Podcast: A Presentation of Australian English

Varieties of English

A Presentation of Australian English

In this podcast, we meet David – 'an Aussie from Straya'– talking about his Australian accent. We also meet Anne Dahl, an associate professor at NTNU, Trondheim. The host of the podcast is Nicholas E...Vis mer

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Bilde: Thomas Nupen

Work with a partner or in a group. Discuss the questions and write down your answers in a shared document.

1. According to David, how can you hear where an Australian person comes from? Why are there so few dialects in Australia compared to other countries? What is the main difference between the dialects we find in Australia and the ones we have in Norway?

2. According to David, what are the distinguishing features of Australian pronunciation and intonation?

3. David states that Australian English ‘is not French’. What does he mean by that? And does Anne Dahl agree with his description of the accent? What is your opinion - does the Australian accent sound 'harsh' or 'friendly'?

4. Why was Steve Irwin important for spreading the Australian accent? How does David describe his accent? (If you don’t know who Steve Irwin was, watch this video: Link to Interview with Steve Irwin (youtube.com).

5. Australian English uses a lot of diminutives and shortenings. Comment on David and Anne’s theories about where they come from and why they have become such an important feature of Australian English.

6. Anne Dahl says that the Australian English language hasn't changed much compared to other accents of English. Why not?

1. Australian English and New Zealand English can sound somewhat similar to the untrained ear, but there are differences between the two accents.
   
   Find out what the main difference between New Zealand English and Australian English are.
   
   Here are some useful sources:
   Australian/New Zealand English (helpresentdayenglish.fandom.com)
   
   Speaking New Zealand English (naumainz.studyinnewzealand.govt.nz)
   
   Share your findings in class.
   

2. Australian Aboriginal English is a dialect of Australian English used by a large section of the Indigenous Australian population.
   
   Find out more about Australian Aboriginal English and identify some of the distinguishing features of AAE. Also, explain how AAE has influenced Australian English.
   
   Here are some useful sources:
   What is Aboriginal English? (abc.net.au)
   What is Aboriginal English like, and how would you recognise it? (ab-ed.nesa.nsw.edu.au)Aboriginal words in Australian English (creativespirits.info)
   
   Share your findings in class

Make a Kahoot or another form of quiz where the topic is Australian diminutives and shortening of words.

Link to Kahoot (kahoot.com)
Link to Wikiwand's list of Australian diminutives (wikiwand.com)