Colours All Around: English for Young Learners New to a Country
My daughter is learning two languages at the same time — French from her mother, English from me, and Créole from the island she was born on. She points at things and we both name…
Tag: elt
Culture Shock: Talking About Feelings in a New Country
Nobody warned me about the loneliness. Not the dramatic kind you see in films — the quiet kind. Sitting in a laundromat in Strathfield on a Sunday, watching your clothes go round, and realising there…
Understanding Australian English: Accents and Slang
My English teacher in Dhaka taught me British English. When I landed in Sydney, I heard: 'G'day mate, how ya going?' I understood zero words. Not zero — I understood 'how'. Australians shorten everything. 'Afternoon'…
Making New Friends: How to Start a Conversation
The first friend I made in Sydney — really made, not just a colleague — came from a misunderstanding. I was trying to buy a bus ticket and pressing all the wrong buttons. A young…
Finding a Place to Live: Renting English for New Countries
Finding my first room in Strathfield, Sydney, took me two weeks of reading listings I didn't fully understand. 'Util incl' meant utilities are included — I didn't know that. 'No pets, no smokers' — I…
At the Airport: Survival English for New Arrivals
When I landed in Sydney in 2005, I sat on a kerb outside the terminal for three hours. I had the address of someone I knew but no phone, no idea how to get a…
Teamwork in a Busy Kitchen: Communication Under Pressure
On a Saturday night at Star Casino with 300 covers, everything communicates faster than words. 'Corner!' means someone is about to walk around a blind corner carrying hot food. 'Behind!' means don't step back. These…
Writing a Menu: How to Describe Food in English
At Popolo in Sydney, I helped rewrite part of the menu. The chef's original line said: 'Pasta with tomato sauce and herbs.' I changed it to: 'House-made fettuccine, slow-cooked San Marzano tomato, fresh basil.' Same…
Kitchen Vocabulary: The Food Words Every Learner Needs
Growing up in Bangladesh, I helped my mother cook rice on a clay stove every evening. We called it chul. In Sydney, the first kitchen I worked in had six different types of pan and…
Body Language at Work: What English Doesn’t Say
In twelve years of hospitality, I learned to read a table before I reached it. A couple sitting back with arms crossed — give them space. A family leaning forward, pointing at menus — they…