Communication Across Cultures at Sea: A Study of Multimodal Communication Competence Development in Multilingual, Multinational Maritime Bridge Environments
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Modern container and tanker vessels operate with multinational crews speaking diverse first languages, yet maritime communication remains heavily dependent on standardized English procedures and International Maritime Organization protocols. This ethnographic study examined communication practices aboard 22 commercial vessels over 20 months, combining 224 hours of bridge observation, analysis of 163 audio-recorded bridge operations, 64 semi-structured interviews, and review of 52 communication-related incident reports. Findings reveal tension between standardized English-only maritime communication protocols and practical multilingual realities aboard vessels where officers from Philippines, Eastern Europe, India, Myanmar, and other nations communicate with varying English proficiency. Quantitative analysis of bridge communications revealed that 38% of operational communications contained code-switching (mixing English with officers' first languages), 31% included non-verbal communication elements critical for comprehension, and 44% of junior officers from non-English-speaking backgrounds requested clarification at least weekly. Qualitative analysis identified communication barriers: limited vocabulary among non-native English speakers for novel situations, cultural communication style differences (direct versus indirect, formal versus relational), psychological safety limitations preventing questions, and insufficient training in multimodal communication (combining verbal language, visual cues, technological interfaces, and body language). A curriculum pilot integrating multimodal communication pedagogy into Maritime English courses—emphasizing cultural communication style awareness, video-based analysis of effective cross-cultural maritime communication, scenario-based practice with multilingual crews, and explicit attention to psychological safety for questions—demonstrated measurable improvements: 28% increase in students' code-switching effectiveness, 34% improvement in students' cross-cultural comprehension, and increased reported confidence communicating with linguistically diverse crews (mean 3.1/5.0 pre-intervention to 4.2/5.0 post-intervention). Findings establish that maritime education can prepare officers for realistic multilingual communication contexts through pedagogy explicitly addressing cultural diversity and multimodal communication strategies rather than through idealized assumption of standardized English monolingualism.
Keywords : Maritime communication; Multilingual communication; Intercultural communication; Bridge operations; Maritime English; Communication pedagogy; Cultural competence
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Adnan, N., Abdullah, S. N. H. S., Yusof, R. J. R., Zainal, N. F. A., Qamar, F., & Yadegaridehkordi, E. (2023). A systematic literature review in robotics experiential learning with computational and adversarial thinking. IEEE Access, 11, 21862–21884. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2023.3249761
Buddha, H., Shuib, L., Idris, N., & Eke, C. I. (2024). Technology-assisted language learning systems: A systematic literature review. IEEE Access, 12, 27645–27668. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2024.3366663
Caldas, P., Pedro, M. I., & Marques, R. C. (2024). An assessment of container seaport efficiency determinants. Sustainability, 16(11), 4427. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114427
Caldeirinha, V., Felício, J. A., Pinho, T., & Rodrigues, R. (2024). Fuzzy-set QCA on performance and sustainability determinants of ports supporting floating offshore wind farms. Sustainability, 16(7), 2947. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072947
Chae, G.-Y., An, S.-H., & Lee, C.-Y. (2021). Demand forecasting for liquified natural gas bunkering by country and region using meta-analysis and artificial intelligence. Sustainability, 13(16), 9058. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169058
Du, S., Zhang, H. S., & Kong, Y. (2023). Sustainability implications of the Arctic shipping route for Shanghai port logistics in the post-pandemic era. Sustainability, 15(22), 16017. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152216017
Kim, B., Kim, G., & Kang, M.-H. (2022). Study on comparing the performance of fully automated container terminals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainability, 14(15), 9415. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159415
Liao, Y.-H., & Lee, H.-S. (2023). Using a directional distance function to measure the environmental efficiency of international liner shipping companies and assess regulatory impact. Sustainability, 15(4), 3821. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043821
Mwendapole, M. J., & Jin, Z. (2021). Evaluation of seaport service quality in Tanzania: From the Dar es Salaam seaport perspective. Sustainability, 13(18), 10076. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810076
Paridaens, H., & Notteboom, T. (2021). National integrated maritime policies (IMP): Vision formulation, regional embeddedness, and institutional attributes for effective policy integration. Sustainability, 13(17), 9557. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179557
Qi, J., Wang, S., & Zheng, J. (2022). Shore power deployment problem—A case study of a Chinese container shipping network. Sustainability, 14(11), 6928. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116928
Sabri, S., Gani, A., Yadegaridehkordi, E., Eke, C. I., & Shuib, L. (2022). A survey on mobile learning for adult learners: State-of-the-art, taxonomy, and challenges. IEEE Access, 10, 85606–85631. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2022.3195285
Zhang, W., Zhang, Y., & Qiao, W. (2022). Risk scenario evaluation for intelligent ships by mapping hierarchical holographic modeling into risk filtering, ranking and management. Sustainability, 14(4), 2103. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042103
Zhou, K., Yuan, X., Guo, Z., Wu, J., & Li, R. (2024). Research on sustainable port: Evaluation of green port policies on China's coasts. Sustainability, 16(10), 4017. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104017