Job Discussion Forums

last time in china · Joined: 02 Dec 2009 Posts: 7

I am teaching at a uni here in China and next semester will teach six classes of English speaking culture to students going overseas. Three and a half of those classes' students are going to your very own Australia.

I am currently reading a book on Australian history and will be contacting your embassy to see if they can send out some of their finest propaganda for my students. If you have any information or sources you would like to share with me, and hence my students, I would greatly appreciate it. I am looking for stuff on everyday life, mostly, but whatever you'd like to add is fine. Forward your thesis on vegemite if you so desire!

EDIT:
Food: Either in general or stuff you know to be different from the US.
Housing: Are free-standing houses made of wood or masonry/concrete?
Sports: How popular are professional sports? Which ones are most popular?

If you don't reply, I'll tell my students that everyone drinks Foster's and that Australia is just like America, only smaller Mr. Green

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

I'm not Australian, but here are some things I have noticed about my Australian friends:

- They love making fun of New Zealand. An American guy, an Irish guy, a Canadian guy, and an English guy could all walk into a fish and chips shop and no one would really say much or get that excited. But if a Kiwi orders something they will shout to all the cooks in the back "Hey we got a Kiwi here!" and act similiar to what you can see many Chinese do when they come across a foreigner. They get all giddy and start asking them things like "What number comes after 5?" or "What kind of shop is this?"

- I can honestly say that I have never met an Aussie face to face who had something nice to say about America. (I'm not American so I do get to hear it all)

- "Hey mate!" is "Hey man!" Aussie English is distinct.

- Burger King in Australia is called "Hungry Jacks" but the menu is the same as Burger King in the rest of the world.

- There are no "Outback Steakhouses" in Australia.

- Salaries and rents are paid weekly.

That's all I can say, except for Foster's. Which I know they all enjoy.

jiangsu · Joined: 29 Sep 2009 Posts: 43

I have never been to Australia, but used to live in West London so it's close enough.

Aussies have a propensity to wear summer clothes anywhere, this would probably include Harbin in January, including 'thongs' (flip flops to the rest of us). This is a stereotype but is completely true. Those will probably be teamed with some shorts and a Manly Eagles 'footy' (rugby league to the rest of us) top.

zootown · Joined: 27 Nov 2009 Posts: 310

Australians love to make fun of everybody including themselves.

We have to be the most sarcastic race on earth.

Ahh there really is no Kangaroo's jumping around Sydney.But we love to tell people from other countries there are.

Seriously they have to learn Oral English better.

My niece who is studying at one of the top uni's here just cringes when they have to form groups to do assignments and one or two Chinese students are lumped in with them.She's not racist but as she says I don't have the time to teach them English.Why did they not learn it over in China or do a intensive oral english course here before starting Uni here.

The time wasted in explaining everything to them really p*** them off.

Tell your students to get a Aussie slang book and study it.

For example pinching someone else's business customers is not pinching the person with your two fingers somewhere on their body.

It took my niece half an hour to explain this to the Chinese students.

Actually I have seen some of the Chinese uni students written grammar here and it's got me beat how they passed the test.

The uni's here in Australia should have a meet and greet team who will pick them up at the Airport depends what uni's though.

Tell your students they will have no problem finding chinatowns both in Sydney or Melbourne.

RonHex · Joined: 10 Nov 2009 Posts: 243

jiangsu · Joined: 29 Sep 2009 Posts: 43

Tooheys is the beer you're thinking of, I think. VB is apparently popular as well.

Yeah, most Aussis I've met say Fosters is p*ss.

zootown · Joined: 27 Nov 2009 Posts: 310

Strangely enough we have alot of beer in Australia.

We also love wine and I say we have the best wine in the world.

Depends which state you are from can possibly determine which beer you drink.

Funny I went to a party last night and a Aussie was drinking a Chinese beer Tingstao or something wasn't to bad.

It's strange being back most people here are overweight (well compared to China)even the Chinese here are overweight.

All sporting events here are big.

My favorite is the Bathurst 1000 car race.

The biggest sporting event today in Australia was not even held here it was the Pipeline masters held in Hawaii.

Which Mick Fanning just won the world crown of surfing.

We just hate the Americans winning the world surfing Championships even though Kelly Slater is a legend.

YankeeDoodleDandy · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 2:42 am Post subject: Oz Land

Show them the film, Rabbit Proof Fences. It's good. Fifteen minutes of Crocodile Dundee. Music the the Bee Gees, Kyle, Men at Work or Men of Oil. Ned Kelly, The Thornbirds

last time in china · Joined: 02 Dec 2009 Posts: 7

Um, thanks everyone, though most of you are not actually from Australia. I could also wing it based on meeting Australians over the course of several years overseas and in my own homeland, but that would be much too Australian/Chinese of me Laughing

Only Whiner and I seem to get the joke about Foster's . . .

Zootown, pinching customers is not a uniquely Australian usage. Thanks for telling us about your niece and her frustrations with her Chinese classmates!

Appreciate more input, particularly from Australians who can stay on topic Shocked

Long live New Zealand!

jiangsu · Joined: 29 Sep 2009 Posts: 43

Like I said, I used to live in West London though (just near 'the Bush'), where there are more Australians than there are in Adelaide.

gregmcd101 · Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Posts: 144 Location: Ireland (for now)

I've done about 1000 class hours on Cultural background of various western countries including australia, where I lived for a year 2 decades ago. I always start with a little History - as a kind of foundation. There is usually a class on the local lingo 'gidday mate' and all that. I will show some footage, and have a class discussion on what it relates - try 'Neighbours' or Crocodile Dundee. Relationships with other Countries - Why don't aussies like poms? whats the deal with Kiwis? Sport and Music are good for a class each. Politics. Relationships within the country - why are Queenslanders considered nuts? Does anyone actually like NT people?. do they have any vestige of a class system? what is the philosophy of the people - what does 'fair go' actually mean in daily life what is the standing within the international community? how do other westerners perceive them? Eating and drinking habits. Local etiquette and mannerisms.

this year I have students also going to Australia after 2 years, but I am not doing CB with them - Business English - but i slip in a little of the above. As a result I get 'giddayed' about 1000 times a week - still, i guess it shows they remember something

JamesD · Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:19 am Post subject:

Do you think it's really proper to get into sexual practices? I mean it's pretty impolite to say something like that about the person you love. And would they really care if your mate is giddy or not?

gregmcd101 · Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Posts: 144 Location: Ireland (for now)

last time in china · Joined: 02 Dec 2009 Posts: 7

Thanks, gregmcd101. I've done this before, too. The problem is that unlike you I have not lived in Australia, or even been there for a day. I have lived overseas enough years to know that just bumping into Australians here and there isn't sufficient for me to go in the classroom and say whatever (though it would be sufficient for many). The questions you raised are interesting, but damned if I know the answers to any of the ones relating to Australia domestically.

Why don't Aussies like poms?
Does anyone? Just kidding! Is there some specific reason (other than wanting to be their own man, so to speak)?

What's the deal with Kiwis?
Is it just a US-Canada kind of thing or is there something else going on?

Sport and music are good for a class each.
I don't know the first thing about either in Australia, except that they also call soccer soccer Laughing

Politics.
Reading now.

Why are Queenslanders considered nuts?
My students are going to Brisbane!

Does anyone actually like NT people?
Their moms?

Do they have any vestige of a class system?
Do they, or do they say they do? Ha ha!

What does 'fair go' actually mean in daily life?
You tell me.

Eating and drinking habits. Local etiquette and mannerisms.
Love for some Aussies to post on these things at length! Or PM me.

I should mention again that this is not a class on Australia. I will have six classes. Three and a half will go to Oz, half to NZ, one to Canada, and one to the Netherlands (those other three nations will be the subjects of future posts). Actually, maybe not even half the students are going anywhere. It's a Chinese university, after all.

Anyway, they are all taking the same class called English speaking culture. Hence, they will learn about Britain, Ireland, and the US as well. That being said, I wish to slant each class a little towards its destination. Also, all six classes will be somewhat slanted since -- sorry -- I am not spending the same amount of time on Ireland and the US, or Britain and NZ.

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing