Australian Language and Culture

The Australian population is made up of people from many cultural backgrounds. Our multiculturalism is both a demographic fact and a political ideal. Demographically, more than a quarter of all Australian citizens and residents were born overseas, while the Australian multicultural ideal means that we aim to foster a positive attitude to cultural diversity.

English is the basic language of official communication. But the Australian 'variety' of spoken English may be a little hard to understand at first, if your pre-arrival English courses were based on the English which is spoken in India, Malaysia or Singapore, Africa, America or Britain. Some newcomers say that Australians speak with their lips tightly shut. That is not strictly true, of course, but it does take some international students a few weeks or months to get used to the Australian version of English.

Another aspect of the Australian use of English is the enjoyment of a little joke. The humour of a word play, or a gentle irony, is generally intended as a means of showing 'mateship' and friendliness, but it can easily appear to be the opposite. Humour is very hard to understand when you are in a new environment and don't know quite what to expect. This can leave the newcomer feeling 'left out'. However, in general, it is not the intention to upset the visitor. On the contrary, a joke is often an attempt to 'break the ice' and a sign of good will.

However, the multicultural ideal of Australians also means that people from language backgrounds other than English are encouraged to keep and develop their home languages. These are a valuable resource for people who remain, and help their children to become, bi-lingual or multi-lingual. Because of our multicultural population, there are, of course, many Australians who speak English with different accents, influenced by the sounds of their home languages. This is in addition to the varieties of English spoken by people from countries such as the United States or Scotland, Ireland or many others where English is the first or a major language. For international students, then, there are many different accents to get used to, and this means that we must not be shy about asking for clarification when a person's speech is hard to follow!

In general, Australians tend to be 'easy-going' about communication. Most people are not likely to 'correct' a person's English, unless they are specifically asked to do so. There is also a very casual style of addressing people, which may come as a surprise to newcomers from other cultures. For example, many lecturers prefer to be called by their given name, rather than by their title of Professor, Dr, Ms or Mr. However, most will accept that this is hard to get used to for students whose culture demands a respectful and 'distant' form of address. The thing to remember is that if you wish to remain formal, it is your choice, but you need to use the title of Professor, Dr, Ms or Mr with the surname of the person. In English we never use the title with the given name.

In general, the Australian cultures have combined to produce a mix of friendly and relaxed attitudes. But some Australians can be a little shy, too, especially when they are afraid that they may not understand a person because of their accent. But with goodwill on both sides, international and local students and staff often become very good friends.  We welcome you and invite you to be part of our multicultural land!

Ursula McGowan
Deputy Director, 
Centre for Learning and Professional Development
University of Adelaide