The need for International Maritime English, Seaspeak, SMCP

Many features of modern sea transport have combined to produce radical changes in Maritime
communications.
These features include:
1. Technological changes in the design of ships leading to faster vessels and greater
navigational hazards;
2. Changed patterns of shipping routes with new areas of traffic density;
3. Increase in numbers of professional bridge officers from many language backgrounds, no
longer predominantly from among native speakers of English;
4. Availability of VHF radio on the bridge for meeting direct communication within limited
range, internship, ship to shore and ship to aircraft;
5. Growth of satellites and other long-range communications and navigation systems.

In these changed conditions mariners need to be sure that their communications are as precise
as simple and unambiguous as possible and that predictable areas of language confusion and
error are avoided. International agreement on English as the required language provides a
starting point.
Existing IMO and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) regulations concerning
navigational safety and radio procedures take the process further.
● The next requirement is for the English language, as used by mariners, to be free from
ambiguity,
● to be organised in message form according to accepted rules,
● to embody agreed conventions, in short
● to reduce possibilities of confusion,
● to maximize disability and listeners’ expectancies,
● to concentrate on effective communication.

In the light of these requirements, to produce essential English for International Maritime use,
Seaspeak or Maritime English came into being. The specific features relate chiefly to
communicate by VHF radio, their body recommended procedures for initiating, maintaining
and terminating conversations as well as recommended language that is a relevant portion of
English grammar and vocabulary and recommendations for the structure of messages.

Elements of Seaspeak/ Maritime English

The Maritime English have the intention of bringing together the conventions and procedures
already established for VHF radio communications at sea together with rules for using the
English language to construct messages appropriate in merit and conditions, procedures for
checking the accuracy with which messages transmitted by one speaker are heard by his
respondent.
The central principle of Seaspeak is that the receiver should be alerted to the type of message
that follows at the very beginning of the message. This aim is achieved by the use of

Message Markers: question, instruction, advice, request, information, warning,

intention.

Maritime English is an umbrella term which refers to the English language used by seafarers
both at sea and in port and by individuals working in the shipping and shipbuilding industry.
Ships’ crews and shipping-industry personnel are necessary to conduct a ship (and passengers
aboard) safely to destination and deliver commodities efficiently while, at the same time,
protecting the marine environment and safeguarding the financial interests of all relevant parties
and stakeholders.
The shipping trade is, by its very nature, a global phenomenon that
● evolves within a globalized economic and
● political framework and
● the involvement of many different countries,
● languages, and
● cultures in just one operation is common practice.

The Sea Empress, for instance, a ship that polluted the Welsh coast causing severe
environmental damage, was built in Spain, had a Norwegian owner, was registered in Cyprus,
was flying a flag of Cyprus, was managed from Glasgow, was chartered by a French company,
had a Russian crew, and carried American cargo.
 ● It is this background that has led Maritime English to gain worldwide recognition as the
international language of seaborne trade.
● employing internationally oriented individuals,
● who need to be fluent in English to communicate successfully while on board and ashore.

Language Distinctiveness, Maritime English terminology and phraseology pose a real

challenge due to their specialization and unfamiliarity:

Passengers sleep in cabins and meals are cooked in the galley; a ship does not have walls but
bulkheads; smoke comes out of a funnel not a chimney; objects are not positioned left or right
but on the port or starboard sides; ships make headway, sternway, or leeway when they
move forwards, backwards, or sideways through the water; and when underway they may be
overhauled, not overtaken, by faster craft. Orders such as Single up to a backspring
forward, Put engines slow ahead, Rudder hard-a-port, Slack away on the breastline
until the stern is clear of the berth or Let go fore and aft, require not only good
professionals but competent Maritime English speakers if a ship is to be handled efficiently.
Noteworthy is the peculiarity of ships to have feminine grammatical gender for seafarers (an in-
service mariner would always call a ship she), which remains one of the most distinctive
features of the English language as currently used at sea.

The Branches of Maritime English subsumes five different sub-varieties according to the
specific purpose they serve within the maritime context:
1. English for navigation and maritime communications,
2. English for maritime commerce,
3. English for maritime law,
4. English for marine engineering, and
5. English for shipbuilding.

However, language communication is not just an industrial tool but also an emotional and social
matter: It strengthens friendship among people speaking different tongues and enjoying diverse
cultures.
Maritime English (ME) is part of the “family” Language for Special Purpose (LSP). One may
think that Maritime English is strictly for the special purpose of technical English, but in fact, it
embraces so much more. On board a ship with a multinational crew, one also needs to
communicate
● for social reasons,
● for everyday matters like food and amenities, and of course,
● to keep a safe work environment.

Ensuring that a message given is received and perceived according to the sender’s intentions is
one of the main focuses when those involved speak different first languages. IMO requires,
under the international convention for Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping for
Seafarers, 1978, with amendments (STCW), the ability to use and understand the Standard
Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP) for the certification of officers in charge of the
navigational watch on board ships of 500 gross tonnage and more.
SMCP

The main purpose of the standard is to maintain safe sailing at all times. The language of the
SMCP is somewhat different from “normal” English.

The SMCP builds on a basic knowledge of the English language. It was drafted intentionally in a
simplified version of maritime English in order to reduce grammatical, lexical and idiomatic
varieties to a tolerable minimum, using standardized structures for the sake of its function
aspects, i.e. reducing misunderstanding in safety-related verbal communications, thereby
endeavouring to reflect present Maritime English language usage on board vessels and in ship-
to-shore/ship-to-ship communications.

Communicative features may be summarized as follows:

● avoiding synonyms
● avoiding contracted forms
● providing fully worded answers to "yes/no"-questions and basic alternative answers to
sentence questions
● providing one phrase for one event, and
SMCP covers both internal and external communication. The phrases are mostly in use when it
comes to radio communication, but in a stressful situation, it can be a good idea to use the same
standards of simplicity in impromptu face-to-face communication on board.

The SMCP includes phrases which have been developed to cover the most important safety-
related fields of verbal shore-to-ship (and vice versa), ship-to-ship and on-board
communications. The aim is to reduce the problem of language barriers at sea and avoid
misunderstandings which can cause accidents.

Examples

● To describe an unmanned and abandoned ship floating adrift, the SMCP gives the correct

phrase as, “unlit derelict vessel adrift in vicinity (date, time and position if known)”

● Being stuck in ice and requesting assistance: “I am fast in ice. I require assistance”.

● Damage to vessel by ice: “I have developed stability problems, heavy icing. Request ice

breaker assistance”.

● Ship is sinking: “I am sinking. Please proceed to my assistance. What is your ETA at our

distress position?”

● A user of SMCP would not say “can I enter fairway?” nor would they say “may I?” “should
I?” “could I?” and so on. Rather, they would say “QUESTION. Do I have permission to
enter the fairway?”

“QUESTION” is a message marker and makes the purpose of the communication clear right from
the start: the sentence that follows will be a question, and will require an answer, such as:

“ANSWER. You have permission to enter the fairway.”

The list of possible markers includes INSTRUCTION, ADVICE, WARNING, INFORMATION,

QUESTION, ANSWER, REQUEST, and INTENTION.
Message Marker Examples:-

1. Instruction “INSTRUCTION. Do not increase speed.” Instructions are binding and

must be followed as far as possible. Authorities such as a naval vessel or VTS station may
give instructions.

2. Advice: “ADVICE. Stand by on VHF Channel one six.” Advice is not binding. The
receiver can decide whether to follow the advice or not.

3. Warning: “WARNING. Obstruction in the fairway.” Used to inform others of

danger.

4. Information: “INFORMATION. My present draught is twelve, one two metres .”

Used to inform others of other facts.

5. Question: “QUESTION. Do you require a pilot?” Used to indicate questions.

6. Answer: “ANSWER. Yes, I require a pilot.” Used to indicate answers.

7. Request: “REQUEST. I require tug assistance.” Used to ask for action from
others.

8. Intention: “INTENTION. I will reduce my speed.” Used to inform others of

immediate navigational action.

There are also special purpose markers such as MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY , PAN-PAN PAN-
PAN PAN-PAN , and SECURITE SECURITE SECURITE, which provide three levels of urgency
for communicating dangers and emergencies. MAYDAY is the most urgent, and SECURITE is the
least severe.
Importance of effective communication on-board ship
● Entire crew doesn’t belong to a single nationality

The shipping industry is not bound to a specific country or region. It is international. Therefore,
there are persons belonging to different nationalities on a single vessel. Since English is a
universal language; it is the only way seafarers could effectively communicate among one
another. Hence, learning the proper use of Maritime English is very important; especially for the
young apprentices.

● Majority of the maritime accidents happen due to bad communication

A majority of the maritime accidents occur due to mistakes on the part of a human and one can
attribute a significant number of these maritime accidents to bad communication. If a seafarer is
not utilizing standard Maritime English aboard a vessel, miscommunication is likely to happen.
This miscommunication could cost the life of another seafarer and can even put the integrity of
the vessel in danger. Hence, it is exceedingly important to utilize standard Maritime English
especially for those who are involved in operational situations.

● Maritime English is a standard

In the initial days of the shipping industry, each nation had its own language of communication
which they hailed as a standard. As the shipping industry grew and a single ship started
traveling to various nations of the world, the language barrier created many hurdles. Seeing
this, the Maritime English came up and the same was adopted as a standard language for
seafarers all around the world. After the introduction of Maritime English, the operational
hurdles, accidents, and mishaps drastically reduced.

● Be prepared in case of emergencies

Please note that an emergency on the vessel can arise anytime. It may be fire or a man could be
overboard. In such cases, it is important for a seafarer to respond accordingly. You will, indeed,
be taught the steps to deal with an emergency onboard, however, the same will be in Maritime
English. Hence, if you are not proficient in Maritime English, you won’t be able to respond to
emergencies effectively thereby resulting in further accidents, mishaps, and even tragedies.

Conclusion

Overall, Maritime English is very important for a seafarer to communicate efficiently when
onboard a vessel, therefore, all the aspiring seafarers must give adequate time towards grasping
Maritime English and achieve fluency in the same. For International seafarers to understand
completely they will first need to improve their general English.

Q1. Demonstrate an understanding of the relevance of STCW English requirements to all

seafarers; broaden knowledge of industry-specific vocabulary.

Q2. Importance of effective communication on-board ship

Q3. Maritime English: Objectives, Definition, SMCP vs General English.