DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR MARITIME ENGLISH FOR IMPROVING SAFETY AT SEA
DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR MARITIME ENGLISH FOR IMPROVING SAFETY AT SEA
International Maritime Organizations (IMO) has reported that far majority of accidents at sea are caused by human errors, and one of the main causes of these accidents is due to poor standards of Maritime English (Ziarati, 2006). The language of the sea is Maritime English and most ships are manned by multinational crews. Hence, good communication in Maritime English is essential for creation effective working environments and safety of the crew. According to Winbow (2002) safety at sea can be improved by changing the education and training of maritime officers.
However, there are no International or European standards for Maritime English. Thus, MarTEL Project (Maritime Tests of English Language) has been launched. The purpose of MarTEL is to create worldwide supported Maritime English standards as well as offering a comprehensive set of guidelines, teaching/learning and assessment materials. In other words, the project aims to create a system of Maritime English proficiency assessment tests on the basis of the model course developed by IMO (IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases) for all types and ranks of merchant vessel crews (Ziarati, 2003). One important aspect of MarTEL is that it is Maritime Test of English Language not English Test of Maritime Knowledge (Ulkuatam and Sernikli, 2008). The proposed standards target every class of seafarers. Ulkuatam and Sernikli (2008) claim that MarTEL focuses on all skills but with less emphasis on grammar. All tests for officer and senior officer levels are expected to check different skills at Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced levels and different proficiency requirements at different ranks and for different duties (ibid.).
The practice of deck and engineering crew training in Maritime English is carried out in close connection with development of national and international standards. A standard serves as a model, a
International Maritime Organizations (IMO) has reported that far majority of accidents at sea are caused by human errors, and one of the main causes of these accidents is due to poor standards of Maritime English (Ziarati, 2006). The language of the sea is Maritime English and most ships are manned by multinational crews. Hence, good communication in Maritime English is essential for creation effective working environments and safety of the crew. According to Winbow (2002) safety at sea can be improved by changing the education and training of maritime officers.
However, there are no International or European standards for Maritime English. Thus, MarTEL Project (Maritime Tests of English Language) has been launched. The purpose of MarTEL is to create worldwide supported Maritime English standards as well as offering a comprehensive set of guidelines, teaching/learning and assessment materials. In other words, the project aims to create a system of Maritime English proficiency assessment tests on the basis of the model course developed by IMO (IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases) for all types and ranks of merchant vessel crews (Ziarati, 2003). One important aspect of MarTEL is that it is Maritime Test of English Language not English Test of Maritime Knowledge (Ulkuatam and Sernikli, 2008). The proposed standards target every class of seafarers. Ulkuatam and Sernikli (2008) claim that MarTEL focuses on all skills but with less emphasis on grammar. All tests for officer and senior officer levels are expected to check different skills at Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced levels and different proficiency requirements at different ranks and for different duties (ibid.).
The practice of deck and engineering crew training in Maritime English is carried out in close connection with development of national and international standards. A standard serves as a model, a