NAV 45/13
ANNEX
Page 2
In addition to the appropriate measures taken in MET institutions, the Government of the Republic of Croatia is now taking steps to introduce SMCP for recommended use on board ships and by SAR organisations, VTS services, pilots and port authorities, etc. The Government will also monitor the application and use of SMCP in the MET institutions and in the use of the same in real maritime communications on board Croatian ships and within the waters under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Croatia. Relevant reports will be made periodically and submitted to IMO.
Comments by Germany
The IMO-SMCP are generally appreciated as a valuable means for the further improvement of the safety-related verbal communication as required by STCW 95.
Regarding ship-to-shore communications VTS Authorities stated that the IMO-SMCP will altogether considerably facilitate verbal VTS communications if all parties involved, i.e. shore and ship, will observe the Phrases. However, an insufficient command even of the fundamentals of the English language frequently makes the application of the IMO-SMCP a problem, and the efficient use of the Phrases will decisively depend on the improvement of standards of maritime English that might be expected in the course of implementation of the corresponding requirements set by STCW 95. VTS Authorities furthermore suggest standardized qualification courses for VTS personnel with final tests on the use of the IMO-SMCP to be held in all coastal states concerned. They also submitted a detailed proposal on how to reasonably reduce the total number of VTS Phrases.
German MET institutions such as the Departments of Maritime Studies at Universities, SAR and VTS training institutions, Water Police Academies, etc, have already incorporated the IMO-SMCP into their teaching programmes since they do not expect drastic changes to occur in the finalized version of the same. Maritime English lecturers first of all welcome the creation of the Phrases as one practicable aid for the development of basic safety-related maritime English skills among maritime personnel. The corresponding instruction is or will be based on the practice of seafaring and realized through all the various modern language teaching methods and tools; first training results are said to be very promising. As far as the education of nautical students at universities and colleges is concerned it should be stated, that the IMO-SMCP are not regarded as a full and complete syllabus for maritime English rather than an indispensable and essential part of the curriculum which needs enrichment by further items not covered or intended by the Phrases. Instructors of maritime English should be familiarized in special regional seminars with the IMO-SMCP and the appropriate teaching strategies and approaches to be applied. An IMO publication of a Teacher's Manual and a voice-recorded version of the Phrases would be highly appreciated.
A new and more detailed introduction to the IMO-SMCP should provide exact information as regards their communicative principles, their aims as well as their status and function in maritime communications in order to a priori avoid any misconception regarding their objectives.
A number of triallists recommended a considerable reduction of the total number of Phrases. If IMO deems this necessary, it should be done very carefully in order not to damage the communicative intention of the IMO-SMCP as a whole. Disregarding the number of Phrases the finalized version is going to comprise, they will never been taught completely but always selectively according to the needs of the users, i.e. VTS Operators would restrict to the limited number of Phrases applicable to their area of responsibility and so would SAR personnel, Pilots and others. A reduction of Phrases should not considerably confine the choice a prospective user or group of users might take.
