Training / Qualification; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
We parked at [the] gate in FLL. The nose signalman was new.  As I lined up on the j-line he began to wave his arms. None of the arm movements were recognizable as aircraft movement signal we use or that I have ever seen in my career anywhere in the world. When we finally got the aircraft into the gate the nose signalman use the release brakes signal to indicate the chocks were in.  To indicate the ground power was in the signalman pounded hard on the side of the aircraft but never stepped back to give a hand signal. Ground crew seemed unaware of the flight deck call button on the nose section of the aircraft.At the same time the right wing signalman did not have any lighted wands. To compensate for this he used some type of electronic device; which had a white light on it to indicate it was safe.  While I am glad he took the step to as least use something lighted; the station should have enough of the proper equipment for the ground crew.After the Jetway was pulled up to the aircraft; I had the Jetway operator step into the flight deck. I asked if she was a manager on duty. She was not; but I explained to her what had happened.  Her reply was that the crew was new and she would mention what happened to the manager.It is not uncommon for people to have a slight variation in their personal signal techniques.  However; these signals were so unrecognizable as to be dangerous. The signaler needed me to come to my left and started waving both arms overhead to the right.It appeared that the crew received inadequate training and they were unsupervised.
A319 Captain reported he observed the ground crew deviating from SOP during the aircraft parking procedure.