English for Port Staff

Introduction

English for Port Staff is an online course, consisting of 56 units of English, and providing approximately 60 hours of study for students.

Course aims

To give students at Intermediate, CEFR B1/Upper Intermediate B2 level practice in general and business-oriented language required for business contexts at this level, specifically tailored towards the specialisation of working in a port. The course blends grammatical structures necessary for this level, with vocabulary, reading, listening, writing, speaking and pronunciation.

Граматика

  • Use present and past tenses correctly
  • Use the appropriate conditional forms to talk about situations and consequences.
  • Use the present perfect to describe a link between past and present events.
  • Use going to and will to talk about future predictions and intentions.
  • Use the passive form correctly
  • Distinguish and be able to correctly describe countable and uncountable nouns.

Речник

  • By the end of the course students will have learnt approximately 120 expressions used in ports.

Skills

  • By the end of the course students will have had exposure to and practice in reading and hearing formal and informal English from a variety of accents and port contexts.

Unit summary

Module 1

  • Introduction to Ports and Shipping: 
  • Grammar: Present tenses
  • Речник: Basic terminologies related to ports and ships
  • Четене: The history and evolution of ports
  • Слушане: An interview with a port manager about the daily operations of a port
  • Писане: Describing a typical day at the port
  • Говорене: Introducing yourself and explaining one’s role at the port
  • Pronunciation: Anxious and Chess + connected speech

Module 2

  • Cargo Handling and Equipment:
  • Граматика: Past tenses
  • Речник: Types of cargo, equipment used, and safety terms
  • Четене: The evolution of cargo handling techniques
  • Слушане: Safety instructions during cargo operations
  • Писане: Preparing a safety checklist for cargo handling
  • Говорене: Discussing the challenges and solutions of cargo handling
  • Pronunciation: Beats and Beach + connected speech

Module 3

  • Port Safety and Regulations:
  • Граматика: Going to and Will
  • Речник: Safety procedures, regulations, and equipment
  • Четене: An article on international port safety standards
  • Слушане: A briefing on emergency response procedures
  • Писане: Drafting a report on a mock safety drill
  • Говорене: Enforcing safety measures among colleagues
  • Pronunciation: Bet and But + connected speech

Module 4

  • Ship Communications:
  • Граматика: Present perfect
  • Речник: Nautical terms, communication tools, and protocols
  • Четене: The significance of clear communication on ships and ports
  • Слушане: Radio communication between a ship and port control
  • Писане: Composing a ship-to-shore message
  • Говорене: Maritime communication problems
  • Pronunciation: Bud and Bird + connected speech

Module 5

  • Customs and Documentation:
  • Граматика: Countable and uncountable nouns
  • Речник: Custom clearance terms, types of documents
  • Четене: Overview of the customs clearance process
  • Слушане: A conversation between a customs officer and ship captain
  • Писане: Filling out a sample customs declaration form
  • Говорене: Dealing with customs officials
  • Pronunciation: Cart and Cut + connected speech

Module 6

  • Port Infrastructure and Maintenance:
  • Граматика: First conditional
  • Речник: Types of facilities, maintenance terms
  • Четене: Article on the importance of port infrastructure
  • Слушане: A maintenance team discussing repair priorities
  • Писане: Preparing a maintenance request form
  • Говорене: The challenges of maintaining a busy port
  • Pronunciation: Day and Ray + connected speech

Module 7

  • Maritime Logistics:
  • Граматика: Passive
  • Речник: Supply chain terms, transportation modes
  • Четене: How logistics plays a crucial role in port operations
  • Слушане: A logistics manager explaining the flow of goods
  • Писане: Drafting a logistics plan for incoming cargo
  • Говорене: How to optimise logistics operations
  • Pronunciation: Guess and Yes + connected speech

Module 8

  • Environment and Sustainability:
  • Граматика: Second conditional
  • Речник: Environmental terms, sustainability practices
  • Четене: The role of ports in environmental conservation
  • Слушане: A seminar on sustainable port operations
  • Писане: Proposing eco-friendly measures for the port
  • Говорене: Best practices for sustainability among peers
  • Pronunciation: Hope and Hop + connected speech

Follow-up

  • Students completing the English for Port Staff course should feel confident in tackling any upper intermediate course, including our Upper Intermediate Business Power course.