English textbook for maritime engineers: needs and requirnments

Abstract

The article under consideration present some review of the present days textbooks created by Ukrainian specialists for teaching English in Maritime higher educational establishments. The authors attempt to analyze the existing manuals keeping in mind the needs of the future maritime engineers and the requirements of the International Maritime Organization, teaching methods are also meant.

It is stressed in the article that the approach to teaching maritime engineers differ a lot from that of teaching other maritime specialists because besides general English communicative skills and maritime English they are supposed to be aware of technical terminology quite well.

We make a quick review of the problems the teacher faces when working with the engineer students. The enumeration of the topics are supposed to be tackled upon in English classes is done. We touch upon the absence of one National English Standard for engine room department personal and discuss the problems it arises. It is underlined the achievements of Ukrainian Maritime English specialists are significant: the number of the textbooks and other teaching means in the field are getting larger every year what is more important their quality is getting higher as well.

We have chosen these two series of textbooks for our review as they demonstrate complex approach to teaching the language and if accompanied with some extra tasks and listening and video activities they are the best one to use as basic for maritime engineers. Among the most authorized and widely used textbooks are the series of works by O. Bogomolov: there are 3 textbooks worked out for different levels. Some other series of textbooks we would like to mention are works of teachers who work in Kherson Maritime State Academy. Other series of textbooks under review are created by the group of the authors headed by V. Kudryavtseva. As it has been underlined in the preface to these textbooks, the purpose of the manuals is the development of professional communication skills of maritime engineers.