Navigating the Lived Experiences of English Instructors in a Maritime College

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of six language instructors teaching English at a specialized maritime institution in Negros Occidental during the Academic Year 2025–2026. Data gathered through semi-structured interviews were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis framework. The analysis yielded three major themes: Contextualized and Experiential English Instruction; Instructional and Institutional Challenges in Maritime Education; and Personal-Making and Teacher Identity. The findings reveal that maritime English instruction requires a fundamental shift from traditional pedagogy to immersive, hands-on strategies, such as role-playing, simulations, and the integration of nautical vocabulary to prepare future seafarers for high-stakes workplace communication and global safety standards. However, instructors face significant instructional and structural hurdles, including wide disparities in student language proficiency and baseline literacy, condensed curricula with reduced English course offerings, and rigid institutional and industry compliance standards. Despite these constraints, the study highlights deep professional resilience. Instructors continuously adapt their teaching modalities and increasingly view their roles not merely as a career, but as a purpose-driven calling and a transformative vocation. Ultimately, educators derive profound professional fulfillment from student success and personal growth. Based on these insights, the study recommends that administrators enhance faculty support systems, curriculum developers align instructional materials with evolving shipping industry realities, and future researchers expand the inquiry to include multi-institutional perspectives.

Maritime English, language instructors, lived experiences, phenomenological study, English instruction, maritime education, teacher identity

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