Testing the effectiveness of using an interactive learning tool to teach english for maritime purposes

Abstract

Considering the fact that %90 of world's trade is carried out with ships in terms of conveyance mode, it is necessary to acknowledge that maritime transportation and both language and communication skills acquired by people in the shipping industry are of vital importance. Based on the significance of the language skills of seafarers, this study has centered on the language of the sea worldwide: ''Maritime English'' and teaching Maritime English to those who receive education to work in the maritime industry. This study attempts to summarize a one-year research project and the aim is to investigate the differences between the success rates of a Maritime English instruction period by using two different teaching methodologies. To conduct the research, 61 students who were supposed to take the course of ''English for Deck Officers'' were used as subjects. They were randomly divided into two groups and then they were taught the same content and units by using two different teaching methodologies by the same instructor. The first of the teaching methods was a traditional text-based language teaching method which involved lots of memorization and translation techniques, namely techniques used in the grammar-translation method consisting mostly of translating the passages and texts. In addition to translation, reading comprehension questions, fill-in-the-blanks exercises, activities measuring the dominance of grammar, memorization and some vocabulary exercises were also used. The second method was a modern web-based learning method which involved plenty of interactive exercises and visual activities instead of translation and memorization. Results of the application showed that the students who were taught English for deck officers using the interactive language teaching method were seen to show more success compared to the traditional text based method according to the results of the exams held twice during the application.