipping industry.
• Under the STCW, all officers in charge of a watch must
have a good command of spoken and written English.
• Senior officers with functions at a managerial level must
also speak and write English.
• Ratings forming part of a navigational watch are
required to be able to comply with helm orders issued in
English.
• Crew members assisting passengers during emergency
situations should be able to communicate safety –
related issues in English or in the language spoken by the
passengers and other personnel on board.