What are the differences between British English and Australian English?

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AlonzoPartriz
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What are the differences between British English and Australian English?

Post by AlonzoPartriz »

I have been offered a new client, but they would prefer an Australian teacher. This got me wondering: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?
I know a fair bit about the differences between US and UK English, but I can't ever remember reading anything about comparisons with Australian English.

Do the Australians use UK or US spelling in the main?
Do they favour American idioms and slang, or British ones etc?
Do Australians in general understand English or American visitors better?
Etc
Any links to comprehensive articles someone can recommend​ are very much appreciated.
TIA
See crook!!!
Jilted John
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Re: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?

Post by Jilted John »

They must have a penchant for the criminal slang. I would lean towards the guttural peasant way of speaking combined with a loud and obnoxious manner. Crudeness, thickness and an ability to bluff weakly but pseudo convincingly is a must for authenticity.

A natural ability to bullshit would help you sell your services to one who erroneously believes australian speak is desired anywhere but there. Take the money and smile.
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hatchelt
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Re: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?

Post by hatchelt »

Jilted John wrote: Fri Jun 30, 2017 9:26 pm They must have a penchant for the criminal slang. I would lean towards the guttural peasant way of speaking combined with a loud and obnoxious manner. Crudeness, thickness and an ability to bluff weakly but pseudo convincingly is a must for authenticity.

A natural ability to bullshit would help you sell your services to one who erroneously believes australian speak is desired anywhere but there. Take the money and smile.
LOL, John's user name checks out :D
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Username Taken
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Re: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?

Post by Username Taken »

AlonzoPartriz wrote: Fri Jun 30, 2017 8:36 pm I have been offered a new client, but they would prefer an Australian teacher. This got me wondering: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?
I know a fair bit about the differences between US and UK English, but I can't ever remember reading anything about comparisons with Australian English.

Do the Australians use UK or US spelling in the main?
Do they favour American idioms and slang, or British ones etc?
Do Australians in general understand English or American visitors better?
Etc
Any links to comprehensive articles someone can recommend​ are very much appreciated.
TIA
Give the client what they want.
No point learning from British or Americans if the student is moving to Australia (to study, work, whatever).

I know one Khmer guy (adult) who has been studying with an Australian teacher for several years, when you hear him speak you would believe he grew up in Oz, yet he has never been outside Cambodia.

To answer your questions:
Australians learn British English.
They would be familiar with both British and American slang/idioms because they hear it on TV and youtube.
Due to the diversity of nationalities in Australia, they can understand most anybody. The down side is that because they can understand many accents, they instinctively assume that everyone else can understand them. :plus1:

Sorry no links to comprehensive or other articles.
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Jamie_Lambo
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Re: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?

Post by Jamie_Lambo »

Username Taken wrote: Fri Jun 30, 2017 9:43 pm
AlonzoPartriz wrote: Fri Jun 30, 2017 8:36 pm I have been offered a new client, but they would prefer an Australian teacher. This got me wondering: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?
I know a fair bit about the differences between US and UK English, but I can't ever remember reading anything about comparisons with Australian English.

Do the Australians use UK or US spelling in the main?
Do they favour American idioms and slang, or British ones etc?
Do Australians in general understand English or American visitors better?
Etc
Any links to comprehensive articles someone can recommend​ are very much appreciated.
TIA
Give the client what they want.
No point learning from British or Americans if the student is moving to Australia (to study, work, whatever).

I know one Khmer guy (adult) who has been studying with an Australian teacher for several years, when you hear him speak you would believe he grew up in Oz, yet he has never been outside Cambodia.

To answer your questions:
Australians learn British English.
They would be familiar with both British and American slang/idioms because they hear it on TV and youtube.
Due to the diversity of nationalities in Australia, they can understand most anybody. The down side is that because they can understand many accents, they instinctively assume that everyone else can understand them. :plus1:

Sorry no links to comprehensive or other articles.
Australians struggle with my british accent, but then again, even people frum darn sarff o' gods own cuntry struggle wi' it :plus1:

i think the main difference between British English and Australian English is that the Aussys put an -o on the endo ofo everythingo
:tophat: Mean Dtuk Mean Trei, Mean Loy Mean Srey
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AndyKK
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Re: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?

Post by AndyKK »

Some struggle with a bit of broad Yorkshire too, even the southern Brits. :)
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John Bingham
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Re: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?

Post by John Bingham »

Username Taken wrote: Fri Jun 30, 2017 9:43 pm The down side is that because they can understand many accents, they instinctively assume that everyone else can understand them.
That's brilliant! To be fair though, that goes for all sorts of nationals. I lived with a bunch of Scots for a good while, had a lot of Welsh mates, Jamaicans and small islanders, loonies from Merseyside, did business with Pikeys and all sorts of people from all over. So I can understand a lot of dialects. The most difficult I find is the northern Irish accent.
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Barang chgout
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Re: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?

Post by Barang chgout »

Two words. Fuck and cunt.

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hanno
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Re: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?

Post by hanno »

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Re: What are the differences between British English and Australian English?

Post by Kung-fu Hillbilly »

I'm an Australian who has become Americanized in my way of spelling as my O.C.D. doesn't allow for red squiggly misspelled error lines when I type.
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