This week, the Thinking in English Community is exploring Australia in our conversation clubs!
Australia is one of the world’s major English-speaking countries, but it is often less familiar to learners than the UK or the USA. From its unique history and multicultural society to its accents, slang, and global influence, Australia offers a great topic for discussion and comparison.
This conversation club is inspired by recent Thinking in English episodes, including History of Australia and Why Australia is Funding a New Rugby Team in Papua New Guinea? These episodes help us think more deeply about Australia’s past, its role in the region, and its place in the English-speaking world today.
Here are 10 conversation questions to get you talking about Australia, English, and global culture!
The Thinking in English Conversation Club takes place every TUESDAY and THURSDAY at 12pm, 6pm, and 23pm UK time!
You can find more details on how to participate here!
Conversation Questions:
- When you hear “English-speaking country,” which countries do you think of first? Why?
- Have you ever been to Australia, or would you like to visit? Why or why not?
- What stereotypes do you have about Australia?
- Why do you think Australia attracts so many international students and immigrants?
- How do you imagine life in Australia compared to your country?
- Do you think Australian accents are easy or difficult to understand? Why?
- Have you heard any Australian slang or expressions?
- Should schools teach more global English examples, like Australian or Indian English?
- What questions would you like to ask an Australian?
- Make your own questions!
Vocabulary
- English-speaking country (n): A country where English is the main or official language.
- Stereotype (n): A fixed and oversimplified idea about a group of people or a place.
- International student (n): A student who studies in a country other than their own.
- Immigrant (n): A person who moves to another country to live there permanently.
- Attract (v): To make people interested in something or want to go somewhere.
- Accent (n): The way people pronounce words depending on where they are from.
- Slang (n): Very informal language used by a particular group or culture.
- Expression (n): A phrase or saying commonly used in a language.
- Global English (n): Different varieties of English used around the world, not only British or American.
- Compare (v): To look at similarities and differences between two things.
Resources
Conversation Club Times
12pm Conversation Club Around The World
- London, United Kingdom Tue/Thur at 12:00 GMT
- Mexico City, Mexico Tue/Thur at 06:00 CST
- Bogota, Colombia Tue/Thur at 07:00 COT
- Santiago, Chile Tue/Thur at 09:00 CLST
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Tue/Thur at 09:00 BRT
- Rome, Italy Tue/Thur at 13:00 CET
- Warsaw, Poland Tue/Thur at 13:00 CET
- Istanbul, Turkey Tue/Thur at 15:00 EEST
- Taipei, Taiwan Tue/Thur at 20:00 CST
- Tokyo, Japan Tue/Thur at 21:00 JST
18pm Conversation Club Around The World
- London, United Kingdom Tue/Thur at 18:00 GMT
- Mexico City, Mexico Tue/Thur at 12:00 CST
- Bogota, Colombia Tue/Thur at 13:00 COT
- Santiago, Chile Tue/Thur at 15:00 CLST
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Tue/Thur at 15:00 BRT
- Rome, Italy Tue/Thur at 19:00 CET
- Warsaw, Poland Tue/Thur at 19:00 CET
- Istanbul, Turkey Tue/Thur at 21:00 EEST
- Taipei, Taiwan Wed/Fri at 02:00 CST
- Tokyo, Japan Wed/Fri at 03:00 JST
23pm Conversation Club Around The World
- London, United Kingdom Wed/Fri at 23:00 GMT
- Mexico City, Mexico Tue/Thur at 17:00 CST
- Bogota, Colombia Tue/Thur at 18:00 COT
- Santiago, Chile Tue/Thur at 20:00 CLST
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Tue/Thur at 20:00 BRT
- Rome, Italy Wed/Fri at 00:00 CET
- Warsaw, Poland Wed, Wed/Fri at 00:00 CET
- Istanbul, Turkey Wed/Fri at 02:00 EEST
- Taipei, Taiwan Wed/Fri at 07:00 CST
- Tokyo, Japan Wed/Fri at 08:00 JST
Model Answers & Vocabulary
To help you prepare for the Thinking in English conversation club this week, I have created vocabulary lists and some model answers.
The model answers are split into intermediate, upper-intermediate, and advanced level responses. Hopefully this will give you an idea on the differences in quality between intermediate and advanced responses, and perhaps inspire your own answers to these questions!
B1 (Intermediate)
Model Answers
Vocabulary
B2 (Upper Intermediate)
Model Answers
Vocabulary
C1 (Advanced Level)
Model Answers
Vocabulary
See you all at this week’s conversation club!
How to Become a Patron?
Becoming a patron is a simple process. To join our community and access exclusive content and benefits, follow these easy steps
- Click on the “Become a Patron” button on our Patreon page.
- Select the tier that aligns with your language learning goals.
- Complete the registration process, which includes setting up your payment method.
- Once you’re a patron, you’ll gain immediate access to the benefits of your chosen tier.
Further Questions?
