So You Think You Understand English

So You Think You Understand English

There are many forms of English, but one that really takes some learning is true ‘Aussie’ English. I found this wonderful tongue in cheek test for new Australians in my old teaching file. How much of this can you understand? Australian Citizenship Test 1. Do you understand the meaning, but are unable to explain the origin of, the term ‘died in the arse’? 2. What is a ‘bloody little beauty’? 3. Are these terms related: ‘chuck a sickie’; ‘chuck a spaz’; ‘chuck a U-ey’? 4. Explain the following passage: ‘In the arvo last Chrissy, the relos rocked up for a barbie, some bevvies and a few snags. After a bit

Childhood Imagery

Childhood Imagery

As a follow up to my blog post about childhood memories, I just had to add another image that was burnt into my young brain. Living in a small country town meant I had no television. Except when I went to stay with my grandmother and grandfather in the city. I would sit and look at the test pattern for two hours, just waiting for a program to begin. Then listen intently as it was announced that Channel Seven operated on 107mhz and so on until the nation anthem played and the real television began. However, the image that is most powerfully etched in my brain is of sitting and

Branding A Child’s Brain

mother goose

I was intrigued recently by the concentration of a young child of four years old watching a DVD. The intensity of his gaze and the length of time that his attention was held was quite a contrast to the activity and tantrums that preceded the ninety minute DVD. I started to think that his little brain was being etched with these images, as he was staring so intently. Then I started to think about images that I have retained from my childhood, and the more I thought, the more images came to mind. Not from a DVD mind you, as there was no television for me, but from imagery that