PraC-MARENG Project Commenced!

Co-ordinated by shipping and logistics company LAM France, in conjunction with the EC’s Erasmus + programme, PraC-MARENG (Practical and Communication Based Maritime English project), was launched in France on 22 November 2019. A number of participants from local, national and international maritime authorities, organisations, professional bodies, policymakers, suppliers, maritime press and end-users joined the opening reception.

Ms. Zeynep Aslan, from LAM France made an opening speech and led the schedule of the opening ceremony. Mr. Stephan Salvetat, general director of LAM France made a warm welcome speech. Mr. Slavetat, from LAM FRANCE (FR), Mr. Ugurcan Acar, from Maritime Innovators (TR), Mr. Yalçın Kuzören, from Tuzla Governorship (TR), Mr. Tomaz Gregoric from Spinaker (Slovenia), Ms. Indrė Mickevičiūtė from Lithuanian Maritime Academy (Lithuania), Ms. Corina Varsami and Mr. Alexandru Micu from Constanta Maritime University. Mr. Ugurcan Acar made an overview presentation about the background, aims and the outputs of the project. The opening ceremony ended with an open-buffet to make networking and collaboration with the representatives from maritime industry.

Partners continued the programme with internal meeting on the first and second day of the meeting discussing the tasks covering for the first 6 months of the project. A visit to Marseille Port later on was conducted by the partners and observations made for the project.

The project will aim to improve seafarers’ understanding of Maritime English, in order to reduce the number of onboard accidents caused by poor communication. Development of the e-learning course will take two years with the effective training courses in Marseilles beginning in 2021. The multi-nation programme is designed to enhance seafarers’ understanding and practice of the English language as 40% of accidents are linked to inadequate understanding between seafarers on board the same ship and unsatisfactory standards of communication between crews and land.