If you are a non-English speaker planning to visit, work or live in Australia, then it is a good idea to improve your English. When you can communicate properly, everything is so much more enjoyable. You can make new friends and find your way around more easily, reduce stress and even save money.
Whether you enrol in an Adult Migrant English Program or take a do-it-yourself approach, embracing the language in a new land is one of the fastest ways to become more comfortable sooner.
Whatever your native language, it can be challenging for to learn or improve your English. There are so many rules that do not seem to make sense! In fact, English is considered one of the most difficult languages to learn, alongside Japanese, Mandarin, Finnish and Russian. And to top it off, Australian English can be even trickier. Aussie slang is difficult to master but thankfully, if you can become quite fluent in regular English, the slang can come much later.
Happily, for you, Australians are quite friendly when it comes to international visitors trying to learn English. Don’t ever be shy about speaking English in Australia because your attempts will always be welcomed.
Thank goodness for the internet and smartphone apps! In the ‘old days’, if you did not speak the local language, you would have to carry around a phrase book to be understood in a limited variety of situations such as transportation, restaurants, hospitals and accommodation.
Now, you can simply type in what you want to say in Google Translate (Android or Apple) in your own language and it will instantly translate it for you. You can either attempt to read it back, show the person who can read it or press the little speaker button, and the words will be read out loud. Most smartphones come with Google Translate already installed.
Duolingo is a clever little app that can help you learn English even if you have never spoken a word of it. Even as a beginner, you will quickly pick up common phrases, sentences and verbs. You can set yourself a target of 5 to 20 minutes a day and improve your English bit by bit, perhaps while on the bus or train or while eating your breakfast.
Best of all, Duolingo is free! Other apps include Awabe, which can teach you more than 4,000 commonly used phrases, Learn English Daily, which helps improve your pronunciation and Beelinguapp, which teaches you English by having you listen to audiobooks.
One-on-one help is a great way to quickly improve your English. On Tutoroo, you will find lots and lots of English language tutors in your area. You simply type in your location, select ‘English’ and hit ‘Search’. Hourly rates vary - and you could even work with someone who speaks your own native language too!
You can also try Tutoring for Excellence. This is more suitable for international students looking to learn English, as these tutors can help with other subjects too. Need help with Physics, Biology or Maths? Easy! The tutors specialise in all levels of English from English as a Second Language through to advanced and can assist with speaking, reading, comprehension and writing. This organisation offers assistance in many different locations.
You can do a Google search for ‘English language tutors’ but make sure you include the word ‘language’. An ‘English tutor’ could bring up results that include tutors who can assist you in the school or university subject ‘English’. That subject is about literature, poetry and writing and not so much the basics such as grammar, punctuation and speaking.
Specifically, the search term ‘ESL’ (or ‘English as a Second Language’) will be useful for you. Or you could try ‘ELL’ (‘English Language Learners’). What is the difference? The latter usually refers to English taught as part of the curriculum in a general education classroom. More commonly used in a primary or high school, it’s a way of integrating the language as part of the regular classroom activities. But still, you could try both ESL and ELL when conducting your searches.
The Adult Migrant English Language Program (or ‘AMEP’) offers eligible migrants up to 510 hours of free English language tuition. Depending on the type of visa you hold (permanent residency or one of the eligible temporary visas), and you commence your tuition within 12 months of your arrival, you could apply.
Adult Migrant English Programs can help you improve your English for with improving everyday conversation, gain a better understanding of using Australian money, getting around on public transport and build your reading and writing skills. It also covers information about Australian customs and culture.
Furthermore, there are specialised Adult Migrant English Programs that focus on pre-employment English. These cover workplace culture, how to write employment applications and how to prepare for an English job interview.
TAFE stands for Technical and Further Education. Courses at these colleges provide graduates with a Diploma. At TAFE, you can take classes in General English, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) preparation and English for Academic Purposes (EAP).
You can also choose a short English language course designed for people on temporary visas, which is a great choice if you want to improve your English but don’t qualify for AMEP. TAFE courses vary according to state, so first choose the website that applies to the state that you’ll be visiting or staying in:
The English language tutors in all TAFE institutions are highly trained and will provide you with top quality education.
There are also pre-employment English Language courses covering workplace culture, how to write employment applications and how to prepare for a job interview in English
You can search for a private tutor to learn English for IELTS and ESL at TutorFinder. Those links will take you to a page where you can select your region. From there, you will find a list of tutors, their hourly rate, student star ratings and a list of the subjects they can assist with.
In fact, each tutor’s profile is quite comprehensive and includes bios written by the tutors themselves. Some offer one-on-one tutoring as well as group tutoring. Hourly rates may vary according to geographical location (i.e. how far they travel to meet you) and a number of other variables.
Children find it incredibly easy to learn English, simply by attending school and talking to other kids. For adults, immersing yourself in English-language activities is the best way. Here are some examples:
The whole world opens up when you can speak another language, particularly English, which is the native or official language of more than 50 countries around the world. It can be difficult to be brave when communicating with others in a different language. You might be worried that you’re not pronouncing words properly or that you are using incorrect words.
People usually understand and make allowances. The most important thing is to keep working to improve your English and not give up. The more you think, write, read and speak in English, the sooner you will start to even dream in English! That’s when you will know it is really happening for you. Dreaming in English is a certain sign that you’re really making progress.
Being bilingual is a valuable skill. No matter whether you're studying an English language course, be proud of every conversation you have that produces the desired result. Every step you take to learn English will make living in or visiting Australia much more fun and rewarding for you.