The Effect of English Language Proficiency on Cadets’ Port Documentation Completion During Maritime Internships

Abstract

English language proficiency is important in maritime workplace communication because cadets need to understand maritime terminology, document-related instructions, and relevant information when completing operational documentation during internships. This study aimed to examine the relationship between English language proficiency and port documentation completion among maritime cadets during internships. A quantitative explanatory design was employed with 45 cadets from Akademi Ketatalaksanaan Pelayaran Niaga Bahtera who were undertaking or had completed internships in shipping and maritime-related workplaces. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of eight items measuring English language proficiency and six items measuring port documentation completion. Both instruments demonstrated high internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.939 and 0.947, respectively. Simple linear regression revealed a strong and statistically significant positive relationship between English language proficiency and port documentation completion (R = 0.836, R² = 0.699, p < .001). The R² indicates that 69.9% of the variance in port documentation completion scores was statistically explained by English language proficiency within the study sample and regression model. The finding suggests that stronger English language proficiency is associated with better completion of port documentation tasks during maritime internships. These findings support task-oriented Maritime English instruction and authentic documentation exercises in cadet internship preparation.