Maritime English Teaching Instruction In Global Maritime Context

The seafarers, who transport the world's international trade back and forth across the oceans, are of all nationalities and speak hundreds of different languages. This combined with brutal weather, hazardous cargoes and attacks by pirates all makes for very dangerous working conditions. To make things safer, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) acts by setting international standards and procedures for ships and seafarers. One such action was taken in 1995 when, aware that many marine accidents were caused by seafarers simply not being able to understand each other, the IMO established English as the international language of the sea. With more and more multi-lingual and multicultural crews joining the transnational seafarers' maritime community, their competence in maritime English becomes a public concern. There is a need for maritime English lecturers to use some effective pedagogies. During the process of maritime English teaching, teachers found some teaching and learning problems relating to four macro skills in the English language communications. Regarding proper teaching techniques, suggestions are made to teach maritime English. In the global maritime industry, the shortage of seafarers in the world makes it necessary to muster different nationalities on board. The cross-cultural labor mobility makes many maritime English instructors aware that getting proper teaching pedagogy will ensure the quality of the cadets in the global seafarers' community. Maritime English, the language of the sea, is needed in today's shipping industry. The demands for competent seafarers require their proficiency in understanding and using maritime English. communication skills in the current globalizing world shipping market. Most of maritime institutes are aware that mastering communication skills is one of the important components which ensures the safety at sea. In order to cultivate the high-quality seafarers, maritime English instructors should focus on teaching the particular terminology and communication skills that include listening, speaking, reading, writing as required by IMO conventions in the international shipping industry. MET institutions should perfect the syllabus of teaching maritime English; and maritime English instructors should find effective ways to teach the language. All these will benefit maritime English education in the globalization of maritime industry. Through analysis of the situation of maritime English teaching in Georgia, the paper is aimed at enriching the teaching approaches in MET institutions. It reveals difficulties in maritime English teaching, with focus on how to improve four communicative skills in maritime English teaching. Maritime English lecturers play an essential part in realizing the goal of maritime English teaching. The quality of ME teaching decides whether the cadets will become competent seafarers to meet requirements of IMO Conventions, and whether they will be communicating freely in the global maritime community.