Maritime English Proficiency's Impact on Safety Culture and Environmental Compliance in Indonesian Shipping in the Indonesian Shipping Fleet

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates the causal relationship between Maritime English proficiency and three critical outcomes in sustainable shipping: safety culture, environmental compliance, and multicultural crew integration within Indonesia's maritime fleet. Employing phenomenological inquiry with twelve purposively selected respondents—five maritime education lecturers, five active seafarers (deck and engineer officers), and two port state control masters—the research utilized semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and document analysis to examine communication challenges in operational contexts. Thematic analysis revealed four dominant patterns: procedural-conceptual gaps in MARPOL understanding, emergency communication breakdowns under stress, cultural-hierarchical barriers inhibiting safety reporting, and spontaneous multiliteracy compensation strategies. Findings demonstrate that current Maritime English curricula emphasize linguistic accuracy over pragmatic communicative competence, creating significant vulnerabilities in high-stakes operational scenarios. The study proposes a Three-Layered Communication Competence Model integrating linguistic foundation, pragmatic-multimodal competence, and cultural-operational integration. Results provide evidence-based recommendations for curriculum reform, authentic assessment development, and policy enhancement to strengthen Indonesian seafarers' communication effectiveness, thereby advancing maritime safety and environmental sustainability objectives.