Maritime English Course

Shipping as a truly global industry has required a universal language of communication. Therefore, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has proclaimed Maritime English as an official language of the sea and developed Maritime English Course as a standard of learning. It includes so called SMCP (Standard Marine Communication Phrases) i.e. compilation of navigational, technical, operational, safety and security, ship emergency, etc. terminology and simplified general English vocabulary and grammar blocks. As a result, Maritime English remains clear and comprehensible for marine specialists of all nationalities; that is particularly important for safety reasons.

Objective:

The key goal of Maritime English Course is to provide delegates with the skills and knowledge which will enable them to handle the following situations:

• Understand and adhere to safety and security procedures onboard;
• Communicate freely with other members of the mixed crew;
• Cooperate effectively with foreign shore-side authorities e.g. VTS, port , cargo, custom inspectors;
• Provide high-quality customer service on cruise and passenger vessels.

Course content:

The Maritime English courses differ a lot in content depending on a rank and department of the seafarer. There are trainings targeted at management level i.e. Maritime English Course for Officers which usually provide more advanced level of grammar and vocabulary; as well as for support personnel – Maritime English Course for Ratings. Marine professionals can also choose the training depending on their specialization. There is special Maritime English Course for Navigators focused on bridge tool box talk and ship handling operations; technical specialists would be interested in the Maritime English Course for Engineers which is packed with useful terminology and instructions.

Assessment:

The most popular maritime English language assessment test platform in the world is the ISF Marlins English Language Test. It is adjusted to the position of the seafarer passing the test to ensure the total fairness of evaluation and calculates the total mark based on the

answers of 85 test questions. Apart from original test, Marlins offers industry specific Marlins English Language Test for Offshore Workers and Marlins English Language Test for Cruise Ship Staff.