SUBJECTS: English
YEARS: 9–10
G'day cobber! Are you a true-blue, dinky-di Aussie?
Australian slang can be quite bewildering for anyone who is new to this country and even for those who've lived here quite a while.
In this clip Professor Kate Burridge explores how to use verbal and non-verbal language to explain difficult concepts.
Things to think about
- 1.What does the word 'colloquialism' mean? Create a word cloud or mind map of as many Australian colloquialisms as you can remember. How might you explain their meanings to a foreign visitor?
- 2.Describe the pace and pronunciation of Kate's speech. Describe Kate's tone of voice and facial expression as she begins each explanation. Note how and when these change, such as when she discusses Oxford definitions. Identify Kate's gestures when she says 'all downhill', lists 'L' words and explains 'bontoger'. Comment on her eye contact. Identify other verbal or non-verbal skills you notice Kate using.
- 3.How does Kate use non-verbal cues to enhance her explanations? Do you think they make her explanations clearer? Identify the verbal skills that make Kate's explanations so clear. Explain how Kate modulates her voice to engage her audience. Who do you think makes the better speaker: Kate or Peter? Justify your choice. Create a 'cheat sheet' identifying key pointers for clear explanations.
- 4.Research the origins of several Australian colloquialisms that you use or find interesting. Use the camera function on a smartphone or computer to film your own explanations for a new video dictionary of Australian slang. Use the skills you have identified to make your explanations as clear and engaging as possible.
Date of broadcast: 9 May 2008
Copyright
Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).