• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.279-284
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• 2016

As the International Maritime English Organization (IMO) model course for Maritime English has been recently revised and updated, the requirements of current changes to both the 2010 STCW Manila Amendments and English education have been actively reviewed. In order to provide practical guidelines for language teaching, a wide range of new pedagogical approaches and their theoretical backgrounds are also suggested. However, considering the current spread of Business English as a Lingua Franca (BELF) and its critical importance in maritime communication, the pedagogical approaches need to be re-evaluated, specifically in terms of teaching pronunciation in order to emphasize clear and effective communication among international interlocutors. Therefore, the core pedagogical elements of pronunciation should be clearly set and provided with consideration for Lingua Franca Core (LFC), which places importance on mutual intelligibility rather than following the rules of native speakers. In this paper, the current trends of BELF in the maritime industry will thus be introduced. Following this, the importance of LFC in maritime communication will be outlined, and its key features will be discussed in terms of effectiveness and clarity of international maritime communications. Finally, a close comparison between LFC and the pronunciation guidelines suggested by the IMO Maritime English model course 3.17 will be conducted, and pedagogical implications for future teaching pronunciation in cross-cultural global maritime industry will be suggested.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.361-362
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• 2022

As the importance of maritime communication in a cross-cultural onboard working environment grows, the importance of developing systematic supporting aids both for learning and teaching maritime English has been emphasized. Given that English communication proficiency is one of the most critical factors in determining a seafarer's competency, a systemic supporting system for enhancing maritime English communication capabilities is essential not only for them to professionally carry out and conduct assigned duties onboard, but also for them to navigate success in their lives through increased labour mobility both at sea and onshore. The APEC Seafarers Excellence Network initiates the production of Maritime English Communication Packages for seafarers in APEC regions, under the leadership of the Republic of Korea. This paper introduces the design of APEC SEN Maritime English Communication Packages, which include textbooks, audio-lingual materials, online/mobile life-long learning platform and testing aids, ultimately for upand re-skilling of seafarers to increase their employability, mobility and preparedness for the future shipping industry where globalisation is expected to further accelerate.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.930-938
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• 2023

Maritime English is a specialized language system designed for ship operations, maritime safety, and external and internal communication onboard. According to the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), it is imperative that navigational officers engaged in international voyages have a thorough understanding of Maritime English including the use of Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP). This study measured students' proficiency in Maritime English using a learning and testing platform that includes voice recognition, translation, and word entry tasks to evaluate the resulting improvement in Maritime English exam scores. Furthermore, the study aimed to investigate the level of platform use needed for cadets to qualify as junior navigators. The experiment began by examining the correlation between students' overall English skills and their proficiency in SMCP through an initial test, followed by the evaluation of improvements in their scores and changes in exam duration during the mid-term and final exams. The initial test revealed a significant dif erence in Maritime English test scores among groups based on individual factors, such as TOEIC scores and self-assessment of English ability, and both the mid-term and final tests confirmed substantial score improvements for the group using the platform. This study confirmed the efficacy of a learning platform that could be extensively applied in maritime education and potentially expanded beyond the scope of Maritime English education in the future.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 1989

It is indispensable for the marine officers who are engaged in the international voyage to make command of maritime English fluently. The Marine Officers Act in Korea which is under ammending in 1989 prescribes the proportion of maritime Englishin English examination is made to be 60% for the 4th and 5th class marine officer-license examination. A concrete syllabus or content of maritime English is not established yet with the exception of a general prescription of minimun knowledge required for certification of marine officers in the IMO/STCW Convention. The authors, who rewrote the maritime English textbook for the course of the fisheries high, schools and the merchant marine high schools, settled the syllabi of nautical English and marine engineering English for the course as follows : 1. The syllabus of nautical English, includes maritime English readings, the IMO English dialogue on port entry, writing of logbooks, night order books, and docking and repair specifications. 2. The syllabus of marine engineering English includes maritime English readings, dialogue on oil supply, writing of engine logbooks and oil record books, standing orders, and docking and repair specifications. The authors propose that the realm of these class marine officer-license examination on maritime English should be limited within in the above mentioned textbook. As maritime English is made to be included in the 4th and 5th marine officer liscence examination since 1989, high schools concerned need to reform the curricula to complete at least 6 units for this subject. On the other hand, the competent authority of this examination must secure questions as much as possible to promote the reliability of them.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.299-304
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• 2016

The importance of clear and effective communication at sea has been greatly emphasized due to the increase in multiculturalism on board both ocean-going and coastal vessels, and the necessity of systematic English training based on 'Knowledge, Understanding, and Proficiency' specified in STCW has also been recognized. With these growing needs in mind, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) updated the Maritime English (ME) Model Course 3.17 in 2015 by providing guidelines on language education within two separate categories, General Maritime English (GME) and Specialized Maritime English (SME). The IMO is now attempting to create a new, global framework of ME education and training, and this this new course model must first be thoroughly understood in order to explore the ways to apply the modified version into the context of current ME education in Korea and to design an updated language curriculum. Therefore, the general structural features of the new model course will be explained in this paper, and the course focus set by IMO and to be considered and/or adopted by the Republic of Korea will be closely examined. Finally, suggestions will be made on how to implement this revised model course in practice with the following focus: the development of localized curriculum for GME and SME; the provision of practical teaching guidance through relevant online and offline materials for class and self-study; and the establishment of qualification guidelines and a teaching support system for language teachers in maritime and language education.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.154-155
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• 2023

The International Convention on Standards for Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping of Seafarers (STCW) outlines the qualifications that maritime cadets must meet in order to serve as merchant marine officers. Maritime English is one of the most essential qualifications for STCW, and each national authority is implementing Maritime English education that complies with national and international regulations. In this study, an English proficiency background survey was conducted to investigate the factors related to the Maritime English skills and competencies. In line with this, maritime cadets utilized the Standard Maritime English Communication Phrases (SMCP) learning platform to track their learning progress and its efficacy. This study examined the applicability of the automatic scoring platform for Maritime English education, as well as its future potential for widespread use in the maritime education field.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.533-538
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• 2010

English is the accepted common working language of the maritime world and being competent in its use is essential to the safety of ships, their crews and the marine environment. This paper is a response to the urgent need to find a suitable solution to the problem of providing maritime students with quality instruction in Maritime English. This paper will show what type of English instructor is best suited to help cadets have at least a basic grasp of Maritime English communication, with a view to possessing the level required by STCW 95 within the shortest time. It presents ways that maritime institutes can develop their own qualified or 'marinated' English Instructors and what qualifications should be required. It is concluded that by further essential research, interviews and questionnaires etc., the language needs of the university and shipping industry in Korea as a whole can be clearly verified. By examining such data, the present language education systems can be evaluated as to efficacy and relevance, allowing the establishment and implementation of 'best practice' within the training institute. This will result in making excellent informed decisions and choices about how best to improve the language competencies of graduating cadets, thereby creating the catalyst for the success of future seafarers whilst raising the image of the institute and Korean shipping worldwide.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2015.07a
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• pp.272-274
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• 2015

Success of communication at sea is directly linked with clear and complete delivery and receipt of the target message between interlocutors. It can be said that speakers' effective delivery of their intended message and listeners' precise decoding and accurate understanding are the keys to successful maritime communication. From this perspective, the scope of maritime English education and training needs to be reconceptualized and expanded into the area of communication itself, beyond the simple acquisition of, and familiarization with, IMO Standard Maritime Communication Phrases (SMCP). Therefore, in order to make learners' acquisition of marine communication knowledge more feasible, and the knowledge learned more practically applicable, training on effective and clear oral delivery should be also considered within the frame of maritime English education. Thus, critical training elements to realize this goal need to be suggested as guidelines. In this presentation, the theoretical background on this will be introduced in terms of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and Lingua Franca Core (LFC), which are the current mainstream forms of English communication in the international business context. Based on this, six key training elements will be discussed; that is, speech rate, word groups, pauses, nuclear stresses, consonants (including consonant clusters), and vowels (specifically long and short vowels). Finally, the practical pedagogical methods of each element, and its actual application into a real ESP classroom, will be suggested.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.721-727
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• 2011

This paper compares the English language programs of two maritime institutes in very different parts of the world, South Korea and Belgium. It will show that although both institutes comply with the minimum standard set by the STCW Code issued by the IMO, course contents and requirements can vary greatly. Method of class delivery, choice of learning tools and testing will be examined to illustrate some of these differences. This paper will show that in order to train new seafarers in the best possible way that will fulfill the IMO mandate of Safer Shipping and Cleaner Oceans, continual review and development of course curriculum should be an ongoing process that focusing on encouraging cadets to communicate in a targeted, efficient and professional way within a nautical context. This paper will show by comparison the huge potential that the Korean Maritime English program has for positive change and growth.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2015.07a
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• pp.278-279
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• 2015

해기사의 해사영어 사용에 대한 체계적 교육의 필요성이 증가되는 가운데, 국제해사기구(IMO)는 이에 발맞추어 해사영어모델코스 3.17을 일반해사영어(General Maritime English, 즉 GME)와 특수해사영어(Specialized Maritime English, 즉 SME)로 나누어 재편하고, STCW에서 요구하는 지식, 이해 및 기술사항들을 영어교육의 다양한 요소들과 접합함으로써, 해사영어교육의 새로운 틀을 만들고자 시도하고 있다. 국내 해기교육 관련대학 및 기관이 향후 해사영어 커리큘럼을 재편성하기 위해서는, 개정될 해사영어모델코스의 주요 내용을 이해하고, 이를 국내 실정에 맞게 적용할 수 있도록 다양한 방안을 모색하는 것이 선행되어야 한다. 따라서 본 연구에서는, 국제해사기구가 제시한 해사영어모델코스 3.17의 개정 목적 및 변화된 해사영어모델코스의 틀과 방향을 살펴보고, 향후 국내교육기관에서의 해사영어교육 커리큘럼을 재편성한 후, 성공적인 언어교육서비스 제공을 하기 위해 고려해야 할 현실적인 제한 요소들을 살펴보고, 이에 대한 해결책을 모색하고자 한다.