UNIT 1.

ENGLISH AT SEA/HOW GOOD AT LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGES ARE

YOU?
1a. English for seafarers
Why do you need or want to learn English?
Analysing your needs
Before you start your course, it is a good idea to think carefully about what you need or
want English for. You could analyse your needs like this.
a)
Decide on your main purpose for learning English.
b)
Make a list of the specific situations where you need to use English e.g. speaking on the
telephone, answering enquiries, giving information, writing business letters.
c)
Decide which skills you need for each situation: extending vocabulary, dealing with
grammar, listening, speaking, reading or writing.
You should then have a better idea about which skills you need to work on and be able to
establish your priorities.
Here is an example of how one learner analysed his needs. Sven is a Swedish Youth Hostel
warden who needs English for his work. He filled in the following chart.
Situations
Youth Hostel
Reception Desk

Vocabulary

-welcoming new
guests

-giving
information

-explaining
regulations

-answering
enquiries

-putting
notices

up

Grammar

Listening

Reading

Writing

X
X

Speaking

Prioritising your needs

How much do you know/can you do already?
Stig used an assessment scale from 1 to 5: 1= this is the standard I would like to reach-my goal; 5
= I can do very little. I am a long way from my goal.

He considered each skill that he needed and circled the number that he felt represented his
position on the scale, as follows:
Extending
vocabulary
1
2
3
4
5

Dealing with
grammar
1
2
3
4
5

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing

1
2
3
4
5

1
2
3
4
5

1
2
3
4
5

1
2
3
4
5

He was then able to see more clearly what he needed to improve most.
What are your priorities?
Stig then gave each skill a priority rating from 1 to 6:
1= highest priority
6 = lowest priority
I thought I needed to improve my speaking, but now I realize that it is mainly vocabulary
that is missing. My speaking is quite good, in fact. I also realized that I need to
concentrate on my listening and writing. I can read English quite well- I dont need to do
it much, anyway.
Skill
Extending vocabulary
Dealing with grammar
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing

Priority
rating
1
4
2
5
6
3

You could prioritise your own needs in the same way. If you do this, it will also give you
a basis for negotiating the content of your course with the other members of your class
and your teacher.
Now after deciding what your needs for learning English are lets see how you can
practice and improve your English? Discuss your ideas with a study partner.
1b. Strengths and weaknesses
Listen to the cassette. Six seafarers are talking about their language-learning
experiences. What does each seafarer have the most problems with? What does each
seafarer feel confident about?

Choose your answers from these language areas:

listening
speaking
writing
reading
pronunciation
vocabulary
grammar
1. Sergey has most problems withreading. but feels confident aboutspeaking
2. Junichi has most problems withbut feels confident about.
3. Carlos has most problems with..but feels confident about
4. Boris has most problems with.but feels confident about..
5. Hans has most problems withbut feels confident about
6. Davide has most problems with.but feels confident about...

1c. Listen again. What specific problem does each seafarer have? How does each
seafarer solve his problem? Complete the table.

specific
problem
solution

SERGEY JUNICHI
reads
slowly
Times
himself
reading
short
articles
and writes
down
main
points

CARLOS

BORIS

HANS

DAVIDE

1d. Present Simple and Present Continuous

Look at these pairs of examples. Are both examples in each pair grammatically
possible? If not, can you explain why?
1. (a) Im attending a two week English course at the moment.
(b) I attend a two week English course at the moment.
2. (a) Im practicing English with my study partner every week.
(b) I practice English with my study partner every week.
3. (a) I know lots of English words but I cant put them together!
(b) Im knowing lots of English words but I cant put them together!
4. (a) I dont have much confidence speaking at meetings.
(b) Im not having much confidence speaking at meetings.
5. (a) John always talks to himself.
(b) John is always talking to himself.

Present Simple and Present Continuous

The Present Simple is used to describe actions which are always, generally or repeatedly
true.
I always get up when the sun rises.
Dont you remember my telephone number?
Simon doesnt play a musical instrument.
Why does he go to New York so often?
The Present Continuous is used to describe actions which are temporary or incomplete.
The actions are happening at or around the time of speaking.
Im doing a First Aid course at the moment.
Are you looking for a new job/
Those stevedores arent working quickly enough!
Why isnt he mending the leak?
Some verbs are not usually used in the continuous form. These verbs describe states, not
actions.
like love
remember
depend

hate prefer want need

understand contain

mean realize
suppose
belong
seem consist

believe
know

He doesnt believe that story. (not He isnt believing that story)

That barrel contains oil. (not That barrel is containing oil!)
The verb have can be used in different ways. When it is used to describe states, it is not
used in the continuous form.
He cant come to the meeting because he has a bad cold.
I have a large family.
The 2 nd Officer has a good sense of humour.
They dont have a car.
When have is used to describe actions, it can be used as a normal verb in the simple or
continuous forms.
I have a shower every morning.
Wait a minute! Im having a shower.
Sometimes we use the Present Continuous with always to complain about an irritating
habit.
Compare:

Hes always forgetting to lock the door.

(This means: He forgets to lock the door many times but not every time. This irritates the
speaker.)
He always forgets to lock the door.
(This means: He forgets to lock the door every time)

1e. Complete the sentences. Write the correct form of verb in brackets. Use either
the Present Simple or the Present Continuous.
1. The Chief Engineer (come) from Germany.
2.What . (you/do) just now? (listen) to the BBC, but I.(not/understand)
very much!
3.Where (your brother/work)? He ..(usually/work) Head office but because the
company.. (move) to a new building, he.. (work) from home at the moment.
4. Paul is a keen swimmer. He. (normally/go) to the swimming pool every morning but
he.(not/go) this morning because it is closed.
5. The sun (always/set) in the west.
6. Hes so untidy! He.. (always/leave) his clothes and books lying all over the cabin. It
really.. (annoy) me.
7. Come over here and look at this. The sun.. (set) and the sky is an amazing colour!
8. (he/watch) the television? No, I think he.. (sleep).
1f. Adverbs of frequency
Adverbs of frequency tell us how often something happens. Single adverbs are usually
placed before the main verb but after the verb to be.
He

always
usually/normally
often/frequently
quite often/sometimes
occasionally
rarely/seldom
never

gets up at sunrise

He is
They are

rarely
sometimes

late
tired after work

If two or more verbs are together in a sentence, the single adverb is usually placed after
the first verb.
He can usually meet us on Fridays
Cargo is often transported by rail.

Always, (quite often), frequently, sometimes and occasionally can also be placed at the
beginning or end of a sentence.
Occasionally I call up old friends for a chat.
She comes to visit me quite often.
Always, rarely, seldom and never are not normally placed in these positions. However,
you can use always and never at the beginning of a sentence to give an order.
Always ask for identification when a visitor boards.
Never smoke on deck.
Longer adverbs are usually placed at the end of a sentence.
We check the fire alarm every day.
We inspect the fire hoses once a month.
I write to my friends every week/month/year.
Saturday/Wednesday.
now and again.
once a week/a month/a year.
twice a week/a month/a year
1g. Put the adverbs of frequency in the correct position.
e.g. I walk in the park (rarely)
I rarely walk in the park
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

I write down all the words I know connected to a topic. (sometimes)

As long as I get the main idea, its enough. (usually)
He has helped me in difficult situations. (often)
I can understand people speaking on the telephone. (normally)
He talks to me in English. (every now and again)
I write to her. (once a month)

2a. Thank you for your letter

Read this letter. As you heard in exercise 1a, Davide has most problems with writing
business correspondence. Identify and correct his thirteen errors.
Dear Mr Schultz
Thank you for your letter of enquiry about vacancies with your company. Many seafarers
are contacting us every day but I am sorry to say that there is no opportunities for new
staff at the moment.
However, always we are keeping a register of seafarers who apply to our company. All
seafarers on the register has suitable qualifications and experience. If you would like to

be on our register, please send us full details of your experience and the names of two
referees. Make sure this include your full address and daytime telephone number as we
have to sometimes call people at short notice. We also requires copies of your medical
certificates. If not up to date, please you arrange a medical check-up. (Our seafarers go to
usually Doctor Pederson. He have a surgery at 18, Brenton Street.)
If our Crewing Manager decide that you a suitable candidate, we will ask you to come in
for an interview.
Yours sincerely
Davide Manzoni

3a. Which team do you support?

Read the dialogue. Three seafarers are discussing football teams. Decide if the
statements are true or false.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Chris thinks Italy is the most consistent team.

Chris is disappointed with Englands performance.
All three seafarers were impressed with Brazils 1970 World Cup team .
Chris and Giuseppe prefer football as it is today.

T/F
T/F
T/F
T/F

Giuseppe: Ive got this great video about the Italian World Cup team. Dont you think
that Italy is the most exciting football team in the world?
Chris:

I dont agree at all. The Italians might be exciting but they certainly arent
consistent! If you ask me, Germany is the team to watch for consistency.

Giuseppe; Germany! Do you really think so? I thought you would be an England
supporter.
Chris:

Well, yes, but dont you think that since the 1970 World Cup Finals they
havent performed so well?

Pablo:

1970? I think if youre talking about consistent genius, the 1970 Brazil team
was unrivalled.

Chris:

Thats true. Pele, Jarzinho, Revelinho. They were brilliant.

Giuseppe: Yes, I remember watching them on TV. They made it look so easy. It would
be interesting to watch those players in todays game.
Pablo: Absolutely! Defenders are so much quicker these days. Having said that, attackers
get more protection from referees.

Chris:

I reckon that, as a spectacle, the game isnt as exciting as it used to be.

Giuseppe: I totally agree. I mean, take the tackle from behind, for instance. Players are
either too cautious or they end up getting sent off. These new rules have taken the
thrill out of the game.
3b. Giving your opinion, agreeing and disagreeing
Here are some phrases for giving your opinion, agreeing and disagreeing.
Giving your opinion
In my opinion.
Im sure
(that)
convinced
certain
I reckon/think (that)

Agreeing
I (totally) agree
Yes, youre right
I think so too

Disagreeing
Thats true, but.
Im not so sure about that
I dont agree at all

3c. Do you agree?

Work with a study partner. Exchange opinions about these statements, saying if you
agree or disagree.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Everyone should be able to speak at least two languages.

Being a seafarer is an easy life.
Generally speaking, women are more intelligent than men.
Experience is better than training.
Dogs are dirty animals.
Ships pollute the sea.

4.a What is the secret of language learning?

You are going to read a magazine article about language learning by Dr Emma
Carson. Before reading it, discuss these statements with a study partner and note
your ideas in the empty sections of the table.
Yes/no/not necessarily
1. English is more difficult
to
learn
than
other
languages.
2. To be good at English,
you must learn to sound like
an English person.
3. Some people are better
than others at learning
languages.
4. Confident people are
more successful at learning
languages than shy people.

What do you think?

4b. Scan reading

If you need to find a specific piece of information quickly from a lot of written
information, it is not necessary to read every word. Run your eyes over the text until
you find the information you need. This way of reading is called scan reading.
Scan read the magazine article about language learning as quickly as you can and
find the answer to this question. Dont attempt to read every word, just look for the
answer.
The secret of..
Language Learning
By Roy Lynch
HAVE YOU EVER tried to learn a foreign language and come to the conclusion, like me,
that you are just not the type I spoke to Dr Emma Carson, a language-learning
specialist, who put my mind to rest.
Is English more difficult to learn than other languages?
The nature of a students first language certainly plays a part in how easy or
difficult English is to learn. Some English sounds, for example, may create difficulties for
a student if they do not exist in his first language. In comparison to some other languages,
English is rich in idioms, which may cloud understanding. However, I believe that
motivation is the key factor to understand. If students are motivated to learn English, they
are less likely to be put off by potential difficulties.
To be good at English, do you have to sound like an English person?
Sounding like an English person does not necessarily mean you are good at
English. And being good at English does not necessarily mean you have to sound like an
English person. In my opinion, the most crucial factor is being understood by whoever is
listening. If people have trouble understanding you because of your accent, it is wise to do
something to improve it. It is important to remember that your accent is part of your
identity. Because English is spoken around the world, there are many varieties of it. Just
think of Indian English, Scottish English, American English, Australian English. The list
goes on. These days, a foreign accent is perfectly acceptable.
Are some people better than others at learning languages?
My personal view is that people who appear to be good language learners are
those who make an effort to use the language in their own time. I mean, people who
actively look for opportunities to practice, for example by reading a newspaper or
listening to songs in their free time. Successful learners tend to be people who can identify
their individual strengths and weaknesses and develop ways of studying to suit
themselves. Different people prefer to learn in different ways: by studying alone, by
watching videos, by playing games, by listening to the teacher, and so on. It is important
to recognise which way suits you best. No one way is better than another. Of course, there
are many other reasons why some people might pick up languages more quickly than
others. As often as not, its a question of attitude: people generally learn better if they feel
positive about learning. A positive attitude means; liking the language; tolerating the

differences between your language and the language you are learning; being motivated
and determined to learn creating opportunities for yourself to practice; being confident in
your abilities; and accepting your mistakes.
Does that mean that confident people are more successful at learning languages than
shy people?
On the surface, it may look like this is the case. It cannot be denied that
confidence does play a part in being successful in learning a new language. However, my
own view is that being successful at learning a language does not depend on your
personality type. More important than personality is the ability to recognize, firstly, what
you are good at then to capitalize on it and, secondly, what you are poor at then to work
on improving it. I know many shy, introverted people who are in fact highly competent
and effective communicators. At the end of the day, there is no one way to learn a
language. The only secret is to find the way that suits you and to practice: its all up to
you!
4c. Read the text again in more detail. What are Dr Carsons opinions? Fill in this
table.
Yes/no/not necessarily

What does Dr Carson

think?

1. English is more difficult

to
learn
than
other
languages.
2. To be good at English,
you must learn to sound like
an English person.
3. Some people are better
than others at learning
languages.
4. Confident people are
more successful at learning
languages than shy people.

4d. Compare the notes you wrote in exercise 4a. with the notes above. Are any of
your ideas the same as Dr Carsons ideas?
5a. Think about these questions then discuss your answers with a study partner.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

What is your main reason for learning English?

In what way is your language different from English?
What opportunities do you have to practice English in your spare time?
How do you personally prefer to study English?
What do you feel you are good at in English?
Can you think of ways to improve your weak points?

5b. Listen to the cassette. Eight people are describing how they record vocabulary.
6a. Word stress
Words can be divided into units called syllables. Say these words. How many
syllables are there in each word?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

au/to/ma/tic 4 syllables
electrician
conclusion
curl
marriage
apologized
interesting

One syllable in each usually sounds stronger than the other(s). This is the main syllable or
stressed syllable. It is said more loudly than the others. Sometimes the stressed syllable
also contains longer vowel sounds.
en-gi-neer

officer

vessel

na-vi-ga-tion

It is important to use the correct word stress. Your pronunciation could cause problems if
you stress the wrong syllable. Unlike some other languages, there are few fixed rules
about word stress in English.
1. stress patterns vary. The stress does not always fall on the same syllable in words of
several syllables.
di-a-logue

di-scus-sion

un-der-stand

2. stress pattern move. The stress pattern of a word may change if the part of speech
changes.
pre-fer

pre-fe-rence

pref-e-ren-tial

When you learn a new word it is important to note the stress pattern at the same time. The
rules for word stress in English have many exceptions. Here is a general pattern for two
syllable words.
In short, everyday words of two syllables, a common pattern is: stress on the first
syllable.
This pattern tends to apply to nouns and adjectives.
station
lifeboat

lifejacket
training

master
hundred

quiet
cargo

galley
language

6b. Odd one out.

Look at the table. One of the words in each line does not have the same stress pattern
as others. Say the words and circle the one which is different.
Stress pattern
second syllable
first syllable
second syllable
first syllable
third syllable
second syllable

anchor
purchase
expansion
photograph
transportation
consequently

rely
vessel
cinema
syllable
European
capacity

secure
bosun
aggressive
electric
apparently
certificate

exact
prepare
commercial
illustrate
unemployment
political

8. Planning your learning

In order to study effectively, it is useful to make a plan for yourself. Look at these
two examples.
1. Marco is a seafarer from Italy who is going to be at sea for the next four months on a
heavy lift vessel. Here is his study plan:
Areas to improve

-reading

Aim

-to practice reading quickly

Things to do

-dont stop reading to check every new word in the

dictionary: try to keep reading

Time

-try to read for at least 30 minutes a day

Ways of assessing
My improvement

-time how long it takes me to read the first three

pages of each short story
-write down the times in my note book

2. Kostas is from Greece and works on ro-ro vessels. Here is his study plan.
To learn more vocabulary I need to:
-read articles from magazines
-write down new words from these articles
-try to use the words every day
Now you make your own plan for learning English.

ANSWER KEY UNIT 1.

1b Tapescript
Sergey: I meet a lot of people at work who need to speak in English. As I usually work
on multinational crewed vessels, I get the chance to practice a lot. I dont mind speaking,
in fact its probably the easiest thing for me. However, I dont find reading manuals and
telexes easy. Im a very slow reader: it can take me ages to read a few pages of the ships
manuals when I know I should be quicker! Im trying to train myself to speed up because
its very important for my job. I practice by timing myself reading magazine articles as
quickly as possible and then writing down the main ideas. I now realize its possible to
understand an article without reading every word. As long as I get the main idea, its
usually enough.
Junichi: My main problem is not knowing enough words. I can usually speak to people
using easy words but I find it difficult to explain something complicated, especially if Im
reporting to a senior officer or to the office. Its difficult for me to remember vocabulary
unless its all connected to the same theme. I sometimes write down all the English words
I know connected to a particular subject. This makes it easier for me to remember them.
We studied a lot of grammar at the maritime college so thats probably my strong point.
Carlos: I know lots of words-we had to learn them at maritime college and had a test
every week-but I cant put them together to make long sentences! Its a bit embarrassing
for me to speak to people of this and I dont have much confidence. Also, I think that
when I do speak, Im probably saying the sounds wrongly. I want to sound very clear but
I think my accent is quite strong. To build up my confidence I record myself speaking
onto blank cassette: I describe my cabin or talk about my job or what I did yesterday.
Every now and again I read a short text out loud onto the cassette, then I listen to it. I can
often hear my mistakes. I record it again, trying to pronounce the words more correctly.
Boris: I have to be honest-grammar isnt my favourite subject! The most difficult thing
for me is the English tense system: I go, I will go, I will have gone, I had gone, I have
gonethe list appears to be endless. The only way I can improve my knowledge of
English tenses is to read magazine or newspaper articles from the ships library and
underline examples of the tenses used in context. I can then refer to these examples if I
get confused again. You see, I think reading is quite easy. I mainly read English
magazines about cars and motorcycles.
Hans: I studied a lot of grammar at school and then at marine college so that isnt much
of a problem. But when I listen to people speaking, I miss most of it. I never seem to
catch more than a few words. Why do people speak so fast? We had a visitor on the ship
just last week. I think he was from Glasgow. Nobody could understand a word he said1
Ive started watching more English films recently and listening to English songs, just to
get used to the sound of English. I hope this will help me understand what people say to
me.

Davide: I like speaking English. Actually I just like talking-in any language! The hardest
thing for me is definitely writing, especially writing anything more than a few sentences.
Letters-particularly business letters and telexes where you have to be so accurate are
difficult for me. It isnt always easy to just sit down and write a letter and get it right first
time so at the moment Im following the advice of one of my colleagues. He told me to
write the message out once and then write it again, making the improvements, and then
write it out again, with more adjustments, and so on until I was happy with the finished
version. I think this strategy is working and its very satisfying when I finally get it
right.
1c
specific
problem

solution

SERGEY
reads
slowly

times
himself
reading
short
articles
and
writes
down
main
points

JUNICHI
doesnt
know
enough
words

CARLOS
speaking
in
long
sentences
and
speaking
clearly
writes
records
down
himself
vocabulary speaking
according onto
a
to theme
blank
cassette

BORIS
tenses

HANS
DAVIDE
understanding writing
fast speech
business
letters
and
telexes

reads
short
articles
and
underlines
examples
of
the
tenses in
context

watching
English films
and listens to
English songs

writes the
message
several
times
until he is
satisfied
with the
finished
version

1d
1. (b) is not possible. Use the Present Continuous because the action is temporary.
2. (a) is not possible. Use the Present Simple because the action is repeatedly true.
3. (b) is not possible. The verb have is not used in the continuous form when it is used to
describe a state.
4. (b) is not possible. Know describes a state, not an action. It is therefore not used in the
continuous form.
5. (a) and (b) are both possible. Sentence (a) describes a habit. In sentence (b), always is
used with the continuous form of the verb to express an irritating habit.
1e
1. The Chief Engineer comes from Germany.
2. What are you doing just now? I am listening to the BBC but I dont understand
very much!
3. Where does your brother work? He usually works at Head Office but because the
company is moving to a new building, he is working from home at the moment.

4. Paul is a keen swimmer. He normally goes to the swimming pool every morning but
he isnt going this morning because it is closed.
5. The sun always sets in the west.
6. Hes so untidy! He is always leaving his clothes and books lying all over the cabin. It
really annoys me
7. Come over here and look at this. The sun is setting and the sky is an amazing
colour!
8. Is he watching the television? No, I think he is sleeping.
1g.
1. I sometimes write down all the words I know connected to a topic.
2. As long as I get the main idea, its usually enough.
3. He has often helped me in difficult situations.
4. I can normally understand people speaking on the telephone.
5. He talks to me in English every now and again.
6. I write to her once a month.
2a.
Dear Mr Schultz
Thank you for your letter of enquiry about vacancies with our company. Many seafarers
contact us every day but I am sorry to say that there are no opportunities for new staff at
the moment.
However, we always keep a register of seafarers who apply to our company. All
seafarers on the register have suitable qualifications and experience. If you would like to
be on our register, please send us full details of your experience and the names of two
referees. Make sure this include your full address and daytime telephone number as we
sometimes have to call people at short notice. We also require copies of your medical
certificates. If they are not up to date, please arrange a medical check-up. (Our seafarers
usually go to Doctor Pederson. He has a surgery at 18, Brenton Street.)
If our Crewing Manager decides that you are a suitable candidate, we will ask you to
come in for an interview.
Yours sincerely
Davide Manzoni

3a.
1. False
2. True
3. True
4. False

4c.
Yes/no/not necessarily
1. English is more difficult
to
learn
than
other
languages

not necessarily

2. To be good at English,
you must learn to sound like
an English person.

No

3. Some people are better

than others at learning
languages.

not necessarily

4. Confident people are

more successful at learning
languages than shy people

not necessarily

What does Dr Carson

think?
-First language has some
influence
-if motivated to learn
English, you are less likely
to worry about potential
difficulties
-most important thing is to
be understood
-foreign accents perfectly
acceptable nowadays
Better language learners:
-tend
to
look
for
opportunities to practice
-know what their strengths
and weaknesses are
-have a positive attitude to
learning
Success does not depend on
personality.
Success depends on your
ability:
-to recognize what you are
good at and poor at
-to work on improving your
weak points

5b tapescript
Speaker 1 Personally, I dont like writing things down. Im a bit lazy that way. So I
record myself saying new words onto a blank cassette and play them back to myself
several times. That way, I can remember them better.
Speaker 2 I need to memorise entire phrases for my job. I use a notebook and I write
down the phrases in English first. Next to each phrase, I write the translation in Spanishthats my own language.
Speaker 3 If I write the word on its own, I can never remember how to use it. So, I write
down the word, and then I write an example sentence with the new word in it. I try to
remember the whole example sentence. That helps me to remember the word.

Speaker 4 I like to write down words in groups connected to the same topic. If I cant
remember a word I look it up on that page. For example, I have a special page for fishing,
because thats my favourite pastime. And I have a special page for engineering words. I
need these for my job.
Speaker 5 I never have the time to look at my notebook after I have written new words in
it, so I write new words on pieces of card and carry them around in my pocket. The
English is on one side and my language is on the other. I take them out every now and
again and test myself. Its also more fun than reading my notebook.
Speaker 6 I write new words on bits of paper and pin them on my wall so I am forced to
look at them! It gets a bit messy but it definitely works because I can see the words all the
time. When I think I can remember them, I take down the pieces of paper and pin up some
new words.
Speaker 7 I try to write new words on a list. Instead of writing a translation in my own
language, I write an explanation of the meaning in English. It takes longer than usual but
when I am composing the English explanation, I am also thinking about the word, so it
helps me to remember it.
Speaker 8 Sometimes it is easier for me to draw a picture of what I want to remember.
Say, for example, you want to remember all the parts of a machine. You just draw the
machine and label the parts.