A Global Industry Communicating in English
Shipping carries up to 90% of world trade.
The world fleet consists of over 100,000 ships and a total fleet tonnage approaching 1
billion gross tonnes (2010)
The worldwide population of seafarers serving on internationally trading merchant
ships is estimated to be around 466,000 officers and 721,000 ratings
Shipping has never been more international, with up to 50 nationalities working on
one ship alone at times.
Maritime English is the official language of the sea as declared by the International
Maritime Organisation (IMO)
What is Maritime English?
1. The language used to communicate in all maritime-specific situations
? on-board
? ship to ship
? ship to shore
2. It includes maritime-specific terminology ? navigation, on-board operations, roles
and responsibilities, health and safety, emergencies
3. English which has been simplified for use by seafarers of all nationalities
4. Maritime English has been codified by the International Maritime Organisation
(IMO) as Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP)
5. General English language skills need to be good enough to combine with SMCP to
achieve consistent and clear communication at sea
Maritime English as Critical Communication
Clear, precise English is vital for
?
Health, safety, and security on-board, to ensure the well-being of all those on the
ship
?
Communication with shore-side authorities - vessel traffic services, port
authorities, cargo, customs, and other personnel
?
Handling emergency situations often between different nationalities in very
challenging circumstances
?
Customer service on Cruise and Passenger carrying ships, maintaining excellent
standards of customer service and customer experience