Diana Paez, a documentary filmmaker from Colombia, discusses her journey to Australia, where she studied filmmaking at Deakin University. She highlights her passion for docos and human stories, particularly around identity and migration. Diana's recent work, "Nuestras Voces," explores the lives of Spanish-speaking migrants in Australia from the 1960s to 1980s.

Diana emphasizes the importance of embracing accents and using them as a strength. She is currently working on a new doco focusing on migrant women and their experiences with accents.

We talk about how docos can be an extremely useful tool in learning language through being exposed to comprehensible input. If you would like a transcript for this episode, find all content and have a say in the creative process, think about becoming a patron: patreon.com/AustraliansTeachEnglish

Ella Sabljak is a two-time Paralympian, rose gold medal winner, educator, and proud representative of the green and gold amongst many other things. I invited her on the show to discuss her journey in wheelchair sports and to talk about her work to promote inclusivity in schools.

Ella shares her experience transitioning from wheelchair basketball to wheelchair rugby, highlighting her bronze medal win at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. She explains the unique aspects of wheelchair rugby, including its classification system and the bonus points for female players. Ella also discusses her role in promoting disability awareness and inclusion through education and her involvement with the World Anti-Doping Agency.

We also talk about how the "Green and Gold" came to be our national colours and what wearing these colours means to Ella. If you would like a transcript for this episode, find all content and have a say in the creative process, think about becoming a patron: patreon.com/AustraliansTeachEnglish

In this podcast I talk to Margo who is an expert at organising "dos". We talk about everything you need to know about the language for talking about and describing events in Australia.

Margo shares her story about how she came to be living in Australia, and specifically Adelaide, and her project in organising dos.

She offers great advice for people wanting to stay in Australia and pursuing the permanent residency pathway.

We also talk about how the word "do" can be used, and why it is so tricky for English learners. We offer some tips and tricks about how English learners can sound more natural by using the word do more regularly.

You can find Margo and her project at @mambo.adelaide and @scrts.au

If you would like a transcript for this episode, find all content and have a say in the creative process, think about becoming a patron: patreon.com/AustraliansTeachEnglish

One of my close mates and beer connoisseur, Ben, is a fellow Bestern Australian. He is also a product of the wheatbelt, so I thought it was about time he came on the show to talk about his people's shame in losing the "Emu Wars" to the mighty bush chooks.

Ben and I discuss the term "Bush Chook," which refers to an emu and the beer "Emu Export." We also explore the beer's history, its reputation, and its association with Western Australia. Ben and I also delve into the cultural and historical context of emus in the wheat belt, including the military's unsuccessful attempt to control them in the infamous "Emu Wars".

We talk about our experience with eating different bush foods and bush tucker, including bush chooks.

The conversation shifts to language learning, with Ben sharing his struggles to learn Estonian, his wife's language. We touch on the challenges of learning languages with unique sounds and the importance of cultural pride in preserving languages. The episode concludes with a light-hearted discussion about Australian slang and beer preferences. If you would like a transcript for this episode, get access to exclusive content, get express releases, and have a say in the creative process, or would just like to support the show, think about becoming a patron: patreon.com/AustraliansTeachEnglish

I had been following this galah for quite a while, due to our mutual love of Australian birds, and in particular, cockatoos. But it wasn't until I saw this galah making videos of crochet Olympic events that I knew what I would invite her on the show to talk about.

In this epsiode, Adele, known as cro with the flow on social media, shares her passion for crochet and Australian birds, emphasising the uniqueness of Australian wildlife. We talk about the term "galah," which in Australia is used to describe someone acting foolishly, and Adele clarifies that she embraces the term positively.

Adele explains her journey into crochet, starting from a corporate background in human resources, and how she developed her business.

We also talk about the differences between crochet and knitting and the process of creating crochet patterns and how it relates to language learning.

The etymology of the word crochet is discussed and how it relates to other terms in English. We also talk about how embracing your inner galah can help you learn language, and just about anything, really!

If you would like a transcript for this episode, get access to exclusive content, get express releases, and have a say in the creative process, or would just like to support the show, think about becoming a patron: patreon.com/AustraliansTeachEnglish

I see a lot of people who come to Australia and join groups, that seem to me, a little suss. So, I invited an expert on the show, someone who knows all about suss groups in Australia - Sarah Steel.

Sarah Steel is the host of the "Let's Talk About Sects" podcast, where she does a deep dive into suss groups, cults and sects. We discuss our personal experiences with cults and suss groups in Australia, highlighting the importance of recognising red flags and avoiding potential risks. We explore the psychological dynamics of cults, their relationship with religion, and the prevalence of cults in specific regions.

We also discuss common tactics employed by suspicious groups to isolate and control members, and the power and corrupting influence of religious groups in Australian politics.

We talk about language usage related to cults and how manipulative behaviour can be present in any teacher-student relationship.

Finally, we emphasise the importance of questioning language and behavior in religious and secular contexts to promote critical thinking and avoid manipulation.

If you would like a transcript for this episode, get access to exclusive content, get express releases, and have a say in the creative process, or would just like to support the show, think about becoming a patron: patreon.com/AustraliansTeachEnglish

I reckon it's always time for a cuppa - a nice warm drink and a bit of a chinwag. So, I invited my friend Lucas, from Materoo, on the show for a cuppa and a bit of a chat.

In this episode, we talk about the importance of drinking (non-alcoholic) culture in Australia and different places around the world. We talk about the cultural significance of tea, coffee and mate drinking in Australia and Argentina, respectively, as well as the niche market for Argentinean drinks in Australia. Lucas shares his experiences of introducing a mate related small business to Australia.

We also discuss the cultural etiquette and traditions related to drinking mate in Argentina and Australia, and explore the idiomatic expression 'cuppa' in English, examining its cultural significance and challenges of explaining and learning it. We highlight the opportunities for cultural exchange and entrepreneurship and the possibilities of using a cuppa as a way to improve your language skills.

Dependent propositions are also a difficult topic and we explain the use of "of" in this expression as well, which forms the "a" pronounciation in this expression.

So, get yourself a cuppa, and enoy the listen! If you would like a transcript for this episode, get access to exclusive content, get express releases, and have a say in the creative process, or would just like to support the show, think about becoming a patron: patreon.com/AustraliansTeachEnglish

Nearly 30 years ago, The Simpsons arrived in Australia, causing a bloody outrage. We were offended at how they portrayed our culture, but more importantly, how badly they tried to create Australian accents. As time has gone on, the Bart v Australia episode has become a source of national pride, especially amongst Simpsons fans in Australia.

To talk about this phenomenon, I invited one of my favourite Australian linguists and co-host of Lingthusiasm, on the show, Lauren Gawne.

Lauren and I discuss the portrayal of Australian accents in media, highlighting inaccuracies in The Simpsons and noting the informality and lack of respect for authority in Australian English. We talk about things that The Simpsons actually did get right and how this is part of how Australian English is viewed outside of Australia.

We also discuss cross-cultural politeness in language and how tolerance for profanity (for example "bloody") can be a hurdle for learners of Australian English and for Australians when learning other languages. I emphasize the importance of understanding intersections between linguistics and other areas of study, while Lauren stresses the value of intrinsic motivation in language learning.

There's all that and more and it's a bloody outrage I can't write it all here!

If you would like a transcript for this episode, get access to all content and have a say in the creative process, or would just like to support the show, think about becoming a patron: patreon.com/AustraliansTeachEnglish