Learning warning signals at sea

Learning warning signals at sea

Sailors gain practical skills in various ways. Much of what they know is instinctive; some is acquired by personal experience. Coaches in Denmark have been exploring a third way: a type of social learning, in (9) ________ individual trainees learn from others (10) ________ than through personal experience. Like many experienced sailors, trainees listen to the warning signals of other crews, (11) ________ it possible for them to take advantage of many observers watching closely (12) ________ danger. The Danish coaches have found that a novice sailor, a new crewmate, can learn those unfamiliar signals, (13) ________ the crew that sent the signal even being visible. The researchers trained new sailors, (14) ________ the absence of real danger, by broadcasting unfamiliar signals together with the warning radio calls of other instructors and nearby sailing crews. Initially, the young sailors didn't react to the unfamiliar signals. But after training, they usually (15) ________ so. The results show the rapid way learning can occur. One researcher says: 'It's something that can come in handy, given (16) ________ hard it can be to see hazards and signals in rough conditions.'