I have been saddened lately by the large number of our fellow mariners coming to Fremont Maritime to learn vital safety and survival skills who have not successfully completed course work due to a basic lack of comprehension of either spoken or written english.

It is very important that you tell the registrar at the time you enroll that you cannot read, or understand the english language. We will make all reasonable accommodations to help you to succeed, however this will be on a case by case basis.

English has been adopted by the IMO, officially, as the language of the sea. STCW 95 requires that every mariner must have an adequate knowledge of it.

Effective communications are an essential ingredient to safe and efficient ship operations.

Communication can be achieved in many ways but the prime method for operational communications is through speech. And when in an operational situation such as berthing a ship or fighting a fire, it is vitally important that those involved can communicate effectively. The international community has chosen the English language as the medium for that communication and IMO has developed a standard vocabulary and the training tools to deliver it.