Communicating in English as a Second Language Aboard a European Cruise Line: An Autoethnographic Sketch

Abstract

Working aboard an international cruise ship that travels to Europe is an exciting adventure with the many wonderful ports of call to visit, exquisite dining experiences, and a multitude of crew members who come from different countries. Because they have to serve foreign guests, crewmembers speak English frequently. This paper is an autoethnographic sketch of a pianist who works in an international cruise line and befriends a Polish musician who has English language issues such as inability to pronounce correct English words and phrases, excessive use of non-verbal cues in communication, and a generally low English comprehension level, but with an inquisitive spirit to learn the second language, the two communicators manage to foster a mutual understanding. Narratives are drawn from self-reflections, analyzed and interwoven as a self-culture assemblage of cross-cultural communication. Results of the study reveal that interpersonal communication hovers within diverse cultural settings despite certain language impediments, emphasizing that the English language as a second language spoken by both second language speakers tends to eliminate speech anxiety. European crew members mingling with multi-cultural individuals establish good interactive skills while fostering good relationships while they learn practical English in the exercise of their daily duties.