Australians Teach English

In this episode I interview Miguel, co-owner of Lima Cantina in Perth, and massive foodie. We talk about his journey in the hospitality industry and how food, drinks and music have helped him learn, teach and share culture over time. Miguel, a Peruvian who moved to Spain in 2001, fell in love with the industry and eventually opened a tapas bar in Barcelona. He met his wife, Mel, in Barcelona, and...

You might remember Ashley Kalagian Blunt from the previous episode, “Down Under”. In this episode, I talk to Ashley about her academic work on the Armenian Genocide and genocides in general. In her novella, ‘My Name is Revenge’, she uses the tale of Simpson and His Donkey as a way of understanding different viewpoints of history. Given this week is ANZAC Day, I invited her on the show to talk abou...

It might seem that coming “down under” from “up over” would seem an easy transition for a fellow English speaker. Especially if that person is from Canada. After all, it’s just Australia with snow, right? But that’s not the case. When I was browsing my local library, I came across a fascinating book – How to be Australian. It is the best book I’ve read on culture shock, and it happens to be explai...

When people go to a kid’s party for the first time in Australia, they might be confronted with something called “fairy bread”. So, I thought I’d invite an expert on kids to the show, Erika Deery, to help explain some of these oddities. Erika is the author of several bilingual children's books featuring a character called Millie. While she is on the show to talk about this, we take the opportun...

Did Punk and Grunge originate in Australia? I’ll let you be the judge. But they certainly had their roots in Australia. Michael is my oldest friend, the creator of the music in my podcasts, and a muso. So, I invited him on the show to talk about one of our favourite themes – Australian music. We talk about the culture of Australian music and how sleepy towns like Perth and Brisbane have gone on to...

When people first arrive in Australia, one of the first locals they are likely to meet is the “Bin Chicken”. So, I invited the expert on ‘Bin Chickens’ to the show. John Martin became fascinated with the Ibis whilst studying “pest” species in Australia. And they are an incredibly interesting bird in urban ecology. In this episode, learn about the ‘Bin Chicken’, how they came to be known as such, a...

Earlier this year, Francisco starred in a short video that went viral. In it, he used a couple of classic Australianisms to say good-bye. So, naturally, being the last episode of the year, I invited him on the show to talk about it. Francisco reflects on his shock when first arriving in Australia and gives some great advice for others when arriving. I hope you enjoy this episode and it is hooroo f...

My brother Paul is fresh off competing in the green and gold, lifting stacks of weight and winning a world championship in powerlifting. You might remember him from a previous episode - heaps, so I thought it was an opportune time to talk about his recent achievement in lifting stacks. We talk about the different ways we can use the word stack or stacks and related terms. We also talk about his pr...

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 em...

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 w...

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 per...

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...

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, emphasisin...

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 group...

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...

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 favour...

If there is one band from Australia that you'll recognise, it's Acca Dacca. But you might not know that Acca Dacca is what we say instead of AC/DC. So, I invited Johnny from rocklatino.com.au  on the show to talk about this phenomenon and rock music in general. Johnny and I discuss the global popularity of AC/DC and its local significance in Australian rock music. I share my experience of...

In the second episode of this two part series, Liz Tynan and I discuss the controversies surrounding nuclear testing in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s, that still linger today. We also talk about the importance of media scrutiny and how that played a role in uncovering the disaster. We also talk about the growing movement and need for Australia to break free from its colonial past as a result. L...

If you hear the word, "Maralinga", you may well be confused. You may see Australians reacting with a mixture of embarassment, shame and regret. It is one of the darkest chapters in Australian history. You may not know that Australia has some of the most radioactive and contaminated sites in the world. It was the result of extensive and destructive nuclear testing in the 1950s and early 1...

There is lots of advice out there when it comes to living, working and staying in Australia, and some times you might get a bum steer. A lot of the advice might not be accurate, and actually detrimental to your goals if you plan on moving to Australia permanently. Especially if you are a professional. I thought I'd do my part and make sure that you don't get a bum steer when it comes to ad...

ANZAC Day is the most solemn and one of the most special days in the Australian and New Zealand calendar. And that's why I bring you this special episode. Our guest this week is carrying on the tradition of the ANZACs. But it's not someone you'd expect. I met Ronnie whilst playing cricket in Darwin. His brother, Rocky, is a gun cricketer, and asked if he could bring his brother down to...

I came across this week's guest because she could do a grouse Australian accent. Which was unusual because it's not often a seppo can actually do an Australian accent correctly. After finding out a bit more about Paula, I realised why she had this talent - she is an accent coach for actors and voice actors in video games and animations, specialising in training US based actors in these rol...

After a long day of work, or if you are just feeling lazy, and you can't be f*d cooking dinner, you may head down to the shops to pick up one of these - a bachelor's handbag. The bachelor's handbag is a very recent addition to Australian slang, and was one of the most popular contenders for Australian word of the year in 2022. For a while I had noticed that our guest Emilia Terzon, was...

One of the most common jobs people first get when they come to Australia is as a cleaner - or a job that involves cleaning. You may be asked to make things look schmick. In this episode, we talk with Sophia, who began her career as a cleaner when she came to Australia - and has now gone onto bigger and better things. We talk about expressions related to all things dirty and clean, and of course, s...

Welcome back to the Australians Teach English Podcast for 2024. We're feeling a little bit cocky, which is funny, because that's the name of this episode. You might have noticed that the mascot is a white bird - he's actually a cockie or cocky. So, I thought it was about time to do an episode on cockies. And who better to talk about cockies than the true cockie lady herself, Suzy from...