The maritime industry's evolving landscape has underscored the need for increased professionalism in response to the transformative changes brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4). Consequently, maritime-based universities in Malaysia have prioritised this demand by addressing the importance of specialized English language courses for maritime-specific communicative skills and tasks. This paper is a systematic literature review that overviews the emerging trends and recurring issues regarding English communicative competence within the field of maritime industry and the ESP realm. It also seeks to identify which communicative competencies that are essential for maritime graduate employability. Adhering to the PRISMA guidelines and using three separate databases, Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, and Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC), 130 articles from Year 2012 to 2024 were extracted, with several inclusion and exclusion criteria. In light of the findings, several key trends have been identified, which include an increasing emphasis on specialised maritime English training programmes and the incorporation of technology-enhanced tools in teaching and learning. In addition, this study revealed several core competencies that maritime graduates could benefit from to minimise communication breakdowns at the workplace. Practically, the review identifies significant research gaps, especially for ESP practitioners and industry stakeholders, to improve English professional communicative competence and address the evolving needs of maritime professionals.

Authors:
Anis Yasmin Md Shuhaimi, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
Nur Ehsan Mohd Said, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
Melor Md Yunus, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia

About the Presenter(s)
Anis Yasmin is a postgraduate student from University Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her thesis embraces developing a framework for English language courses focusing on professional communicative competence in maritime settings.

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/anis-yasmin-md-shuhaimi-a36809169

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