Types of Englishes and The Case of Maritime English: Some Insights

The role of English as a world language can be traced back to its formal role as dominant language of the British Empire, whereby Standard British English has diversified into numerous regional and local varieties of ‘new Englishes’. It is generally accepted that its role as an international lingua franca, is due on the one hand to the world-wide domination of North American technology and culture, and on the other hand to the fact that its basic grammar and core vocabulary can be relatively easily acquired by non-native speakers all over the world. Mary Snell Hornby (2000: 14) reports that “this latter factor is coupled with a structural flexibility in the language itself and a general policy of non-puristic openness among the English speaking cultural institutions”. Such an aspect led to the development of many regional varieties and has also paved the way for the use of English, not in its pristine form but as a common denominator for communication by non-native speakers around the globe. For instance, in the maritime setting the role of English is crucial since a poor command of it by professionals “may endanger human lives, pollute the marine environment or ruin an important commercial operation” (Bocanegra Valle 2010: 152). The paper is an attempt to make a theoretical overview of the role of English nowadays, analyzing some of its varieties and approaching to Maritime English as a fully-fledged type of ESP, arguing for its unique character since its teaching and learning as well as its research are based on international legal procedures.