"ONE LANGUAGE SETS YOU IN A CORRIDOR FOR LIFE.TWO LANGUAGES OPEN EVERY DOOR ALONG THE WAY."

Jack Jones was a newly promoted chief officer who was invited by the company for a training course in Cyprus.

- Author: Capt. Robert Vaz, Chief Operating Officer, Navguide Solutions

After Jack settled at his hotel, he saw the ambience and facilities of his beach-facing hotel, and he texted his wife, “I’m having a wonderful time. I wish you were her.” Phew, you could imagine how furious the wife was and hysterically texting back, Who is ‘her’? Who is she? Who are you with? Poor Jack candidly admitted in a hurry that he forgot to check the typo. It's not her, but here.

Well, communications have improved leaps and bounds; just an “emoji” or a “GIF” could actually convey a feeling.

As seafarers, the English language is very important to us, as at various levels, regardless of the various degrees of fluency, it is the most widely used language in the maritime industry. Surely, English is not the first language for most seafarers.

However, it is essential that they are fluent in conversational. Maritime English. Basically, Maritime English contains standardised marine vocabulary and phrases that ensure understanding and efficiency in day-to-day ship operations and, more importantly, proper understanding and the correct response in an emergency.

Learning Maritime English is not just about mastering vocabulary and grammar; it's about gaining a new lens through which we can communicate easily in the maritime industry and see the world.

We work with seafarers from around the world, many of whom come from remote provinces. Before coming on board, they complete a maritime course, go through an agent, or take a simple English test. Then, some of them are in for a rude shock, as at times, a few have to be sent back due to poor communication skills and a lack of understanding.

Maritime English is an integral part of our profession as seafarers; a few important reasons are listed below.

• The maximum maritime accidents and incidents are due to miscommunication

• A good command of English improves intercultural communication and, in turn, harmony onboard