Oz Talk Manual

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AELC
OZ TALK MANUAL
© Commonwealth of Australia
First printed 1994
Reprinted 2010
Foreword
The Australian English Language Course (AELC) is designed for use, by language schools
and teachers, in teaching Australian English to students who are to undertake training in
Australia. Under the Defence Co-operation Program, service personnel and civilians in
Defence-related appointments from regional countries undertake training and courses at
Australian Defence Force (ADF) units and selected civilian institutions.
Australian English is now recognised as a distinct form of English - in many ways quite
different from British and American English. Students who are unfamiliar with Australian
English and who are undergoing training in Australia for the first time may experience some
difficulty with the Australian accent as well as the frequent use of slang and idiom. The
Australian Department of Defence has, therefore, undertaken the production of a course of
Australian English for foreign students which will allow potential trainees to understand and
use Australian English.
The Australian English Language Course consists of three parts, known as the Initial,
Intermediate, and Specialist Phases. The Oz Talk video series form part of the
Intermediate Phase materials.
Work on developing the AELC format has been undertaken at the Defence International
Training Centre (DITC) located at RAAF Williams, Laverton, Victoria. The school has
responsibility for conducting an Australian Military Familiarisation Course (AUSTFAMIL)
designed to familiarise overseas students with Australian life in general and military life in
particular, and to provide opportunities for them to experience Australian English before
undertaking specialist courses elsewhere in Australia. The Centre also conducts an English
Teaching Development Course (ETDC) for overseas English language instructors, and
an Advanced Australian English Course (AAELC) for senior officers proceeding to staff
colleges.
i
ii
Preface
The Oz Talk Manual accompanies the Oz Talk video. The Manual contains worksheets for
students, answers for both students and teachers, transcripts for reference, and a glossary of
idiomatic language and culturally specific information.
Teachers may choose to photocopy exercises from the “Worksheets” section, or to provide
copies of the book to students in a lesson. There is a variety of exercise-types and any or
all worksheets may be used for each video segment. Teachers may choose to modify some
exercises, depending on the level of their students, or to create extra exercises of their own.
Generally speaking, there is an exercise to precede the viewing of all video segments.
“Focus” questions are designed to channel the attention of students to listen for specific
information. “Awareness” questions are designed to stimulate interest in the particular topic
of a video segment. Generally speaking, all units conclude with “Discussion” questions,
which are designed to facilitate conversation about life in Australia.
Language in the Oz Talk video is everyday, spoken Australian English. This is often the area
where overseas students in Australia find difficulty. To complete all the worksheets, students
will need to see each video segment, or parts of a segment, several times. By repeatedly
listening to the sounds of Australian speech in this video, students will become more familiar
with the Australian accent and some of the idiom.
iii
iv
Authors & Acknowledgements
The following materials were developed during 1/94 Australian English Language Course
(AELC) Workshop at the Defence International Training Centre (DITC) located at RAAF
Williams, Laverton, Victoria.
Contributions were made by all participants in the workshop. Participants were from
Indonesia (COL Werdyantoro and MAJ Satiyah), from Malaysia (MAJ Mohammad Bin
Salleh and MAJ Abdul Jalil Bin Hj Salleh), from Thailand (WGCDR Ing-Orn
Nedtranon, LCDR Taksina Isarabhakdi and LCDR Sureewan Vannapinij) and from the
Philippines (Ms Erma Acaylar).
Staff at DITC also developed exercises and helped in the final editing. Contributions were
made by Mr Richard Colebrook, Ms Sue Gilbert, Mr Paul Mahony, Mr Robert Parbs, Ms
Anne Taib, Ms Kris Wellings and Ms Sylvia Wheeler. Desktop publishing was done by Ms
Linda Moloney.
Video production was co-ordinated by the Central Photographic Establishment (CPE), and
special thanks are due to SGT Rob Mackenzie, CPL Darryl Burney, LAC Gavin Barnett and
LAC Chris Child, as well as to Mr Bob Spackman for support and liaison with DITC.
The eight actors in the video are listed below in alphabetical order:
Ms Kate Brinson (as Sue Martin)

Ms Sri Pudjiarti Dean (as Sri Harrison)
FLTLT Claire Forbes (as Anna Wendt)
Mr Steve Lyon (as Tom Harrison)
Mr Greg Parker (as Bob Martin)
LTCOL Alan Pembshaw (as Ken Richards)
Mr Rodney Sharpe (as Peter Harrison)
FLTLT Julie White (as Judy Harrison)
Published: 1994
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Table of Contents
FOREWORD i
PREFACE iii
AUTHORS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v
Section I : Worksheets 1
Unit 1 1.1 Greetings................................................................................... 3

1.2 Greetings................................................................................... 5
1.3 Greetings................................................................................... 6
1.4 Greetings................................................................................... 8
1.5 Greetings................................................................................... 9
Unit 2 Work and daily routine.............................................................. 11
Unit 3 Dramas in the workplace........................................................... 17
Unit 4 Ways of making a crust............................................................. 21
Unit 5 Single life: Sharing a house....................................................... 25
Unit 6 Owning your own home............................................................ 27
Unit 7 The bilingual family.................................................................. 31
Unit 8 Party fare................................................................................... 37
Unit 9 Favourite TV programs............................................................. 43
Unit 10 Holidays in Indonesia................................................................ 49
Section 2 : Answers 55
Unit 1 1.1 Greetings................................................................................... 57

1.2 Greetings................................................................................... 59
1.3 Greetings................................................................................... 60
1.4 Greetings................................................................................... 62
1.5 Greetings................................................................................... 63
Unit 8 Party fare................................................................................... 99
vii
Section 3 : Transcripts 119
Unit 1 1.1 Greetings................................................................................... 121

1.2 Greetings................................................................................... 122
1.3 Greetings................................................................................... 123
1.4 Greetings................................................................................... 124
1.5 Greetings................................................................................... 125
Unit 8 Party fare................................................................................... 145
Section 4 : Glossary 157
Unit 1 1.1 Greetings................................................................................... 159

1.2 Greetings................................................................................... 160
1.3 Greetings................................................................................... 161
1.4 Greetings................................................................................... 161
1.5 Greetings................................................................................... 161
Unit 8 Party fare................................................................................... 175
viii
Section I Worksheets
Page 1
Page 2 Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet
GREETINGS 1
1.1
a Focus questions.
Read the following questions before watching the video. Listen for the answers and
write them in the space provided.
1. When Tom answers the door, who does he greet?
2. There are three people in this scene. What are their names?
3. Who is Sri?
Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet Page 3

b Comprehension questions.
1. Where do the two guests live?
2. Who is at the party when the guests arrive?
3. What do you know about Bob and Sue’s family?
c Cloze exercise.
TOM: Bob! Sue! Glad you could it.
SUE: Hi! I thought we be late. It’s a of a way
from Laverton.
TOM: No, no, you’re the first here. You got a ,
OK?
SUE: Oh, yeah. At the last minute.
BOB: Yeah. A friend of Sue’s from work. She all right.
So, things?
TOM: Really, good, good. Let me your coats. Sri’s
out dips somewhere. (calling) Sri! Look who’s here!
SRI: Yes, . I’m coming.

1.2
a Comprehension questions.
1. What are the names of the two people in the video?
2. Who does Peter want to see at the party?
3. What do you think the relationship between Peter and Anna could be?

1.3
1. What’s the weather like?
2. How does Judy feel?
3. How does Sri look, according to Judy?
4. What is the name of Sri’s child?
5. What does Judy mean when she says “time flies”?

b Cloze exercise.
SRI: Oh, hi, Judy! Come in!
JUDY: Hi, Sri.
SRI: you could come.
JUDY: How are you?
SRI: Oh, come inside. It’s outside. Oh, so how have you
been?
JUDY: Oh, really good. tired, but you’re looking terrific.
SRI: Oh, thanks. I’m glad you see me after John was
born.
JUDY: Oh, how long was that? Eighteen months?
SRI: No, nearly two!
JUDY: Really! , time flies, doesn’t it?
SRI: Yes. And things with you?
JUDY: Oh, good. Busy, busy, busy.

1.4
1. Who are the two people in this scene?
2. Who is Peter?
3. What expressions do the people use to greet each other?

1.5
1. When did Ken and Tom last see each other?
2. Has Ken been busy?
3. Why do you think Ken chooses Fosters beer?
b Cloze exercise.
TOM: be Kenny.
KEN: Hi, mate! How’s it goin’?
TOM: Yeah, good. Long time, no see! you been, Kenny?
KEN: Oh, not too bad. bloody flat out.
TOM: Yeah, right! Now, it be? Tooheys Blue or a
Fosters, mate.
KEN: Oh, have a Fosters.
TOM: Yeah, on the hard .
KEN: Can’t the light stuff yet.

c Using standard English.
Re-write the dialogue, with the abbreviations in full, and the colloquial language in
standard English.
Tom:
Ken:
Tom:
Ken:
Tom:
Ken:
Tom:
Ken:

WORK AND
DAILY ROUTINE 2
a Completing a form.
NAME: Anna
OCCUPATION:
PLACE OF WORK: Amadio’s in Carlton
TYPE OF WORK:
4 days on
start at until
2 nights on
start at until
WORKING HOURS:

b Sequencing information.
In what order are the following points mentioned?
Sue tells Anna that she is a trained hairdresser.
Anna says when she finishes on Saturday nights.
Sue wants to know how long Anna’s shifts are.
Anna says that she works for someone else.
Anna tells Sue that tonight is her night off.
Anna says that the restaurant is named after the owner.

c True or False.
Put T or F in the box to indicate True or False for the following statements.
1. Anna is a chef.
2. Anna works regular hours.
3. The shifts are at least eight hours.
4. Anna finishes day shifts by four in the afternoon.
5. The restaurant is open every night for dinner.
6. The owner of the restaurant is Italian.
7. Sue’s parents babysit for Bob and Sue.
8. Sue drops the children off at school on her way to work.
9. Sue is a qualified hairdresser.
10. Anna is not drinking alcohol because she’s driving the car.
d Topics of conversation.
What topics are discussed by Sue and Anna? Make a list.

e Finding missing information.
Complete this advertisement for Amadio’s restaurant.
Amadio’s
BYO & Licensed Restaurant
EEE
All major credit cards accepted
Specialising
in
& cuisine,
open 7 days for & dinner
206 Lygon St. Carlton,

8884567
f Completing a form.
What do we know about Sue? Watch the video and complete the form below.
Name: -
Sex: -
Age: -
Marital Status: - single / / divorced /

widowed / separated
Dependents’ Names: -
Work Status: -

g Discussion questions.
Discuss the following cultural issues in pairs or small groups.
1. What can you guess about Anne and Sue’s life in Australia from this dialogue?
2. Restaurants, especially those selling ethnic food, are very popular in Australia.
What do you think working conditions are like in restaurants in Australia?
3. Discuss the advantages/disadvantages of shift work.
4. In Australia, mothers of young children commonly work? How does Sue

manage family and work pressures?

DRAMAS IN
THE WORKPLACE 3
a Listening for information.

Which of the following problems are mentioned in the dialogue? Put a next to the
topics mentioned.
1. Working long weeks, including on a Sunday
2. Someone stealing a car
3. Drinking or taking medication to relieve stress from overworking
4. A friend attempting suicide
5. Being frightened of taking the wrong medication
6. Being threatened by a criminal after a bank robbery
7. Having difficulty dealing with the people who come into the
police station
8. Tom being injured by a broken bottle
9. A cutback to the number of car parking spaces at the university

b True or False.
1. Judy doesn’t mind working on Sundays.
2. Andrew tried to find a suitable assistant but was unable to

find one.
3. Judy urged Andrew to recruit another helper.
4. Judy is one of Andrew’s employees.
5. Tom is now working in the Navy.
6. According to Sri, it is easier to deal with people in the Navy

than the general public.
7. Tom likes to deal with domestic disputes.
8. Sri works for the Police.
9. Judy teaches Indonesian as a part-time job.
10. Sri is quite satisfied with her work.

c Cloze exercise.
Fill in the gaps with the expressions below.
yy he’d done his sums

yy we’re flat out
yy I put my foot down
yy hitting the whisky bottle
yy he’s a bit of a workaholic
yy he knows his stuff
yy a bit grumpy
yy I have a vote
SRI: ...well, thanks for the advice, Judy. One, one never really knows about
any of these people.
JUDY: No, Jay Waterman’s OK. He gives the appearance of being
, but he’s really good
SRI: Mm, mm. How are things at your practice, anyway?
JUDY: Oh, the usual problems. Andrew won’t employ another person so
. about
Sunday, though. I said to him, “Look, if there’s one thing I
value more than anything now that I’m living on my own, it’s being
able to sleep in on Sunday morning.” Can let him open up the clinic
on Sunday if he wants to. I don’t need it.
SRI: But, ah, didn’t, didn’t he say that he’d get someone extra in?

JUDY: Well, that was before and found out
how much it’d cost. I said to him, “Look Andrew, we’re partners in
this and I say that , too. And I think
that it’s worth the extra money. I don’t want to see us both
or having to
take Valium simply because we’re so overworked and stressed out.”
SRI: Mm, mm. Well
, isn’t he?
d Discovering meaning.
Discuss the meaning of the following expressions.
yy a bit grumpy
yy stressed out
yy a workaholic
yy domestics
yy live in the real world
e Discussion questions.
1. What social problems are identified in this dialogue?
2. The speed of change in modem society means that people have to adapt
quickly to many new pressures. What are some of these changes?

WAYS OF
MAKING A CRUST 4
What do we know about Ken? Watch the video and complete the form below.
Name: - Ken
Sex: -
Occupation: -
No. of employees: -
Hobby: -
Name of spouse: -
Occupation of spouse:

Listen to Peter discussing his work. In what order are the following jobs mentioned?
repairing video players & TVs
working in the Army Reserves
delivering pizzas
driving a taxi
c True or False.
1. Peter didn’t like living in Double Bay.
2. Peter had several jobs while he was in Sydney.
3. Peter left his video-repairing job the day after pay day.
4. Peter doesn’t own his cab in Melbourne.
5. Peter would like to start a video repair business.
6. Ken is a boss.
7. Ken’s wife helps him in keeping the accounts.
8. Ken doesn’t need cash.
9. Maria is a nurse.
10. Peter is an outdoors type.

d Discussion question.
Discuss the following cultural issue in pairs or small groups.
In Australia it is common to hear of people who have changed their job a number of
times during their working life. What does this dialogue tell you about employees
and employers, and working conditions in Australia?

SINGLE LIFE:
SHARING A HOUSE 5
a Focus question.
Read the following question before watching the video. Discuss your answer when
you have finished watching the video.
What is the topic of this conversation?
A flatmate took some money from the kitty to pay for his computer repairs
Judy discusses sharing a house with four students
Keeping an account book for money which has been spent
The service station got robbed
Putting your own name on your packets of food
Arguing about how much things cost

c Ozzie slang.
Using the context in the video, guess the meaning of the following slang
expressions.
1. “to bludge off someone”

(When Judy and her friends ran out of money for food she says they had to
“bludge off friends for the weekend.”)
2. “being broke”
(“...none of us had any money. We were broke because we didn’t get our
student allowances until the Thursday.”)
3. “a druggie”/“getting nabbed”
(“Oh, no, he was a druggie. In fact, he got nabbed a couple of weeks later
trying to rob somebody else.”)
4. “having hassles”
(“Yeah, we’ve had hassles with our kitty.”)
5. “not fronting for something”

(“We’ve had problems with that, you know. People don’t front for meals that
they say they’ll be there for.”)
d Discussion questions.
1. What does this dialogue tell us about how some young, unmarried Australians
live?
2. What problems do people sometimes have when they share houses?
3. Where do people in your culture live if they are studying/working away from
their families?
4. What problems do young people in your culture have? Are they similar
problems to those identified in this dialogue?

OWNING YOUR
OWN HOME 6
a Awareness questions.
Read the following questions before watching the video. Discuss in pairs or small
groups.
1. Where do you live?
2. What kind of accommodation is it? (e.g. house, flat, condominium, dormitory,

barracks, etc.)
3. Do you own a house?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of your present accommodation?

b Listening for information.
Watch the video and circle the place names you hear.
Melbourne and Suburbs
Eltham
Essendon
City
Armadale
Elwood Elsternwick
Altona
East Malvern
Port Phillip Bay
c Completing a table.
Peter and Tom discuss the advantages and advantages of living in different suburbs.
Watch the video and complete the table below.
Living in: Advantages Disadvantages
Eltham
Elwood

d Guided conversation.
Compare and contrast buying property in Elwood and Eltham. Use your notes from
exercise c. Comment on where you would prefer to live and why.
e Comprehension questions.
1. Why are house prices in Eltham not so cheap these days?
2. How much would a cheap block of land cost?
3. What kind of house could be bought for about $140 000 or $150 000?
4. How do Sydney prices for real estate compare with the prices in Melbourne?
5. What has prompted Peter to think about buying a house?
6. Where is Elwood?
7. Why would Elwood be a good place to buy a flat?
8. How does Eltham compare to Elwood?

9. Why did Peter walk to work the other day?
10. What is Tom’s job?
f Discussion question.
Many Australians think it is important to own their own home. What does this
dialogue tell us about how some Australians view home ownership?

THE BILINGUAL
FAMILY 7
groups.
1. How many languages do you speak?
2. What are the first words children usually say in your language?
3. How old were you when you started learning English or your second
language?
4. Which language was easier to learn, your first or second? Why?
5. What have you noticed about the way children start to use language?
6. How is that similar to or different from the way you are learning English?

1. How old was Bob’s son when he started talking?
2. What expression does Bob use when describing how talkative Kylie was?
3. Whose son is John?
4. Who is Emma’s father?
5. What is Bob’s explanation of John’s late development in speaking?
6. Why has Tom not made a big effort to improve his Indonesian?
7. For how long did Bob study German?
8. Which one of the speakers has been to Indonesia?

c Identifying the speaker.
Look at these quotes from the video. Identify who is speaking, Tom or Bob.
1. Kylie was the real talker. You know, she was talking six words to the
dozen by the time she was two.
Speaker:
2. How old is he now? Two?
Speaker:
3. Kids at that age, that are learning two languages, you know, sometimes
take a little bit longer.
Speaker:
4. I’m not much of a language learner.
Speaker:
5. I reckon once you’re twelve, you know, it’s really difficult to learn
another language.
Speaker:
6. I felt like a real fool because she started rambling off in German at me
and I didn’t understand a word she said.
Speaker:
7. Sri was able to get things happening by talking to the locals.
Speaker:
8. It’s a little touristy now, but we had a good time anyway.
Speaker:

d Completing a table.
Tom and Bob are talking about what their children can say in English. Watch the
video and try to complete the table below.
Child Age What could he/she say?
Kylie years old
Jason
and a bit Sri seems to think
until well over two wasn’t

1. How common is it in your culture for young members of the family to learn
to speak more than one language at the same time? Do you think this affects
language development?
2. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of learning a second
or other language at a young age? Do adults learn as quickly and as effectively
as young children?
3. What advice would you give to Tom if he told you his son John was two and a
bit and doesn’t seem to be talking enough for his age?

PARTY FARE
8
a Focus questions.
Read the following questions before watching the video. Discuss your answers when
1. What sort of party snacks are popular at this party?
2. What party food do Sri and Sue discuss?
3. Do you think it is it polite to ask the host or hostess for the recipe of a dish you
like?

b Completing a recipe.
Recipe for Dip

Ingredients
one packet French Onion mix
sour cream
cup
chives
Method
1. Mix and .
2. for about minutes.
3. Add chopped .
c Comprehension questions.
a. List the ingredients of satay sauce discussed by Sue and Sri.
b. Why doesn’t Sue like using shrimp paste (trassi)?
c. Why does Sri like shrimp paste?
d. What does Sue mean when she says, ‘I’ll give it a go.’

d Words and meanings.
Which words in the video match the descriptions in the table below?
Name Description
a. a fritter containing sweet corn
b. a fish paste used for cooking
c. a sauce with peanuts or peanut butter
d. a salad with a peanut sauce
e Identifying the speaker.

Look at these quotes from the video. Identify who is speaking, Sri or Sue.
a. ‘Well, Indonesia doesn’t have that many dips as such.

It’s more like, ah, sauces to go over food.’
b. ‘Gosh, it is simple. I mean, but, how do you make it?’
c. ‘Oh, well, well. It’s scrumptious. Does it, um, have that coconut
milk in it?’
d. ‘...give it a go. You won’t be sorry.’
e. ‘...we have a salad, a kind of salad we call gado-gado.’

f cloze exercise.
Below is a summary of the dialogue between Sue and Sri. Fill in the gaps.
Sue comments on the that Sri has made for the party.
Sri says that tend to use which go over
food, rather than dips. Sue asks Sri for the of the dip
which accompanies the pergedel. Pergedel means . The
recipe for the dip includes , which is the
last ingredient to be added.
Sri also talks about sauce which is usually made with
fresh in Indonesia. Sri also gives the recipe for satay sauce
and says that it has shrimp in it. Sue says that the
satay sauce tastes , but she was always
to use trassi at home because Bob did not like the .
Sri says that trassi gives Indonesian food an
taste, and that it is one of the most ingredients in
Indonesian cooking.

1. After watching Oz Talk what kind of food/drinks would you expect to be

offered at an Australian party?
2. When Australians have parties usually a range of snacks or “finger foods” are
offered and guests can help themselves. What kinds of biscuits/vegetables do
you think would be suitable to offer with dips?
3. In Australia you might be invited to either formal or informal social occasions.

People may be asked directly by the host or may be given an invitation in
writing. In both circumstances the guest needs to reply to the invitation and
needs to indicate whether or not they intend to accept the invitation. It is
considered polite to ask the host/hostess if you can “bring anything”.
a. A barbecue (BBQ)
What might you expect to eat at an Australian BBQ?

Do you think a BBQ is a formal or informal occasion?
What time of the day would a BBQ usually be held?
Is it always at the host’s home?
What would the guests be wearing?
What might the guests be asked to “bring with them”?
b. A party
What might you expect to eat at an Australian party?

Is a party a formal or informal occasion?
What time of the day would a party usually be held?
c. A dinner-party
What might you expect to eat at an Australian dinner party?

Is a dinner party a formal or informal occasion?
What time of the day would a dinner party usually be held?

FAVOURITE TV
PROGRAMS 9
groups.
1. Which sports are people mad about in your country? Do you think these sports
are too rough or violent?
2. Do you have TV shows that are more popular with men than with women?
Discuss the reasons for this.
3. Do you think there is too much violence on TV?
4. Describe one TV program you like. Give reasons.

b Identifying the speaker.
Who holds the following opinions, Sue or Ken?
1. Football is a man’s game.
2. Oprah Winfrey’s shows have lots of weirdo guests.
3. Melbourne people are football mad.
4. People like sensation on TV.
5. Football shows have arguments about the players and teams.
6. News and current affairs are better for children to watch than cartoons.
7. The good movies are screened at the one time.
8. Thrillers contain violence.

1. List three reasons why Sue doesn’t like TV football shows.
a.
b.
c.
2. List TV programs watched in Sue’s family
3. Sue doesn’t like violence. What example does she give of a bad influence on
children?
4. What does Ken mean when he says, ‘There are football shows and football
shows’?

Complete the table about the Oprah Winfrey show Sue saw.
Time of day
Participants
Topic discussed
Sue’s opinion of the show

e Language in context.
Complete the following sentences with the most appropriate word or expression
provided.
sport mad -- crazy about sport, like sport a lot

boy’s club -- men only group
bird (colloquial) -- female
weird (colloquial) -- unusual character
ratings -- a level on a scale which indicates the popularity
of a TV program
to skyrocket -- to rise rapidly
punch-up -- a fight
test pattern -- a pattern shown when there is no program
to drag on -- to pass with uninteresting slowness
What gets me is... -- It surprises me that...
Example: If a show is slow and dull, it drags on .
a. People who play sport a lot are
b. People who are unusual are
c. A group that does not welcome women is a
d. A fight is a
e. A TV show which becomes popular quickly has good

f Discussion questions.
1. What do we learn in this section about the way some Australians spend their
leisure time?
2. The way people spend their leisure time in Australia depends on a number of
different factors. What do you think these factors are?

HOLIDAYS IN
INDONESIA 10
groups.
1. What are some popular holiday destinations in your country?
2. Do people like to travel to other countries? Where do they often go? What
holiday activities do they enjoy?
3. Have you ever had the ‘travel bug’? Why do you think some people love
travelling?
4. Discuss a holiday you have enjoyed.

Draw a line on the map showing, in order, the places Sri suggests Bob should visit.
Chiang Mai Vientianne PACIFIC OCEAN

Rangoon Manila
THAILAND LAOS
Bangkok
PHILIPPINES
VIETNAM
CAMBODIA
Phnom
Penh Ho Chi Minh City
(Saigon)
South China Sea
BRUNEI
M A L A Y S I A
Kuala Lumpur
SINGAPORE EQUATOR
Java Sea
Banda Sea
I N D O N E S I A
Jakarta
Jogjakarta
Bali
INDIAN OCEAN
Timor Sea
AUSTRALIA

Fill in information about the trip discussed by Sue and Bob.
Bob and Sue’s trip
Names of people travelling
Places they may visit
Things to do in Jogjakarta
Things to do in Jakarta
Airline package includes
Direct flights to Indonesia from

Melbourne available?
Length of visit

d True or False.
1. Bob and Sue intend touring South-east Asia.
2. Bob and Sue will take their kids with them.
3. Borobudur is near Jakarta.
4. Bob and Sue will spend two or three days in Jakarta.
5. “Dunia Fantasia” is popular with kids.
6. QANTAS holiday packages include accommodation, meal

vouchers and hotel transfers.
7. Sri says QANTAS holiday packages offer the best value.
8. Sri suggests both Jakarta and Singapore are good for shopping.
9. Bob and Sue are also considering a visit to Thailand.
10. Sue wants to take a course in Indonesian during their stay.

Complete the conversation below with words and expressions from the following list
yy Half your luck!
yy A bit of leave to take.
yy You’ve got the travel bug.
yy You can fit in a trip to Singapore.
yy I’ll get back to you.
Sri: I wish I could go on a trip like that, Bob. .
Unfortunately I don’t have any I can
at the moment. We haven’t had a holiday for two years now.
Bob: We’ve been going overseas every year for the past three years now.
It’s so exciting to see new places and experience different ways of
life. We’ve really got, .
Sri: Next year we might go back to Indonesia again. We’ll visit our
relatives and friends. And, if there’s time, we hope to
a quick visit to our friends in Sydney on the way. They asked us to
stay for a few days but we said we’d to them after
we’d decided how much we could .

1. Working Australians have the legal right to at least twenty days paid holiday
per year. Generally Australians like to enjoy their holidays and may choose to
take their holidays either within Australia or abroad. What do we understand
from this section about the factors that influence the holiday destinations
chosen by Australians such as Bob and Sue?
2. What popular holiday destinations do you know of within Australia?
3. What popular holiday destinations do Australians visit in your country?

Section 2 Answers
Page 55
Page 56 Oz Talk Section 2 - Answers
GREETINGS I
1.1
a Focus questions.
Read the following questions before watching the video. Listen for the answers and
write them in the space provided.
1. When Tom answers the door, who does he greet?
Bob and Sue
2. There are three people in this scene. What are their names?
Tom, Bob and Sue
3. Who is Sri?
Tom’s wife / girlfriend / partner
Oz Talk Section 2 - Answers Page 57

1. Where do the two guests live?
In Laverton
2. Who is at the party when the guests arrive?
No guests. Tom’s wife Sri is there.
3. What do you know about Bob and Sue’s family?
They have a baby or babies or young children and have to hire a
babysitter to look after her/him/them.
c Cloze exercise.
TOM: Bob! Sue! Glad you could make it.
SUE: Hi! I thought we might be late. It’s a hell of a way
from Laverton.
TOM: No, no, you’re the first ones here. You got a babysitter ,
OK?
BOB: Yeah. A friend of Sue’s from work. She seems all right.
So, how’s things?
TOM: Really, good, good. Let me take your coats. Sri’s
putting out dips
somewhere. (calling) Sri! Look who’s here!
SRI: Yes, darling . I’m coming.

1.2
1. What are the names of the two people in the video?
Sri and Peter
2. Who does Peter want to see at the party?
Anna
3. What do you think the relationship between Peter and Anna could be?
Friends / boyfriend and girlfriend who might get married.

1.3
1. What’s the weather like?
Chilly
2. How does Judy feel?
Really good but a bit tired.
3. How does Sri look, according to Judy?
Terrific
4. What is the name of Sri’s child?
John
5. What does Judy mean when she says “time flies”?
Time passes quickly

b Cloze exercise.
JUDY: Hi, Sri.
SRI: Nice you could come.
JUDY: How are you?
SRI: Oh, come inside. It’s chilly outside. Oh, so how have you
been?
JUDY: Oh, really good. Bit tired, but you’re looking terrific.
SRI: Oh, thanks. I’m glad you didn’t see me after John was
born.
JUDY: Oh, how long ago was that? Eighteen months?
JUDY: Really! Gee , time flies, doesn’t it?
SRI: Yes. And how’re things with you?

1.4
1. Who are the two people in this scene?
Tom and Anna
2. Who is Peter?
Friend of Anna / Tom’s brother
3. What expressions do the people use to greet each other?
Hi / pleased to meet you / nice to meet you

1.5
1. When did Ken and Tom last see each other?
A long time ago
2. Has Ken been busy?
Yes, working flat out
3. Why do you think Ken chooses Fosters beer?
Ken prefers full-strength beer, which he calls “the hard stuff”.
b Cloze exercise.
TOM: That’ll be Kenny.
TOM: Yeah, good. Long time, no see! How’ve you been, Kenny?
KEN: Oh, not too bad. Workin’ bloody flat out.
TOM: Yeah, right! Now, what’ll it be? Tooheys Blue or a Fosters, mate.
KEN: Oh, I’ll have a Fosters.
TOM: Yeah, on the hard stuff .
KEN: Can’t hack the light stuff yet.

c Using standard English.
Re-write the dialogue, with the abbreviations in full, and the colloquial language in
standard English.
TOM: That will be Kenny.
KEN: Hi, mate! How are you ?
TOM: Yeah, good. Long time, no see! How have you been, Kenny?
KEN: Oh, not too bad. I have been working very hard.
TOM: Yes , right! Now, what would you like to drink?
Tooheys Blue or a Fosters, mate.
KEN: Oh, I will have a Fosters.
TOM: Yes, on full-strength beer.
KEN: I cannot bear to drink low alcohol beer yet.

WORK AND
DAILY ROUTINE 2
NAME: Anna
OCCUPATION: Assistant Chef
PLACE OF WORK: Amadio’s restaurant in Carlton
TYPE OF WORK: Shift work
4 days on lunch shift
start at 8 am until 4 pm
2 nights on evening shift
start at 4 pm until 12 pm
WORKING HOURS: About 50 hours a week (about 8 hours a shift)

6 Sue tells Anna that she is a trained hairdresser.
4 Anna says when she finishes on Saturday nights.
3 Sue wants to know how long Anna’s shifts are.
1 Anna says that she works for someone else.
2 Anna tells Sue that tonight is her night off.
5 Anna says that the restaurant is named after the owner.

c True or False.
1. Anna is a chef. F
False. She is an assistant chef.
2. Anna works regular hours. F

False. She works shift-work.
3. The shifts are at least eight hours. T

True. The shifts are about eight hours, or even more.
4. Anna finishes day shifts by four in the afternoon. F

False. Day shifts should finish at four, but Anna always
stays to make late dessert orders.
5. The restaurant is open every night for dinner. T

True. It’s open seven days a week.
6. The owner of the restaurant is Italian. T

True. Amadio is an Italian name.
7. Sue’s parents babysit for Bob and Sue. F

False. They use Bob’s parents.
8. Sue drops the children off at school on her way to work. T

True. She drops them off before going to work
(which is probably on her own way to work).
9. Sue is a qualified hairdresser. T

True. She is a trained hairdresser.
10. Anna is not drinking alcohol because she’s driving the car. T
True. She gives the reason for choosing coke as
“I’ve got to drive home”.

d Topics of conversation.
What topics are discussed by Sue and Anna? Make a list.
-- Anna’s job
-- her position
-- her shifts
-- her working hours
-- Amadio’s
-- its operating hours

-- its location
-- its name
-- its type of food
-- Sue’s family
-- her children, their ages

-- the babysitting arrangements
-- Sue’s job
-- her salary
-- her working hours
-- her daily routine

e Finding missing information.
Complete this advertisement for Amadio’s restaurant.
Amadio’s
BYO & Licensed Restaurant
EEE
All major credit cards accepted
Specialising
in
Italian & Continental cuisine,
open 7 days for lunch & dinner
206 Lygon St. Carlton,

8884567
Licensed = has a government license to sell alcoholic beverages on the premises

BYO = customers may bring their own drinks with them to the
restaurant (BYO = Bring Your Own)
f Completing a form.
What do we know about Sue? Watch the video and complete the form below.
Name: - Sue
Sex: - female
Age: - maybe early 30s
Marital Status: - single / married / divorced /

widowed / separated
Dependents’ Names: - Kylie (4) - daughter

Jason (6) - son
Work Status: - trained hairdresser

works part time (9am-2.30pm)

1. What can you guess about Anne and Sue’s life in Australia from this dialogue?
yy females work as chefs in restaurants

yy work in restaurants is shift work (up to 50 hours per week)
yy some parents don’t plan to take their children with them when
they go to restaurants
yy mothers often work part time for extra money
2. Restaurants, especially those selling ethnic food, are very popular in Australia.
What do you think working conditions are like in restaurants in Australia?
yy long hours (a normal working week in Australia is between 37 &

40 hours per week)
yy shift work (for Anna) involves 4 days on lunch hours and 2 days
on evening hours
yy people do not work 7 days per week unless self-employed
yy large restaurants are not usually family owned and run
businesses
3. Discuss the advantages/disadvantages of shift work.
yy split days are tiring (sometimes a late evening shift will be

followed by a early morning shift: depending on working
conditions. Extra hours, weekend work and evening hours may
attract a higher rate or pay
yy some people like to work hours which enable them to spend more
time with their children (two parents share the responsibilities of
child minding) as they work opposing hours and so don’t have to
pay for childcare

4. In Australia, mothers of young children commonly work. How does Sue
manage family and work pressures?
yy Sue has busy mornings. Her husband leaves at 7.30 am. She gets
the children ready and drops them off at school/kindergarten
before her work starts at 9.00 am
yy Sue works part time (9.00 am - 2.30 pm) so she can pick her
children up after school finishes
yy Both children go to educational centres, so she is available to
work during these hours
yy On Sundays Sue’s parents-in-law are willing to babysit/look after
the kids so Sue and Bob can occasionally get out to a restaurant
together

DRAMAS IN
THE WORKPLACE 3
a Listening for information.

Which of the following problems are mentioned in the dialogue? Put a next to the
topics mentioned.
1. Working long weeks, including on a Sunday 

2. Someone stealing a car
3. Drinking or taking medication to relieve stress from overworking 

4. A friend attempting suicide 
5. Being frightened of taking the wrong medication
6. Being threatened by a criminal after a bank robbery 

7. Having difficulty dealing with the people who come into the 
police station.
8. Tom being injured by a broken bottle
9. A cutback to the number of car parking spaces at the university

b True or False.
1. Judy doesn’t mind working on Sundays. F

False. Judy likes to sleep in on Sundays.
2. Andrew tried to find a suitable assistant but was unable to F

find one.
False. Andrew did not want to hire an extra person
because of the cost.
3. Judy urged Andrew to recruit another helper. T

True. Judy tried to convince Andrew on the basis that
she was an equal partner in the business and that
it was worth the extra money.
4. Judy is one of Andrew’s employees. F

False. Judy claims that she is a partner in the business.
5. Tom is now working in the Navy. F

False. Tom is now working in the Police.
He used to work in the Navy.
6. According to Sri, it is easier to deal with people in the Navy T

than the general public.
True. Sri indicates that some of the general public are
very difficult to deal with.
7. Tom likes to deal with domestic disputes. F

False. Domestic disputes upset Tom more than
anything else.
8. Sri works for the Police. F

False. Sri is an academic.
9. Judy teaches Indonesian as a part-time job. F

False. Judy works in a medical practice.
Sri is the one who teaches Indonesian.
10. Sri is quite satisfied with her work. T

True. Sri indicates that she likes her world, even
if Tom says that academics don’t live in the
real world.

c Cloze exercise.
Fill in the gaps with the expressions below.
yy he’d done his sums

yy we’re flat out
yy I put my foot down
yy he’s a bit of a workaholic
yy a bit grumpy
yy I have a vote
SRI: ...well, thanks for the advice, Judy. One, one never really knows about
any of these people.
JUDY: No, Jay Waterman’s OK. He gives the appearance of being
a bit grumpy , but he’s really good he knows
his stuff .
JUDY: Oh, the usual problems. Andrew won’t employ another person so
we’re flat out . I put my foot down about
Sunday, though. I said to him, “Look, if there’s one thing I
value more than anything now that I’m living on my own, it’s being
able to sleep in on Sunday morning.” Can let him open up the clinic
on Sunday if he wants to. I don’t need it.

JUDY: Well, that was before he’d done his sums and found out
how much it’d cost. I said to him, “Look Andrew, we’re partners in
this and I say that I have a vote , too. And I think
that it’s worth the extra money. I don’t want to see us both
hitting the whiskey bottle or having to
take Valium simply because we’re so overworked and stressed out.”
SRI: Mm, mm. Well he’s a bit of a workaholic , isn’t he?
d Discovering meaning.
Discuss the meaning of the following expressions.
yy a bit grumpy
a bit angry / in a bad mood

He is knowledgeable about his field/area of expertise

drinking heavily
yy stressed out
very anxious about everything / at breaking point
yy a workaholic
a person who can’t stop working
yy domestics
domestic disputes / arguments at home
yy live in the real world

live in a socially acceptable way / lead a ‘normal’ life

1. What social problems are identified in this dialogue?
yy workaholics
yy overwork and suffering stress
yy a doctor attempting suicide after being charged with negligence
as a result of giving the wrong medication
yy criminals (a bankrobber who threatened the doctor after she told
him to go to the hospital for an x-ray)
yy domestic disputes (violence between couples) and police getting
caught up in the violence
yy cutbacks (in spending) on education and school staff getting
angry as a result
yy (vandals) damaging cars in the university carpark
2. The speed of change in modem society means that people have to adapt
quickly to many new pressures. What are some of these changes?
yy political changes
yy economic pressures
yy the cost and use of new technology
yy increases in the number of longterm unemployed
yy changes in family structure
yy increased urbanisation

WAYS OF
MAKING A CRUST 4
What do we know about Ken? Watch the video and complete the form below.
Name: - Ken
Sex: - male
Occupation: - builder (has his own company)
No. of employees: - 30
Hobby: - fishing
Name of spouse: - Maria
Occupation of spouse: Teacher. She also does her husband’s

accounts

Listen to Peter discussing his work. In what order are the following jobs mentioned?
2 repairing video players & TVs
4 working in the Army Reserves
1 delivering pizzas
3 driving a taxi
c True or False.
1. Peter didn’t like living in Double Bay. F

False. Peter though is was beautiful. He only moved
out because the rent became too expensive.
2. Peter had several jobs while he was in Sydney. T

True. He worked as a cab-driver, pizza delivery man
and as a video repairman.
3. Peter left his video-repairing job the day after pay day. F
False. He left the job the day before pay day.
4. Peter doesn’t own his cab in Melbourne. T

True. He can’t be bothered with the trouble of
owning his own cab.
5. Peter would like to start a video repair business. T

True. He would like to be his own boss.
6. Ken is a boss. T
True. He employs about 30 people.
7. Ken’s wife helps him in keeping the accounts. T

True. Maria does the books.
8. Ken doesn’t need cash. F

False. Ken has a cash-flow problem.

9. Maria is a nurse. F
False. Maria is a teacher.
10. Peter is an outdoors type. T

True. Peter likes doing things outside the house.
d Discussion question.
In Australia it is common to hear of people who have changed their job a number of
times during their working life. What does this dialogue tell you about employees
and employers, and working conditions in Australia?
yy sometimes bosses keep a close watch on their employees’ work times
yy sometimes bosses are not always honest and may refuse to pay their
employees
yy there is a legal organisation to help workers (Industrial Relations

Commission)
yy running your own business isn’t easy in Australia, because of keeping

accounts, managing employees, and organising things
yy provisional tax (paying tax ahead of projected income levels) makes it

difficult because of cash flow problems in a business
yy it’s often difficult to get the final payment from customers who
complain about different problems with the finishing of their house in
order to delay the final payment

SINGLE LIFE:
SHARING A HOUSE 5
a Focus question.
Read the following question before watching the video. Discuss your answer when
What is the topic of this conversation?
problems with sharing the cost of food in a share house
2 A flatmate took some money from the kitty to pay for his
computer repairs
1 Judy discusses sharing a house with four students
5 Keeping an account book for money which has been spent
3 The service station got robbed
6 Putting your own name on your packets of food
4 Arguing about how much things cost

c Ozzie slang.
Using the context in the video, guess the meaning of the following slang
expressions.
1. “to bludge off someone”

(When Judy and her friends ran out of money for food she says they had to
“bludge off friends for the weekend.”)
-- to “bludge off someone” means to exploit someone or use their

resources (in this case food) without paying
2. “being broke”
(“...none of us had any money. We were broke because we didn’t get our
student allowances until the Thursday.”)
-- being “broke” means being completely out of money
3. “a druggie”/“getting nabbed”
(“Oh, no, he was a druggie. In fact, he got nabbed a couple of weeks later
trying to rob somebody else.”)
-- a “druggie” is a drug addict or a drug user. (‘ie’ is a common suffix

in Australian slang denoting a person’s occupation or conduct, e.g.
‘truckie’ for truck driver, ‘postie’ for postman)
-- getting “nabbed” means getting caught (usually by police)
4. “having hassles”
(“Yeah, we’ve had hassles with our kitty.”)
-- having “hassles” means having problems
5. “not fronting for something”

(“We’ve had problems with that, you know. People don’t front for meals that
they say they’ll be there for.”)
-- not “fronting” for something means not arriving or turning up for

something

d Discussion questions.
1. What does this dialogue tell us about how some young, unmarried Australians
live?
yy many share houses with groups of friends of both sexes
yy when sharing they have a kitty-system to pay for food, electricity,

gas, water bills, etc
2. What problems do people sometimes have when they share houses?
yy they argue about how much things cost, and who has to pay for it
yy people don’t “front” for meals, or they say they’ll be there and
they don’t come
yy people don’t necessarily cook for each other unless this is

prearranged
yy Anna says that she had bought her own food and labelled it to
stop other people from eating it
3. Where do people in your culture live if they are studying/working away from
their families?
yy In Australia young people studying can live at residential halls at

the university, share flats, stay with a family as a paying guest, or
share a house with a group of students
4. What problems do young people in your culture have? Are they similar
problems to those identified in this dialogue?
yy young people in Australia tend to be independent of their families

after they get a job, and unless they have to for financial reasons
they tend to live with other young people apart from their
families
yy generation-gap problems between teenagers and their parents as

teenagers strive to exert their independence
yy the level of youth unemployment is quite high, which demoralises

young people

OWNING YOUR
OWN HOME 6
groups.
1. Where do you live?
2. What kind of accommodation is it? (e.g. house, flat, condominium, dormitory,

barracks, etc.)
3. Do you own a house?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of your present accommodation?

Watch the video and circle the place names you hear.
Melbourne and Suburbs
Eltham
Essendon
City
Armadale
Elwood Elsternwick
Altona
East Malvern
Port Phillip Bay

Peter and Tom discuss the advantages and advantages of living in different suburbs.
Watch the video and complete the table below.
Living in: Advantages Disadvantages
Eltham -- established -- it’s a bit far from the city so

-- a lot cheaper than Sydney you’d need to be working
prices around there
-- get your money’s worth for a
good block of land
Elwood -- close to the city/central

-- good investment
-- bayside suburb
-- a lot more flats and units there
(than Eltham) so you’ve got a
lot more choice
-- it’s not a bad place to live

d Guided conversation.
Compare and contrast buying property in Elwood and Eltham. Use your notes from
exercise c. Comment on where you would prefer to live and why.
Topic Notes
Buying a property in -- established area, houses aren’t cheap anymore
Eltham -- a three-bedroom house costs $140 000 to $150 000
-- a lot cheaper than buying in Sydney
-- get your money’s worth for a good block of land
-- it’s a bit far from the city so you’d need to be working
around there
Buying a property in -- couldn’t go wrong with a two bedroom flat or unit in a

Elwood bayside suburb
-- close to the city
-- lots of flats and units so you’ve got more choice
-- it’s not a bad place to live
-- it’s fairly central
e Comprehension questions.
1. Why are house prices in Eltham not so cheap these days?
Eltham is a fairly established area these days.
2. How much would a cheap block of land cost?

A cheap block of land used to cost about $40 000, but nowadays it would be
two or three times that amount.
3. What kind of house could be bought for about $140 000 or $150 000?
$140 000 or $150 000 would buy a three bedroom house.
4. How do Sydney prices for real estate compare with the prices in Melbourne?
Melbourne is a lot cheaper than Sydney.
5. What has prompted Peter to think about buying a house?

People are telling him that it is a good time to buy.
6. Where is Elwood?
Elwood is next to the bay and close to the city.

7. Why would Elwood be a good place to buy a flat?
There are lots of flats and units in Elwood, so there is plenty of choice. It is
located centrally, so would be attractive for rental.
8. How does Eltham compare to Elwood?

Eltham is more expensive and is located much further from the city.
9. Why did Peter walk to work the other day?

He had to walk because his car was being fixed, and Sri’s car was being used
to transport the children to school.
10. What is Tom’s job?

Tom is a policeman.
f Discussion question.
Many Australians think it is important to own their own home. What does this
dialogue tell us about how some Australians view home ownership?
Australians:
yy see home ownership as a necessary investment in their future
yy worry about the location of property, and whether it is value for money
yy don’t always live in the house they buy
yy sometimes buy land and get a house built on it, or buy an established house
yy expect the price of their house to rise
yy find that “established” areas are more expensive to buy into
yy find that houses in Melbourne are cheaper than houses in Sydney
yy buy houses, units or flats
yy prefer their house to be located near work so they can avoid spending too
much time commuting

THE BILINGUAL
FAMILY 7
groups.
1. How many languages do you speak?
2. What are the first words children usually say in your language?
3. How old were you when you started learning English or your second
language?
4. Which language was easier to learn, your first or second? Why?
5. What have you noticed about the way children start to use language?
6. How is that similar to or different from the way you are learning English?

1. How old was Bob’s son when he started talking?
about two
2. What expression does Bob use when describing how talkative Kylie was?
she was talking six to the dozen
3. Whose son is John?
Tom and Sri’s
4. Who is Emma’s father?
Ron Downing
5. What is Bob’s explanation of John’s late development in speaking?
Many children don’t start speaking till they are about two and a
half, so John is not a late developer. Also, if kids are learning
two languages, it sometimes takes a little longer.
6. Why has Tom not made a big effort to improve his Indonesian?
He is not much of a language learner. Also, Sri speak better
English than he does Indonesian, so he couldn’t see the point in
working on his Indonesian.
7. For how long did Bob study German?
one year
8. Which one of the speakers has been to Indonesia?
Tom

c Identifying the speaker.
Look at these quotes from the video. Identify who is speaking, Tom or Bob.
1. Kylie was the real talker. You know, she was talking six words to the
dozen by the time she was two.
Speaker: Bob
2. How old is he now? Two?
Speaker: Bob
3. Kids at that age, that are learning two languages, you know, sometimes
take a little bit longer.
Speaker: Bob
4. I’m not much of a language learner.
Speaker: Tom
5. I reckon once you’re twelve, you know, it’s really difficult to learn
another language.
Speaker: Bob
6. I felt like a real fool because she started rambling off in German at me
and I didn’t understand a word she said.
Speaker: Bob
7. Sri was able to get things happening by talking to the locals.
Speaker: Tom
8. It’s a little touristy now, but we had a good time anyway.
Speaker: Tom

Tom and Bob are talking about what their children can say in English. Watch the
video and try to complete the table below.
Child Age What could he/she say?
Kylie 2 years old talking six words to the dozen
a real talker
knew all the words to “Happy Birthday”
Jason about 2 “Give me a glass”
John two and a bit Sri seems to think he should be talking
more for his age
Emma until well over two wasn’t saying much in either language
(Thai or English)

1. How common is it in your culture for young members of the family to learn
to speak more than one language at the same time? Do you think this affects
language development?
-- discuss the roles of dialects and the official languages in your

country
-- Students give anecdotes of their experience with their own

children or give their opinion on how learning several languages
may affect the development of either language or both languages
2. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of learning a second
or other language at a young age? Do adults learn as quickly and as effectively
as young children?
-- adults prefer to learn “rules”, have explanations, and don’t like

to take as many risks as young learners
-- adults are strongly influenced by patterns, e.g. pronunciation of

their first language
-- adults have other commitments and often devote less time to

language learning
-- the younger the learner the better (but adults can be more
efficient in language learning because they are more analytical)
-- adults are more dependent on written forms of the language, the

young tend to learn by ear
3. What advice would you give to Tom if he told you his son John was two and a
bit and doesn’t seem to be talking enough for his age?
-- students should think of their own experience with their young family
members and give any appropriate advice coming from their own
experience

PARTY FARE
8
a Focus questions.
Read the following questions before watching the video. Discuss your answers when
1. What sort of party snacks are popular at this party?
light foods / ‘nibbles’, e.g. various dips (eaten with raw vegetables
such as carrots and celery)
2. What party food do Sri and Sue discuss?
The dip, pergedel and satay sauce.
3. Do you think it is it polite to ask the host or hostess for the recipe of a dish you
like?
Yes. Sue asks Sri for the recipe for the dip and the satay sauce.

b Completing a recipe.
Recipe for Dip

Ingredients
one packet French Onion soup mix
half a litre sour cream
cup hot water
chives
Method
1. Mix soup mix and hot water .
2. Stir / mix for about two minutes.
3. Add chopped chives .
a. List the ingredients of satay sauce discussed by Sue and Sri.
chopped onion, peanuts, peanut butter, shrimp paste (trassi)
b. Why doesn’t Sue like using shrimp paste (trassi)?
Sue doesn’t use it because it has an awful smell. Her husband
doesn’t like the smell either.
c. Why does Sri like shrimp paste?
It’s a very important part of Indonesian cooking. It makes a dish
authentic.
d. What does Sue mean when she says, ‘I’ll give it a go.’
She means she will try to make satay sauce using shrimp paste
next time she makes it.

d Words and meanings.
Which words in the video match the descriptions in the table below?
Name Description
a. pergedel a fritter containing sweet corn
b. trassi a fish paste used for cooking
c. satay sauce a sauce with peanuts or peanut butter
d. gado-gado a salad with a peanut sauce
e Identifying the speaker.

Look at these quotes from the video. Identify who is speaking, Sri or Sue.
a. Sri ‘Well, Indonesia doesn’t have that many dips as such.

It’s more like, ah, sauces to go over food.’
b. Sue ‘Gosh, it is simple. I mean, but, how do you make it?’
c. Sue ‘Oh, well, well. It’s scrumptious. Does it, um, have that coconut
milk in it?’
d. Sri ‘...give it a go. You won’t be sorry.’
e. Sri ‘...we have a salad, a kind of salad we call gado-gado.’

f cloze exercise.
Below is a summary of the dialogue between Sue and Sri. Fill in the gaps.
Sue comments on the dips that Sri has made for the party.
Sri says that Indonesians tend to use sauces which go over
food, rather than dips. Sue asks Sri for the recipe of the dip
which accompanies the pergedel. Pergedel means fritter . The
recipe for the dip includes sour cream , which is the
last ingredient to be added.
Sri also talks about satay sauce which is usually made with
fresh peanuts in Indonesia. Sri also gives the recipe for satay sauce
and says that it has shrimp paste in it. Sue says that the
satay sauce tastes scrumptious , but she was always afraid
to use trassi at home because Bob did not like the smell .
Sri says that trassi gives Indonesian food an authentic
taste, and that it is one of the most important ingredients in
Indonesian cooking.

1. After watching Oz Talk what kind of food/drinks would you expect to be

offered at an Australian party?
food: a range of snack foods, savoury foods, potato chips, dips,

bread, slices of pizza, sausage rolls, sausages, cheese pieces,
meat balls, little pastries (pies), sandwiches, etc
drinks: soft-drinks, e.g. coca-cola, lemonade, mineral water, etc
a range of different brands of beers: both light-ale (low alcohol

content) and “normal” beers
wines: red, white or sparkling wine, casks (wine sold in a 2 litre or

4 litre boxes) or bottles
spirits: whisky, vodka, rum, etc
2. When Australians have parties usually a range of snacks or “finger foods” are
offered and guests can help themselves. What kinds of biscuits/vegetables do
you think would be suitable to offer with dips?
biscuits: salty/savoury biscuits, potato chips, dry toast slices, pita

bread (Arabic unleavened bread)
vegetables: finger-sized pieces of (washed) carrot, cauliflower, celery,

broccoli, mushroom, radish, capsicum, red peppers, pickled
vegetables, e.g. onions
3. In Australia you might be invited to either formal or informal social occasions.

People may be asked directly by the host or may be given an invitation in
writing. In both circumstances the guest needs to reply to the invitation and
needs to indicate whether or not they intend to accept the invitation. It is
considered polite to ask the host/hostess if you can “bring anything”.
a. A barbecue (BBQ)
What might you expect to eat at an Australian BBQ?
meat cooked over an outside grill, e.g. chops, steak, fish, chicken,
sausages
a variety of cold salads, e.g. potato, lettuce, coleslaw

Do you think a BBQ is a formal or informal occasion?
informal, usually outside, so the weather needs to be warm
What time of the day would a BBQ usually be held?
Usually either for lunch 12 pm until mid afternoon, or evening

4 pm until dusk
Sometimes in the host’s garden, or sometimes at a beach or

public park (at a public coin-operated BBQ or many families
have portable BBQs)
informal clothes such as jeans or shorts, this depends on the

season, swim suits for the children
their own drinks (BYO), a “plate” of food which has been

discussed with the hostess,
your own meat, any one of these or maybe all your own food if
a large group is to meet at some public venue
b. A party
What might you expect to eat at an Australian party?
The finger-foods as discussed in 1 & 2.
Is a party a formal or informal occasion?
Usually informal, unless a written invitation (e.g. an

engagement) has been received
What time of the day would a party usually be held?
Usually in the evening (after 8 pm), children’s birthday parties

are in the afternoon
Yes

Depends on the occasion, but most parties are informal
BYO, usually just a bottle of something to drink
c. A dinner-party
What might you expect to eat at an Australian dinner party?
A sit-down meal, a range of courses would be expected
Is a dinner party a formal or informal occasion?
Formal
What time of the day would a dinner party usually be held?
Evening hours (after 8 pm)
Usually
Good clothes, suitable for more formal occasions
Maybe a bottle of wine

FAVOURITE TV
PROGRAMS 9
groups.
1. Which sports are people mad about in your country? Do you think these sports
are too rough or violent?
2. Do you have TV shows that are more popular with men than with women?
Discuss the reasons for this.
3. Do you think there is too much violence on TV?
4. Describe one TV program you like. Give reasons.

b Identifying the speaker.
Who holds the following opinions, Sue or Ken?
1. Football is a man’s game.
Sue
2. Oprah Winfrey’s shows have lots of weirdo guests.
Ken
3. Melbourne people are football mad.
Sue
4. People like sensation on TV.
Ken
5. Football shows have arguments about the players and teams.
Ken
6. News and current affairs are better for children to watch than cartoons.
Sue
7. The good movies are screened at the one time.
Sue
8. Thrillers contain violence.
Ken

1. List three reasons why Sue doesn’t like TV football shows.
a. The men behave like adolescents
b. Women are excluded. It’s a boy’s club.
c. They are boring.
2. List TV programs watched in Sue’s family
news, current affairs, Sunday night movie, cartoons
Oprah Winfrey
3. Sue doesn’t like violence. What example does she give of a bad influence on
children?
fights on the football field
4. What does Ken mean when he says, ‘There are football shows and football
shows’?
Some football shows are good and some are bad.

Complete the table about the Oprah Winfrey show Sue saw.
Time of day afternoon
Participants parents and teenagers
Topic discussed teenagers rebelling against parents
Sue’s opinion of the show She didn’t like the people discussing these
things. She didn’t like the parents sitting
and saying nothing while teenagers
complained and criticised.

Complete the following sentences with the most appropriate word or expression
provided.
sport mad -- crazy about sport, like sport a lot

boy’s club -- men only group
bird (colloquial) -- female
weird (colloquial) -- unusual character
ratings -- a level on a scale which indicates the popularity
of a TV program
to skyrocket -- to rise rapidly
punch-up -- a fight
test pattern -- a pattern shown when there is no program
to drag on -- to pass with uninteresting slowness
What gets me is... -- It surprises me that...
Example: If a show is slow and dull, it drags on.
a. People who play sport a lot are sports mad.
b. People who are unusual are weird.
c. A group that does not welcome women is a boy’s club
d. A fight is a punch-up
e. A TV show which becomes popular quickly has good ratings.

1. What do we learn in this section about the way some Australians spend their
leisure time?
They enjoy football (as spectators or fans), movies, watching TV
2. The way people spend their leisure time in Australia depends on a number of
different factors. What do you think these factors are?
where they live: those who live in the southern part of Australia
(Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia) are more restricted by the
climate, so tend to do less beach, water activities or outside activities.
Suburbs (may be a considerable distance from the city centre and
cinemas, restaurants, etc), near the coast (good for water sports and
beach life), inland (good for bush-walking, etc)
whether they have a car: people in Australia like to drive to the beach,
or go bush-walking in the mountains, and if they wish to go into the
centres of the large cities, traffic and parking is always a problem, so
public transport is often preferred.
whether they have children: this affects the cost of outings, single
people have more disposable income to spend in cafes, pubs,
restaurants, cinemas, and the theatre.
income: affects what people can afford. Eating out in ethnic

restaurants is popular but children are not always welcome.
TV and video ownership is very common in Australia, and home-

computer ownership is common so people can spend their leisure time
at home.

HOLIDAYS IN
INDONESIA 10
groups.
1. What are some popular holiday destinations in your country?
2. Do people like to travel to other countries? Where do they often go? What
holiday activities do they enjoy?
3. Have you ever had the ‘travel bug’? Why do you think some people love
travelling?
4. Discuss a holiday you have enjoyed.

Draw a line on the map showing, in order, the places Sri suggests Bob should visit.
Chiang Mai Vientianne PACIFIC OCEAN

Rangoon Manila
THAILAND LAOS
Bangkok
PHILIPPINES
VIETNAM
CAMBODIA
Phnom
Penh Ho Chi Minh City
(Saigon)
South China Sea
BRUNEI
M A L A Y S I A
Kuala Lumpur
SINGAPORE EQUATOR
Java Sea
Banda Sea
I N D O N E S I A
Jakarta
Jogjakarta
Bali
INDIAN OCEAN
Timor Sea

Fill in information about the trip discussed by Sue and Bob.
Bob and Sue’s trip
Names of people travelling Bob, Sue, children
Places they may visit Bali, Jogjakarta, Jakarta, Singapore
Things to do in Jogjakarta See Borobudur old temple
Things to do in Jakarta shopping, visit Dunia Fantasia
Airline package includes airfares, accommodation, transfers
from hotel to airport
Direct flights to Indonesia from yes - Garuda and, maybe, QANTAS

Melbourne available?
Length of visit six weeks

d True or False.
1. Bob and Sue intend touring South-east Asia. F

False. They were originally only going to Indonesia and
now may consider Singapore as a result of
Sri’s suggestion.
2. Bob and Sue will take their kids with them. T

True.
3. Borobudur is near Jakarta. F

False. Borobudur is near Jogjakarta.
4. Bob and Sue will spend two or three days in Jakarta. T

True. They will spend a couple of days there.
5. “Dunia Fantasia” is popular with kids. T

True.
6. QANTAS holiday packages include accommodation, meal F

vouchers and hotel transfers.
False. The packages do not include meals.
7. Sri says QANTAS holiday packages offer the best value. T

True.
8. Sri suggests both Jakarta and Singapore are good for shopping. T
True.
9. Bob and Sue are also considering a visit to Thailand. F

False.
10. Sue wants to take a course in Indonesian during their stay. F

False. Bob says he might get a phrase book for Sue,
but there is no indication that Sue wants to take
a course.

Complete the conversation below with words and expressions from the following list
yy Half your luck!
yy A bit of leave to take.
yy You’ve got the travel bug.
yy You can fit in a trip to Singapore.
yy I’ll get back to you.
Sri: I wish I could go on a trip like that, Bob. Half your luck!
Unfortunately I don’t have any leave I can take
at the moment. We haven’t had a holiday for two years now.
Bob: We’ve been going overseas every year for the past three years now.
It’s so exciting to see new places and experience different ways of
life. We’ve really got, the travel bug.
Sri: Next year we might go back to Indonesia again. We’ll visit our
relatives and friends. And, if there’s time, we hope to fit in
a quick visit to our friends in Sydney on the way. They asked us to
stay for a few days but we said we’d get back to them after
we’d decided how much leave we could take .

1. Working Australians have the legal right to at least twenty days paid holiday
per year. Generally Australians like to enjoy their holidays and may choose to
take their holidays either within Australia or abroad. What do we understand
from this section about the factors that influence the holiday destinations
chosen by Australians such as Bob and Sue?
they worry about the children on an overseas trip (flight time, new places,
food, health, enjoyment, amount of travelling)
moving around and seeing a range of places (touring)
whether there are direct flights to the primary destination
whether they can speak the language
shopping, entertaining the kids
whether the airfares, airport transfers, accommodation are included in the
price of the ticket (package)
2. What popular holiday destinations do you know of within Australia?
Sydney, Melbourne, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Cairns, the

Northern Territory (Kakadu National Park), Ayers Rock.
3. What popular holiday destinations do Australians visit in your country?

Section 3 Transcripts
Page 119
Page 120 Oz Talk Section 3 - Transcripts
GREETINGS I
1.1
TOM: Bob! Sue! Glad you could make it.
SUE: Hi! I thought we might be late. It’s a hell of a way from Laverton.
TOM: No, no, you’re the first ones here. You got a babysitter OK?
BOB: Yeah. A friend of Sue’s from work. She seems all right. So, how’s things?
TOM: Really good, good. Let me take your coats. Sri’s putting out dips
somewhere. (calling) Sri! Look who’s here!
SRI: Yes, darling. I’m coming.
Oz Talk Section 3 - Transcripts Page 121

1.2
SRI: Oh, Peter! Hi! Come in!
PETER: G’day, Sri. Thanks.
SRI: Glad you could come.
PETER: Yeah. How’s it going?
SRI: Not bad, thanks.
PETER: Oh, that’s good. So, um, is Anna here yet?
SRI: Not yet. Peter, you, you tell me, that, I, I should ask her. So things are
getting serious, eh?
PETER: Oh, maybe.
SRI: I’m sorry. I’m just teasing you, but, she sounds very nice, though.
PETER: Oh, well. You’ll find out sooner or later. So, where’s the nibbles? I’m
starving.
SRI: Upstairs. Come on.
PETER: Great, great.

1.3
JUDY: Hi, Sri!
SRI: Nice you could come.
JUDY: How are you?
SRI: Oh, come inside. It’s chilly outside. Oh, so how have you been?
JUDY: Oh, really good. Bit tired, but you’re looking terrific.
SRI: Oh, thanks. I’m glad you didn’t see me after John was born.
JUDY: Oh, how long ago was that? Eighteen months?
JUDY: Really! Gee, time flies, doesn’t it?
SRI: Yes. And how’re things with you?

1.4
TOM: Hi!
ANNA: Hi! I’m Anna. I’m a friend of Peter’s.
TOM: Oh, pleased to meet you, Anna. I’m Peter’s brother. Name’s Tom.
ANNA: Nice to meet you, Tom.
TOM: Now, look, come on in anyway. Peter’s around here somewhere. There he
is. There he is over there.

1.5
TOM: That’ll be Kenny.
TOM: Yeah, good. Long time, no see! How’ve you been, Kenny?
KEN: Oh, not too bad. Workin’ bloody flat out.
TOM: Yeah, right! Now what’ll it be? Toohey’s Blue or a Foster’s, mate?
KEN: Oh, I’ll have a Foster’s.
TOM: Yeah, on the hard stuff.
KEN: Can’t hack the light stuff yet.

WORK AND
DAILY ROUTINE 2
SUE: I always admire someone who can cook. So, you’re a chef?
ANNA: Well, I’m an assistant chef, actually. There’s this other guy I work for.
SUE: Right, and you’re not working at the moment?
ANNA: Tonight’s my night off, thank goodness.
SUE: Oh, so it’s hard work, is it?
ANNA: Yes, sometimes it is. It’s kind of shift work that I do, so I work, ah, four
days on the lunch shift and two nights on evening shift.
SUE: Mm. And how long is a shift?
ANNA: About 8 hours - sometimes more.
SUE: Gosh, that means you work, oh, about over 50 hours a week!
ANNA: Yep, that’s right.
SUE: Yeah, that’s a lot. When do you start?
ANNA: Well, I start at eight in the morning on the day shift and work through till
four, but there’s always late dessert orders, so I end up staying a little bit
late. And then the evening shift, um, starts, at four and I work through till
midnight and Saturday’s generally it’s, ah, well after twelve.
SUE: So, when do you do the evening shifts again?

ANNA: Saturday and Sunday.
SUE: Oh, so the restaurant’s open on Sunday nights?
ANNA: Yep. Seven days a week.
SUE: Oh, that’s great. Where, where exactly is it?
ANNA: It’s in Carlton. It’s called Amadio’s. It’s named after the owner.
SUE: Oh, so it’s an Italian restaurant.
ANNA: Mainly Italian, some continental as well.
SUE: Oh, right. Well, then I must try and remember the name because, well, if it’s
open on a Sunday, Bob and I might be able to get a babysitter. Bob’s parents
have said that they’re prepared to look after the kids on a Sunday, so that’d be
a help because otherwise we wouldn’t get anywhere. It’s too much trouble.
ANNA: Peter was saying you’ve got two kids. How old are they?
SUE: Mm! The boy’s, um, about six and the girl’s just turned four.
ANNA: Right. They’re a bit of a handful at that age, aren’t they?
SUE: Well, yes, especially on the weekdays, because I’ve got to get them ready
for school, and dropped off before I go to work, so it’s a bit of a rush.
ANNA: You work as well?
SUE: Yeah! Well, I’m a trained hairdresser, so I thought, well, I may as well try
and earn some money if I can. I mean, Jason’s still at school now and Kylie
goes to the kindergarten so, well, there’s no problem during the day. Oh,
and the salon’s really good. They let me work part-time. I just work nine
to two thirty. So, that means I can still go and get Kylie at three and still
have time to drive down and get Jason. So, it works really well. But, the
mornings are always hectic. Because Bob, he’s got to leave at seven thirty.
So, it’s a bit hard. Do you want another drink?
ANNA: Yeah, thanks.
SUE: What are you drinking?
ANNA: Oh, just a coke. I’ve got to drive home.
SUE: OK
ANNA: Thanks.

DRAMAS IN
THE WORKPLACE 3
SRI: ...well, thanks for the advice, Judy. One, one never really knows about any
of these people.
JUDY: No, Jay Waterman’s OK. He gives the appearance of being a bit grumpy,
but he’s really good - he knows his stuff.
JUDY: Oh, the usual problems. Andrew won’t employ another person so we’re
flat out. I put my foot down about Sunday, though. I said to him, “Look,
if there’s one thing I value more than anything now that I’m living on my
own, it’s being able to sleep in on Sunday morning.” Can let him open up
the clinic on Sunday if he wants to. I don’t need it.
JUDY: Well, that was before he’d done his sums and found out how much it’d cost.
I said to him, “Look Andrew, we’re partners in this and I say that I have a
vote, too. And I think that it’s worth the extra money. I don’t want to see
us both hitting the whisky bottle or having to take Valium simply because
we’re so overworked and stressed out.”
SRI: Mm, mm. Well he’s a bit of a workaholic, isn’t he?
JUDY: Mm, but one of his friends from, ah, med school days attempted suicide a
couple of weeks ago.
SRI: Really?

JUDY: The usual pattern. Overwork, stressed out, other peoples’ problems and,
then, um, he got a negligence charge against him.
SRI: Oh, dear.
JUDY: Yeah, for the wrong medication. So I think Andrew’s a bit scared, and so,
maybe, I’m hoping, that he’ll start thinking about how seriously he takes his
own job.
SRI: Well, Tom’s a workaholic - but you know that.
JUDY: Well, exactly. And I think that’s why I reacted against all this stuff. I mean,
I couldn’t believe what a wreck Tom looked after he’d been working in the
police force for just a couple of months. He never looked like that when he
was in the Navy.
SRI: Well, it was a bigger change than he ever imagined. Right. Um, but, um, I
understand it now. But when he told me what actually, the first year, that first
year, right, ah, the big change with ah, Tom, is, now, having to deal directly
with the general public. Having used to, deal, with, dealing with Navy people.
Chain of command, that type of thing. I don’t think he ever imagined what
some of these people were like that he might have to deal with.
JUDY: You mean criminals and that? Did I tell you about that bloke at work in the
clinic?
SRI: No. What happened?
JUDY: Well, he threatened me after I told him that he’d have to have an x-ray at
the hospital. Found out that he’d broken his arm when he fell over a fence
trying to run away after a bank hold-up. Mm. He got really nasty because I
guess he knew that the hospital would want to have his name and address,
which he wouldn’t give to me, of course. And so I told him I couldn’t help
him. Anyway, it’s just one of the, you know, more unpleasant things of
being a doctor, I’m afraid to say. It doesn’t happen very often, though.
SRI: Well, actually, the thing that gets Tom most upset is these domestics.
JUDY: Domestics?
SRI: Yes, um, domestic disputes, right. Um, usually a couple having a big fight
over something and, then, they call the police. And when, the police try to
sort it all out, they get involved as well. See? Excuse me, Tom. Could you
tell Judy what happened to that, um, couple last week.
TOM: Oh, what, with the guy who, with the broken bottle?

SRI: Yes, the guy who attacked you.
TOM: He didn’t attack me. He just lunged at me.
JUDY: You never told me that, Tom. That’s terrible!
TOM: Oh, well, yeah, ah, the guy, one of my mates, grabbed him from behind and
pinned him against the wall and made him drop the bottle.
JUDY: That’s really scary.
TOM: Yes, but it happens all the time.
SRI: Oh, Tom, don’t exaggerate.
TOM: Well, maybe not to me. But it happens to somebody down at the station.
They’re either getting abused or threatened.
JUDY: Do be careful, Tom.
SRI: Well, teaching Indonesian is never like that! The only time that people
get abusive is in the staff meetings, and when the Dean tries to tell us that
there’s another cutback to a program or other.
TOM: Yes, Sri, but as I’ve said to you before, academics don’t live in the real
world.
SRI: But, darling, if these people are the real world, I don’t want to live in it. But
we had someone, though, I, I, last month, um, who did, who was damaging
the cars in the car park.
JUDY: Hardly the same thing, though, Sri. Ha! Ha!
SRI: Well, I was scared! I was afraid!
(general laughter)

WAYS OF
MAKING A CRUST 4
PETER: Yes, I lived in, ah, Double Bay for a while.
KEN: Did you like it?
PETER: Oh, too right! Beautiful spot. It’s just beautiful, but, trouble was, the rent
just went on going up and up and up and up, and I thought “Oh, bugger
this for a joke. I’m spending more than half of what I earn just, ah, living
in a place near the sea.” I mean, so I thought, well, no, stupid, so I moved
to Marrickville. Well, it’s a bit of a hole but, um, well, it’s a damn sight
cheaper, I can tell you that.
KEN: How long did you spend in Sydney?
PETER: Oh, about four years all up.
KEN: Did you drive cabs there?
PETER: Yeah, but, um, only about the last year I was there. Yeah, when I first went
up there, I got a job, ah, delivering pizzas. But, ah, I got jack of that after a
while and, ah, yeah, I was really lucky after that, I picked up a job repairing
video players and TVs, you know, that sort of thing. But, I tell you, the bloke
I worked for was such a mean bastard. He kept a record of, ah, when I arrived
at the shop in the morning, and when I took my lunch, and when I left at
night. I got sick of that. I went to him after a while and I said, “Look mate,
what are you keeping a record of all my comings and goings for, hey? I mean,
don’t you think I do an honest day’s work? I work a damn sight harder than
you do, sport!” And he said, ah, “Well, I’m the boss. I’ll do what I like.” Huh.
So I said, “Well, you can stick your job where it fits, pal!” and I walked out.
Which was pretty stupid, because the next day was pay day.

KEN: But you did get paid in the finish?
PETER: Oh, yeah, yeah. See, I, well, it’s a funny story, actually. See I sent a mate
’round to see him and get my pay. And, ah, well, he thought that was
suspicious too. And what he did was, he gets my mate to ring me up and
check on me, you know. Find out, yeah. So he insists on speaking to me
himself, the boss, and, ah, he asked me if this guy was really my mate,
see? And I said, “Yes.” And so he finally, he had to give, give him the pay.
But, um, ’course he never paid me for the overtime I’d worked that week.
Mongrel.
KEN: But, again, I suppose you’re lucky he paid you anything.
PETER: Too right! Yeah! No, I got a shock about that, I can tell you. Yeah, I was
lucky to get anything. Would’ve taken more than that just, to you know,
take him to Trades Practices Commission, or whatever you do in those
circumstances, you know?
KEN: Yeah. Do you own your own cab here in Melbourne?
PETER: Nah, nah. Can’t be bothered with all that stuff. Yeah, when I’ve saved
enough, I’m going to start my own video repair business. I like that sort of
work. But, I am going to be my own boss, I tell ya.
KEN: It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. You know, I’ve been out on my own now
for, oh, a year. No, must be nearly eighteen months now, and it’s really hard
yakka.
PETER: How do you mean? What, the hours you have to work? That sort of thing?
KEN: No, it’s all the other stuff. Organising things, keeping accounts, getting
woken up at bloody five o’clock in the morning by some bastard who rings
up to say he’s sick and can’t come into work. That sort of stuff.
PETER: Oh, right.
KEN: You know, it’s a real hassle.
PETER: How, how many people do you employ?
KEN: Well, when I’ve got a few jobs going on, I could have about, oh, thirty
people working for me. Maria, that’s my wife, she does the books. But I
don’t know too much about this provisional tax. Said to my accountant
once, “I didn’t work fifteen years of my bloody life laying bricks, digging
holes, building fences, just to have it all ripped off me by the bloody
taxation department.”

PETER: No, I wouldn’t reckon. But, I mean, you, you’d get all of that back in the
long run, wouldn’t ya?
KEN: Oh, sure, in the long run, mate. But I need it now. Cash flow, that’s what it’s
about.
PETER: Oh, yeah. Fair enough.
KEN: It would be better if I got paid a bit of it now, so I could pay off my guys
who work for me. You know, whether or not, you know, Joe Blow’s paid me
his account, you know, paid that ten thousand he owes me.
PETER: But I, I thought that builders always asked for money up front?
KEN: Oh, it’s hard times now, mate. Performance payment now.
PETER: Oh, yeah.
KEN: Yeah. You know, you can get some of the money up front, but getting the
last bit out of them, like getting blood out of a stone. Suddenly the work’s
not finished properly. You know. The doors don’t close, or the windows
don’t open. Yeah, I can tell you, you know, in the long-run, being self-
employed is great, but you really need some pretty solid capital behind you.
If Maria didn’t have her teaching job, I reckon by now we’d both be out on
the street.
PETER: Well, I have to say, I have managed to save up a, um, a fair bit from doing
this Army Reserve work, you know.
KEN: Oh, you’re in the Army Reserve?
PETER: Yeah.
KEN: Yeah, I thought about that once. What’s it like?
PETER: Oh, it’s great. No, it’s really great. It’s terrific and the, um, the pay’s bloody
good too. I’ve, I’ve managed to save quite a bit, as a matter of fact. And
that, um, you know, the weekends away? Oh, fantastic! I love it. See, I’ve
always been more the, the outdoors type, I suppose you’d say. See, when I
was up in Sydney, in Double Bay, I used to go surfing every morning before
work.
KEN: Geez, I could hack a bit of that. I really could hack that. But I think I’d be
out there fishing instead.
PETER: Oh, well.

SINGLE LIFE:
SHARING A HOUSE 5
ANNA: ...so we didn’t realise how much everything cost.
JUDY: I can remember my uni days. I used to share a house with four other
students, and we used to have a kitty that we used to put our money into.
ANNA: Yes, so we tried that.
JUDY: Yeah. We used to use it to pay for our food and our gas and that sort of
thing. And then one of the blokes actually took all the money out to get his
computer repaired. At the end of the week all we had left in the house to eat
were two cans of baked beans, and no money left in the kitty.
ANNA: Didn’t you realise he’d taken the money?
JUDY: Oh, we did. But we were so naive, we said, “Just pay us back on Sunday
night.” And, of course, we didn’t know that that’s all we had left to eat
because we just thought everybody else had taken the money to buy the
food and, of course, there was no money to buy the food with, anyway.
ANNA: So what did you do?
JUDY: Well, we all had to bludge off friends for the weekend. And, then,
something really amazing happened, when Col went to get paid.
ANNA: Now, is Colin the guy from the service station?

JUDY: That’s right. Well, the, ah, the service station got robbed, and so all the
money was taken out of the till. And his boss was away and the manager
couldn’t, ah, he didn’t have the authority to go and get some money out of
the bank to pay him. So Colin got paid on the Tuesday. Although, I must
admit the guy gave him ten dollars so we went and bought some milk and
bread and things with that. And then on the Monday night, we had baked
beans on toast (oh, yuk). Mm, mm. Not so bad, but at the time we were so
angry. None of us had any money. We were broke because we didn’t get our
student allowances until the Thursday. And, the funny thing was, we didn’t
show, um, poor old Colin any sympathy at all, even though he was the one
that got robbed at gunpoint. Just goes to show you how desperate you can
get when you need money for food, doesn’t it?
ANNA: Yeah, maybe that was what the guy at the service station with the gun thought.
JUDY: Oh, no, he was a druggie. In fact, he got nabbed a couple of weeks later
trying to rob somebody else.
ANNA: Mm, nice guy. Yeah, we’ve had hassles with our kitty. It’s trouble with
people taking responsibility. You know, they, um, argue about how much
things cost, or who’s paid for what.
JUDY: Yeah, you have to make it really formal.
ANNA: What do you mean?
JUDY: Well, you know, maybe keep an accounts book and get everybody to sign.
You know, somebody who takes money out, get them to sign for it in front
of somebody else.
ANNA: Yeah. We’ve had problems with that, you know. People don’t front for
meals that they say they’ll be there for or, because they’re late, they buy
takeaway on the way home and it’s cost them more. It’s a real hassle.
JUDY: I think you’ve got to make people make a commitment. If they say they’re
going to be there, tell them that they have to be there or otherwise they have
to pay.
ANNA: Yeah, well, we tried that and that was a problem as well. People would
come home late and they’d miss a meal and everybody else wanted to
charge them for it. Or, worse still, you’d get home early and people would,
hadn’t cooked anything, and you went hungry.
JUDY: Oh, I can see you’ve got a problem.
ANNA: I’ll say we’ve got a problem. What we started to do now is buy our own food.

JUDY: Oh, I know what you’re going to tell me now.
ANNA: That’s a problem too. We buy our own food but, you know, you can’t put
your name on a milk carton or, worse still, you can’t put your name on a
piece of bread. I mean, I’ve tried to solve it by just eating at the restaurant
but, still, when I come home and someone’s used my stuff from the fridge, I
get really annoyed.
JUDY: I think that’s just one of the problems of sharing a house.
ANNA: You can tell me. Yeah. I think I’m getting too old for this sort of game. I
think what I’ll probably do is, is I’ll move in with Peter because it’ll be
easier for the restaurant as well.
JUDY: Yeah. I think that’s the only thing you can do in this case.
ANNA: Mm.

OWNING YOUR
OWN HOME 6
PETER: Hey, Tom, um, what are house prices like out this way?
TOM: What, you mean in Eltham?
PETER: Oh, you know, this sort of area.
TOM: Well, Eltham’s pretty established now, so, um, the prices aren’t really cheap
anymore.
PETER: So, what’s cheap, then?
TOM: Oh, about, ah, forty thousand for a block of land. But, it’s, ah, two or three
times that now.
PETER: Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, what about, say, for a house and land.
TOM: What, to build or buy?
PETER: Say to buy?
TOM: Oh, I, suppose a three bedroom house’d cost you around about, ah, 140 or
150 thousand.
PETER: Oh right. Gee. Still a lot cheaper than Sydney prices, I tell ya.
TOM: Yeah, I guess we’re, we’re lucky, really. Um. Why, are you thinking of
buying a place?
PETER: Um. People are saying it’s a good time to buy.

TOM: Yeah, well, ah, probably couldn’t go wrong with a two bedroom flat or unit
in a bayside suburb like Elwood. It’s, ah, close to the city.
PETER: Oh, yeah. Well, I’d, I’d probably want it only as an investment. I mean, I
probably wouldn’t live in it.
TOM: Yeah, well, I think that would be a great investment.
PETER: Yeah, yeah, I might look into that.
TOM: Yeah. So, um, what made you think about buying a place? Is Judy giving
you the line about, ah, investing in property again, is she?
PETER: Oh, well, maybe. But, ah, I’ve decided she’s right, anyway. I guess I should,
um, buy something before the prices start going up again.
TOM: Yeah, well, you couldn’t go wrong with, ah, a two bedroom flat or unit in
somewhere like Elwood.
PETER: Why Elwood? I mean, you know, why there in particular?
TOM: Well, there’s a lot more flats and units there so you’ve got a lot more choice.
And it’s not a bad place to live. It’s fairly central.
PETER: Yeah, um, maybe I’ll think about it. What, you reckon Eltham’s a bit pricey?
TOM: Yeah, well, you, for a good block of land, you get your money’s worth. But
it’s a bit far from the city, so, you, you’d need to be working around here
somewhere, so there’s a lot of travelling to do.
PETER: Yeah, how about Sri? How long’s it take her to get to Monash?
TOM: Oh, it’s, ah, yeah, it’s quite a way. But, ah, it takes her about forty five
minutes, maybe a bit less. But, um, she goes down there once or twice a
week so it’s not too bad.
PETER: Yeah, you’d need a car up here, that’s for sure.
TOM: Yeah, the other week, ah, I had to walk to work when the car was being
fixed and, ah, Sri was, ah, taking the kids to school in her car. So, ah, I had
to walk to the station.
PETER: Oh, where is the railway station here?
TOM: No, the police station in Eltham. I had to, ah, I had to walk to work. Um, it
took me about twenty minutes, but good exercise, though.
PETER: Yeah, yeah, right.

THE BILINGUAL
FAMILY 7
TOM: So, Bob, how old were your kids when they started talking?
BOB: Oh, let me think. Oh, Sue would know better than I would. Um, but I think,
ah, Jason was about two when he started saying things like, “Give me
glass” or things like that. Now, Kylie, Kylie was the real talker. You know,
she was talking six words to the dozen by the time she was two. I remember
we had a birthday party for her when she turned two and she knew all the
words to “Happy Birthday”. Yeah, we, ah, we got it on video. So, ah, why
are you asking? Is there a problem? How’s John doing?
TOM: Sri seems to think he should be talking more for his age.
BOB: Why? How old is he now? Two?
TOM: Ah, two and a bit.
BOB: Yeah well, a lot of kids don’t start talking till they’re about, you know, two
and a half. I was talking to Sri earlier and she was saying that she mainly
talks to him in Indonesian which, um, you know, it might slow things down
a bit.
TOM: You think so?
BOB: Sure. In fact, um, you remember the Downings?
TOM: Yeah, um, those friends of yours that went to Thailand for two years.

BOB: Yeah, they’re the ones. Well, their daughter was about eighteen months
when they went to Bangkok. And I remember Ron saying that, ah, Emma
wasn’t saying much in either language until she was well over two. Anyway,
they were so concerned about it that they talked to a child psychologist that
his wife knew down here in Melbourne. And she said that it was, ah, it was
normal. That, ah, that kids at that age, that are learning two languages, you
know, sometimes take a little bit longer. But, they catch up later.
TOM: Well, gee, that’s a relief to hear.
BOB: Yes, well. So, how’s your Indonesian, Tom?
TOM: Oh, pretty basic, really. Um, I think Sri’s given up on me. But I’m not much
of a language learner. That’s my problem. But, you know, when I first
met Sri, I wanted to speak Indonesian really well. Just to impress her. But
I found that she spoke English so well that there didn’t seem to be much
point. But I think that’s why she wants John to be able to speak it.
BOB: Oh, well. It’s a good age to start, they say. Look at me, I started learning
German at high school and I only did it for a year, then gave it up. I reckon
once you’re twelve, you know, it’s really difficult to learn another language.
About the only thing I can remember is, ah, “Guten Tag”.
TOM: Yeah, what’s that? Uh, “Hello”?
BOB: Yeah, well, you know as much German as I do. I remember, um, Sue and I
were on holidays in Germany last year and I said “Guten Tag” to the lady
at the hotel desk and then I felt like a real fool because she started rambling
off in German at me and I did not understand a word she said.
TOM: Well, it really helps to be able to know the language of the, the country.
We went to, ah, Indonesia earlier this year and Sri was able to get things
happening by talking to the locals.
BOB: Speaking of Indonesia, ah, did Sue tell you that we’re planning a trip over
there these holidays?
TOM: No, no. Where are you going?
BOB: Ah, Ubud, I think it’s called.
TOM: Yeah, Ubud. That’s, yeah, that’s in Bali. It’s a really beautiful place. Sri and
I were there in January this year. But, ah, it’s a little bit touristy now, but we
had a good time anyway. But, I tell you what, why don’t you have a chat to
Sri, she knows all the places to go.
BOB: Oh, that’s a good idea. I will. Thanks, mate.
TOM: Good on ya.

PARTY FARE
8
SUE: Sri, these dips are lovely. How did you make them? What’s this one got in
it?
SRI: Well, it’s funny you should ask about that one, because that’s an Australian
recipe. Well, Indonesia doesn’t have that many dips as such. It’s more like,
ah, sauces to go over food. So I thought, I’ll make some pergedel with
sweet corn.
SUE: What do you call it again?
SRI: Pergedel. It, it means a fritter.
SUE: I had one of those with the satay sauce. It was delicious.
SRI: Um, well, they go nicely, don’t they? Well, in Indonesia, ah, pergedel is
usually, um, served on it’s own, but, ah, um, Tom, Tom, said to me, let
people mix things that they like together. So OK. I agree.
SUE: Well, give me the recipe for this dip because it’s delicious.
SRI: Sure.
SUE: Is it easy?
SRI: Oh, it’s not that difficult.
TOM: I even recommend you try some.
SUE: Oh, thank you, Tom.

TOM: Having a good time, dear?
SUE: So, where’s the dip?
SRI: Now, it’s not that easy actually. What, what we use is um, a packet of, ah,
a French Onion soup mix and add some, um, some plenty of, ah, ah, sour
cream and, ah, I just add some, ah, chopped chives to it.
SUE: Is that all?
SRI: Yup. That’s it.
SUE: Gosh, it is simple. I mean, but, ah, how do you make it? Do you heat the
cream?
SRI: Oh, no, no, no. Just get, ah, a third of a cup of very hot water and pour it
in, ah, the soup mix. And stir it for a little while, not too slowly, about 2
minutes or so. Let it cool. Then you add the cream, add the sour cream.
SUE: And how much sour cream do you add?
SRI: Well, it depends on how you like it. It depends on your taste. We usually
use, ah, half a litre for one packet of, ah, ah, soup mix.
SUE: Oh, great. Oh, that’s lovely. Thanks, Sri, but I bet the, um, satay sauce
recipe isn’t quite so simple.
SRI: No, it’s not that difficult.
SUE: Isn’t it? Do you use, mm, fresh peanuts to go with it?
SRI: Um, we normally do, right, I mean in Indonesia, because it’s easy to get
them. But here in Eltham, it’s not that easy. It’s very difficult to try and find
fresh raw peanuts. So I cheated. Sh. Don’t tell anyone. I just used crunchy
peanut butter.
SUE: Oh, well, well, it’s scrumptious. Does it, um, have that coconut milk in it?
SRI: Oh, no, no, no, no. But I just used chopped up onion but you have to cook it
before you start.
SUE: I hope it doesn’t have that awful stuff, you know, with the terrible smell, in it.
SRI: The what? You mean the shrimp paste?
SUE: Oh, I don’t know. What, what do you call it?

SRI: Yeah, we call it “trassi”.
SUE: Yes, that’s it! I bought some once and Bob said it smelt like a dead sheep,
so I threw it out.
SRI: Now, once it’s cooked, right, it doesn’t have the strong smell anymore. See?
But, in fact, there is some in that ah, satay sauce.
SUE: Oh, you’re kidding!
SRI: No, see. You can’t even notice it.
SUE: It’s strange that
SRI: Didn’t you notice the difference when you cooked it?
SUE: Well, to tell you the truth, Sri, I didn’t cook it. I mean Bob said it smelt
awful and I thought it smelt awful too, so well, I was a bit afraid of using it,
actually, and it smelt the whole house out.
SRI: No, no, Sue. Once when, once you cook it, you have to keep it in a sealed
jar, or something.
SUE: Oh right, yeah. Alright. Well, maybe I’ll give it a go next time.
SRI: I think you should. Do you know what? Do it when Bob’s not around.
Because trassi is one of the most important parts in Indonesian cooking,
see, if you want to have the dish authentic, of course. So I think, give it a
go! I don’t think you’ll be sorry.
SUE: OK. I will give it a go, but you’ll have to give me the recipe for this satay
sauce. It’s so delicious. I’ve been putting everything into it - carrots, the
celery.
SRI: Sure Sue. Well, actually, we have a salad, a kind of salad we call gado-gado.
It has a variety of vegetables and things in it, and it also has a similar, um,
peanut sauce, see. So if you like it, then, I’ll give the recipe to you too.
SUE: Sounds great. OK. Thanks.
SRI: No problem.

FAVOURITE TV
PROGRAMS 9
SUE: Well, I think they’re stupid.
KEN: Well, why do people watch them, then?
SUE: Well, because people are football mad. We all know Melbourne people are
football mad.
KEN: But there are football shows and football shows.
SUE: Oh, they all look the same to me. I mean they’re just grown men behaving
like adolescents. Arguing like adolescents. It’s a boy’s club, really. I mean,
it excludes women, Ken. That’s one of the reasons why I don’t like it.
KEN: But there are plenty of women who follow football.
SUE: Yes, but there’s not many football games with women, are there?
KEN: No, but...
SUE: ... and there’re not even many women’s sports that are put on television,
except for the ABC.
KEN: OK, then, what do you watch?
SUE: Well, we watch the news programmes, and some of the current affairs
programmes, and the Sunday night movie. Um, apart from that, we don’t
really watch much. Well, the kids watch some cartoons, but we don’t like
them to watch too much television. Um, and, I must admit, I do watch
Oprah Winfrey in the afternoons, if I’m home.

KEN: Oh, she’s that American bird who brings on all those weirdos.
SUE: Well, they’re not all weirdos. But, what gets me, is why some of these
people would go onto the show and admit to some of the things that they
do. I mean, they had these people, they had the parents and the teenagers on
a few weeks ago. And the teenagers were saying why they were rebelling
against the parents. And the parents were just sitting there, listening to all
these complaints and criticisms. I couldn’t understand it.
KEN: Yeah, but that’s what people are like. Controversy, argument. Do you
remember a couple of years ago, when those two Australian guys had a
punch-up on the Midday Show?
SUE: Something about Australia being a republic?
KEN: Yeah, something like that. Well, apparently, after that, the Midday Show
ratings skyrocketed. Now, people like a good punch-up.
SUE: Mm, well, I don’t want my kids watching too much of it. I mean, I don’t even
like the violence on the football field and they have so many fights on the
football field. I mean, it’s just, I don’t think it sets a good example for kids.
KEN: Oh, well, yeah. I agree with you about the fighting. But the footy shows
don’t, ah, don’t have any violence. You know, they have just arguments
about the players, about the teams.
SUE: I know and they’re so boring. Give me a good movie any day.
KEN: Well, what kind of movie do you like? The Sound of Music?
SUE: Now, don’t be cheeky. Maybe I do, but, well, Bob and I like a good thriller.
KEN: But, they, they are violent.
SUE: Well, some of them. But there’s no need for violence every ten seconds.
KEN: Well, what kind, what good thrillers have you seen lately?
SUE: Mm, “Hunt for the Red October.”
KEN: Yeah, I saw that. That was excellent.
SUE: Mm, ah, “The Fugitive.”
KEN: Yeah. I was a bit disappointed with that. I thought it dragged on a bit
towards the end.

SUE: We loved it. The thing that annoys me is when they put the movies on the
television, they put all the good ones on at once. And then there’s nothing
on end for days.
KEN: Yeah, but then you can watch the footy shows.
SUE: Oh, shut up, Ken. You’re just trying to annoy me. I hate the football shows.
KEN: Well, I reckon they’re great.
SUE: Well, I suppose you watch the test pattern often, too.
KEN: Uh, oh. Time for another drink.
SUE: Huh. I’d agree with that.

HOLIDAYS IN
INDONESIA 10
BOB: Sri, I was wondering if I could talk to you about, ah, holidays in Indonesia.
SRI: Sure, Bob. What would you like to know?
BOB: Well, ah, Sue and I have decided to take our holidays in Indonesia this year.
SRI: Oh, that’s great! I bet Sue’s excited.
BOB: Well, yeah. She is, um, a little bit worried about the kids. We haven’t taken
them on an overseas trip before.
SRI: There should be no problem at all. Where were you thinking of going?
BOB: Well, um, Bali and, you know, some other places.
SRI: Well, I’d suggest you spend a few days in Jak, in Jogjakarta, then, ’cause
then you can go to see Borobodur.
BOB: Um, what is, what is that?
SRI: That’s one of the great old temples of our culture.
BOB: Well, we’ll try and get there.
SRI: And are you going to spend a couple of days in Jakarta?
BOB: Ah, yeah, I suppose so.

SRI: Well, Sue will love it, because there’s nice shopping there... and there are
nice things for kids to do. And I think there’s is a, um, what is it called?
“Dunia Fantasia”. Kids just love it.
BOB: Um, what, what is that?
SRI: It’s a kind of Disney World, but it also has a part that shows the different
cultures of Indonesia.
BOB: It sounds really good. Um, at least it’d keep, keep the kids happy for a day
or two, I suppose.
SRI: Absolutely, Bob. Some families go back day after day.
BOB: So, um, how do we, how do we get to book?
SRI: It’s easy. Just go to your travel agent. Actually, um, ah, QANTAS has,
ah, good holiday packages, you know. And, it’s the best value, because it
includes your air fares and, um, accommodation and, um, transfers from
hotels to the airports. That kind of thing.
BOB: Right. Do they have direct flights from Melbourne?
SRI: I’m not quite sure about QANTAS. But I know for certain Garuda flies direct.
Just, just mention it to your travel agent. And how long will you be away?
BOB: Oh, about six weeks. I’m taking a little bit of leave. The kids are old enough
now, so I thought we may as well have a nice holiday.
SRI: Why not? Well, I’m sure you’ll enjoy Indonesia.
BOB: Well, what about places like, oh, um, Thailand, other parts of Malaysia and
Bangkok?
SRI: Well, I reckon, Bob, you have enough, enough things to fill up that six
weeks with no trouble at all. Why don’t you leave the other places for some
other time?
BOB: Well, can’t we fit in one more place?
SRI: Bob. Gosh. You’ve got the travel bug, haven’t you?
BOB: Well, um, I’m really looking forward to it.
SRI: Oh dear. Well, um, I reckon you can fit in a trip to Singapore. Nice things
for the kids to do. And Sue can go shopping as well.

BOB: How?
SRI: Well, Singapore is at the bot, at, at the bottom of the Malay peninsula and,
ah, it has a quite interesting mixture of culture including Malaysia. In fact,
you can take a side trip to, ah, to the, ah, Malaysian territory.
BOB: Oh, that sounds interesting.
SRI: Oh, it is. Just mention it to your travel agent. Right, and then, um, I
wouldn’t try, if I were you, to fit in Thailand in that trip as well, because
not that, ah, not only that Thailand is so far away, but it also has, ah, a lot of
things to see.
BOB: Oh, that sounds really good. Mm. You wouldn’t want to throw in a, ah,
course in Indonesian by any chance, would you?
SRI: Are you serious, Bob?
BOB: Um. No, not really. I’m hopeless at languages. I was saying to Tom before
about, ah, how good I was at German at high school.
SRI: Well, actually, Indonesian’s very easy to learn. But, at least, at least, yeah,
get yourself a, ah, phrase book so you can, ah, learn some basics.
BOB: Oh, I think I’ll get one for Sue.
SRI: Gee, Bob, you’re hopeless. You could easily learn a little bit of Indonesian.
BOB: Well, maybe I’ll give it a go.
SRI: Oh, dear. Half your luck spending six weeks on holidays. Anyway, when
you’ve made your bookings, ask Sue to give me a call. OK. Excuse me,
Bob, I think Judy’s leaving.
BOB: Oh, oh, OK.
SRI: I’ll, I’ll get back to you.
BOB: Right. Thanks.

Section 4 Glossary
Page 157
GREETINGS I
1.1
dips - A variety of creamy sauces served with bread and fresh
vegetables. Dips are often eaten before a meal or as a
party snack.
Let me take your coats. - When you arrive at an Australian home for a meal or
party, the host will take your bag and coat and put them
in the main bedroom.
a hell of a way - A very long distance. ‘A hell of a...’ is also used to add
emphasis to other nouns e.g. ‘that was a hell of a story’
- that was a really good story. (colloquial)
Oz Talk Section 4 - Glossary Page 159

1.2
G’day - This is a common, informal greeting. It comes from
‘Good day’.
How’s it going? - A common greeting which means ‘How is life going?’

Remember that this phrase is a way of saying hello and
not a real question. The answer is usually - ‘good’ or
‘not bad’.
first names - Australians usually use first names (also referred to as

‘given’ name or ‘Christian’ name). More formal forms
of address like Mr. or Mrs. are only used in very formal
situations, or between young children and older adults.
nibbles - Unless it is a BBQ, a full meal is rarely served at an

Australian party. Instead snack foods like dips, cheese
and biscuits, nuts and chips are placed around the room
so guests can help themselves. These foods are called
nibbles or munchies. A light supper may be served.
‘things’ are getting serious - The two people are becoming romantically involved
with each other.
Page 160 Oz Talk Section 4 - Glossary

1.3
time flies - Time passes very quickly
1.4
1.5
mate - Friend. ‘Mate’ can also be a form of address, e.g.
‘G’day mate’. (colloquial)
What’ll it be? - This is an informal way of saying, ‘What would you

like to drink?’
Tooheys Blue/Fosters - Brands of beer. Beer is often drunk directly from the
can.
‘long time no see’ - This is a common expression for, ‘It’s a long time since
I last saw you’.
to work ‘flat out’ - To work without a break, to be very busy. (colloquial)
on the hard stuff - To drink hard liquor e.g. whisky, gin, rum, vodka. In
this conversation, ‘hard stuff’ means the ‘full-strength’
beer with the high alcohol content. (colloquial)
to hack - To tolerate. (colloquial)
bloody - A word like ‘very’ which modifies or (impolite) adds

emphasis. (colloquial)

WORK AND
DAILY ROUTINE 2
dessert - The final course of a Western meal. It is usually sweet.
Carlton - A suburb of Melbourne, close to the city centre.

Carlton is famous for its Italian restaurants.
gosh - An expression of surprise. It is more polite than ‘God!’
drinking and driving - It is illegal to drive a motor vehicle in Australia if your

blood alcohol level is over .05%.
kids - Expression for ‘children’. (colloquial)
a bit of a handful - Demanding, difficult to control. (colloquial)

DRAMAS IN THE
WORKPLACE 3
to know your stuff - To be an expert. (colloquial)
to put your foot down - To firmly disagree, be adamant.
to hit the bottle - To depend on alcohol, to drink compulsively.

(colloquial)
to be stressed out - To be overwhelmed by stress and pressure.
a workaholic - A person who works compulsively.
a bloke - A man. (colloquial)
a ‘domestic’ - A family argument. Short for ‘domestic dispute’.
a bit grumpy - In a bad mood.
to do one’s sums - To add up the cost.
to have a vote - To have a say.

WAYS OF
MAKING A CRUST 4
pizza - An Italian meal consisting of a round bread base

covered in meat and vegetable toppings and baked.
Pizza is a popular ‘fast food’ which is ordered over the
phone and delivered to the house.
over time - An increased hourly rate of pay for extra work done
outside normal working hours.
Too right! - Absolutely! Very true!
the trouble is... - The problem is...
bugger this for a joke - I’m not accepting this. (colloquial)

(impolite)
a bit of a hole - A place which is not well looked after, an unpleasant

place. (colloquial)
a darn sight cheaper than - Much cheaper than, considerably cheaper than.
(colloquial)
to get jack of, to be jack of - To be tired of something to the point of frustration, to

be fed up. (colloquial)

a bastard - This literally means a person born out of marriage.
(impolite) However, in Australia ‘bastard’ (colloquial) can have
several meanings. It can be used as an insult - ‘he’s a
mean bastard’ or in a light hearted, friendly way e.g.
‘he’s a funny old bastard’. Used to refer to males only.
sport - This is sometimes used as a form of address between

men e.g. ‘G’day sport!’
stick (your job) where it fits! - A rude way of rejecting something. This expression is
used in anger. (colloquial)
pal - Friend, used ironically in this conversation. (colloquial)
to walk out - To abandon something or someone.
mongrel - This is an insult. A mongrel is a mixed breed dog.

(impolite)
its not all that it’s - ‘It’s overrated’. (colloquial)

cracked up to be
hard yakka - Hard work. (colloquial)
a hassle - A problem, a frustration.
to be ripped off - To be exploited, overcharged.
up front - At the outset, before beginning the work. ‘Up front’

can also mean open, having nothing to hide.
in the long run - Over a long period of lime, eventually.
Joe Blow - This is an expression for ‘anybody’, any person.
it’s like getting blood -

from a stone The person is unwilling to give money or cooperate.
provisional tax - A tax on business paid 12 months in advance.

SINGLE LIFE:
SHARING A HOUSE 5
uni days - University student days.
the service station - The petrol or gas station.
a druggie - A drug addict or regular drug user.
the kitty - A fund of money which each household member

contributes to for the payment of bills.
baked beans on toast - A quick, easy meal of tinned beans eaten on toasted
bread.
to bludge off someone - To take advantage of someone by letting them pay for
you or carry your responsibility. (colloquial)
to get nabbed - To get caught. (colloquial)
to front (up) for - To present for, to turn up for. (colloquial)
to move in with someone - To share accommodation with someone (usually

implying some form of personal relationship).

OWNING YOUR
OWN HOME 6
buying a house - Many Australians try to purchase their own house

rather than renting accommodation.
Monash - Monash University, the largest university in

Melbourne.

THE BILINGUAL
FAMILY 7
six words to the dozen - This is usually ‘19 to the dozen’. It means speaking a
lot. A dozen is a measure of 12 units.
two and a bit - Two years and a few months.
to catch up - To reach the level of others’ achievements.
jeez - This is an expression of surprise, a polite substitute for

‘Jesus’.
to give up - To abandon hope.
‘pretty’ basic - ‘Pretty’ here is a modifier which means ‘quite’.

(colloquial)
the locals - The local people.
touristy - Something unauthentic which seems set up for tourists.
to have a chat - To have a brief, light hearted conversation.

PARTY FARE
8
dear - A friendly form of address used by older people to

younger people.
chives - An onion flavoured herb which is often used to add

flavour to cheese dishes.
you’re kidding! - You must be joking! (colloquial)
to give it a go - To try something, to attempt. (colloquial)

FAVOURITE TV
PROGRAMS 9
a talk show - A television show which features a host and guests

who are interviewed.
football (footy) - Australian rules football.
bird - Woman. Used by males. (colloquial)
weirdos - Strange people. (colloquial)
there are (football shows) - There are different standards of (football shows).
and there are (football shows)
ratings - A TV show’s rate of popularity measured by the

number of viewers.
the test pattern - The pattern on the screen which appears when there are
no programs.
a punch up - A physical fight. (colloquial)
to sky-rocket - To rise to the top very quickly.
to drag on - To continue for too long, to continue till something

becomes boring.

HOLIDAYS IN
INDONESIA 10
a holiday package - A holiday with pre-arranged accommodation and travel

and a set schedule for a certain amount of money.
the travel bug - ‘Bug’ is a slang word for a contagious virus. ‘To catch
the travel bug’ means ‘to develop a love for travel’.
(colloquial)
I’m hopeless at - I’m not very good at....
Oh dear! - This is an expression of surprise.
half your luck! - I wish I were as lucky as you!


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ian Eng

Ms Kate Brinson (as Sue Martin)

AUTHORS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v

Unit 1 1.1 Greetings................................................................................... 3

Unit 1 1.1 Greetings................................................................................... 57

Unit 1 1.1 Greetings................................................................................... 121

Section 4 : Glossary 157

Unit 1 1.1 Greetings................................................................................... 159

1. When Tom answers the door, who does he greet?

Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet Page 3

2. Who is at the party when the guests arrive?

3. What do you know about Bob and Sue’s family?

SUE: Hi! I thought we be late. It’s a of a way

TOM: No, no, you’re the first here. You got a ,

SUE: Oh, yeah. At the last minute.

BOB: Yeah. A friend of Sue’s from work. She all right.

TOM: Really, good, good. Let me your coats. Sri’s

out dips somewhere. (calling) Sri! Look who’s here!

SRI: Yes, . I’m coming.

Page 4 Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet

2. Who does Peter want to see at the party?

Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet Page 5

2. How does Judy feel?

3. How does Sri look, according to Judy?

4. What is the name of Sri’s child?

5. What does Judy mean when she says “time flies”?

Page 6 Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet

JUDY: Hi, Sri.

SRI: you could come.

JUDY: How are you?

JUDY: Oh, really good. tired, but you’re looking terrific.

JUDY: Oh, how long was that? Eighteen months?

SRI: No, nearly two!

JUDY: Really! , time flies, doesn’t it?

SRI: Yes. And things with you?

JUDY: Oh, good. Busy, busy, busy.

Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet Page 7

3. What expressions do the people use to greet each other?

Page 8 Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet

2. Has Ken been busy?

3. Why do you think Ken chooses Fosters beer?

KEN: Hi, mate! How’s it goin’?

TOM: Yeah, good. Long time, no see! you been, Kenny?

KEN: Oh, not too bad. bloody flat out.

TOM: Yeah, right! Now, it be? Tooheys Blue or a

KEN: Oh, have a Fosters.

TOM: Yeah, on the hard .

KEN: Can’t the light stuff yet.

Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet Page 9

Page 10 Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet

PLACE OF WORK: Amadio’s in Carlton

Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet Page 11

Sue tells Anna that she is a trained hairdresser.

Anna says when she finishes on Saturday nights.

Sue wants to know how long Anna’s shifts are.

Anna says that she works for someone else.

Anna tells Sue that tonight is her night off.

Anna says that the restaurant is named after the owner.

Page 12 Oz Talk Section 1 - Worksheet

2. Anna works regular hours.

3. The shifts are at least eight hours.

4. Anna finishes day shifts by four in the afternoon.

5. The restaurant is open every night for dinner.