The employment prospects for Bangladeshi seafarers in the global maritime industry have increased following several recognitions by international maritime regulatory bodies. To maintain the reputation of supplying competent English-speaking seafarers, the MET (Maritime Education and Training) institutes in Bangladesh require adopting a language policy and planning of Maritime English, as no such efforts have been made in this region. Therefore, this paper aims to draw lessons for the teaching and learning of English in maritime institutions in Bangladesh. Maritime institutions around the world have been unable to reach a consensus on the assessment methods, curriculum design, appropriate teaching materials, teaching methods, and qualifications of ME teachers. This paper addresses these areas of controversies through a language planning framework provided by Kaplan and Baldauf (Language and language-in-education planning in the Pacific Basin, Springer, Dordrecht, 2003). Through an integrative review, this paper advocates developing the communicative competence for the maritime students, giving equal emphasis on maritime and general English skills, being eclectic with the diverse selection of newer methods of teaching English, the creation of a unified curriculum, and the preparation of materials that meet the needs and cultural relevance of learners, setting qualifications for English teachers in the maritime sector, and adding a descriptor to the assessment system. The proposed language planning framework based on existing global practices will help the MET institutes in Bangladesh standardize their training and produce more efficient English-speaking seafarers.
The aim of this study is to examine whether peer conversation in English improves speaking skills. The study also aims at finding how frequently students practice speaking in English with their peers. The data was collected from fifty participants (second year to Masters students) from an English Department at a public university. The data was collected through a close-ended questionnaire and analyzed through a quantitative research method. The collected data reveals that conversing with peers is a very effective way of improving speaking skills. The study also reveals that students who practice English conversation regularly are able to develop their speaking skills day by day. Besides, peer interaction is also helping them to be confident and to feel at ease while speaking in a public place or facing a viva voce. The study also shows that students are learning to choose the best words and express their feelings and attitudes more clearly through peer conversation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.