A Comparative Study Of English Examination For Certificates Of Competence And IMO Model Course

With the deepening development of international economic cooperation, seafarers of good communicative competence are highly demanded in shipping industry. English, as the Lingua Franca in shipping industry, is of decisive significance to international seafarers. For these seafarers, their English communicative competence, especially listening and speaking competence, is closely related to the safety of operations at sea, marine environmental protection, successful sea trade, etc. Consequently, it is important for seafarers to communicate effectively with other crews on board.The Navigation/Marine Engineering English Competence Examination for seafarers is the current qualification examination for seafarers’ English competence. It aims to realize the implementation of STCW (Malina Amendments) and appraise seafarers’ English communicative competence comprehensively. Therefore, it exerts a profound impact on the training of seafarers in China. According to requirements from its members, IMO has issued a series of Model Courses to standardize maritime English education, including Maritime English Model Course, which manifests the minimum standard for qualified seafarers’ competence. Consequently, in-depth researches on standards for seafarer’s training in Maritime English Model Course and The Navigation/Marine Engineering English competence Examination for seafarers are of great significance to improve Chinese seafarers’ English competence and enhance their international competitiveness.In this thesis, a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches was adopted to compare The Navigation/Marine Engineering English Competence Examination for seafarers and IMO Model Course syllabus via questionnaires and interviews. Firstly, a comparison between The Navigation/Marine Engineering English Competence Examination for seafarers and IMO Model Course syllabus was conducted. Secondly, further analysis and viable suggestions on improving The Navigation/Marine Engineering English competence Examination for seafarers and IMO Model Courses were unfolded.The results of the analysis indicate that key requirements in IMO Maritime English Model Course are generally covered in The Navigation/Marine Engineering English Competence Examination for seafarers. However, further improvements need to be made on enhancing seafarers’ communicative competence, for instance, specifying vocabulary requirements and emphasizing General English training in Navigation/Marine Engineering English Competence Examination for seafarers.