Communicative Behaviors of Filipino Seafarers: Toward the Development of a Globally Responsive Maritime English Course

• Main Author: Caroline Dacwag
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Athens Institute for Education and Research 2018-08-01
• Series: Athens Journal of Education
• Subjects: communicative behaviors; filipino seafarers; globally responsive course; maritime english; maritime education and training (met) institutions
• Online Access: http://www.athensjournals.gr/education/2018-5-3-4-Dacwag.pdf

Maritime English creatively and uniquely demonstrates communicative behaviors that enable seafarer interlocutors to successfully and effectively give and receive vital information to ensure safety of life, the vessel and the environment. As a training ground for future maritime officers, maritime institutions are expected to deliver courses that meet the need of the maritime industry, including the language of the sea. In response to the changes in curriculum and the challenges of communications at sea, this study aims to describe the communicative behaviors of Filipinos onboard international merchant marine vessels. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions: a. How may the behavior of Filipino seafarers be described along the following areas- verbal communication, non-verbal communication, cross-cultural communication, listening, and creating healthy communicative relationships?; b. Is there a significant difference in the behaviors of Filipino seafarers when they are grouped according to their field of work?; c. In what areas of communicative behavior do the Filipinos need to improve?; d. What Maritime English course can be developed to address the areas that need improvement and to ensure global communicative competence of Filipino maritime students? One hundred eighty-seven (187) students of the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) who have gone onboard for their shipboard training and 127 active Filipino seafarers were the participants of the study. Results show that: a. Filipino seafarers practice desirable communicative behaviors often; b. the deck and the engine group significantly differ in their communicative practices; c. the engine group needs to practice using English and focus on the situation at hand more often. These findings were used as one of the bases of the design and development of a responsive maritime English course.