M part 2: Multilingual Australia & Music

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You know how much I love Aussie lingo so you shouldn't be surprised that we're coming back to the topic of LANGUAGE (disguised as multilingualism ;-) )


So surely you know English, right? And you've been exposed to Aussie accent long enough to understand everything, correct?

Let's check ;-) Here is the video we played in class last week:



1. As you remember it's a simple conversation between two lovable critters, somewhere in the outback. If you can - make a list of uniquely Aussie words and phrases that you can hear in this clip.


Then have a look here, and see if you can find their meanings.


2. English is not the only language which is spoken in Oz. Variety of languages are used in Australia - look them all up here.


3. But English and other European and Asian languages are only a part of the lingual mix. CLICK HERE to have a look at some data concerning Aboriginal languages and dialects. Even though sadly they are slowly dying out, they are a vital part of Australian history and identity. They will survive in BORROWINGS and GEOGRAPHICAL & PLACE NAMES in Australia.


4. The language reflects the temperament and personality of the people who use it. A short guide to Aussie Slang this way.


5. Finally read this text on Language and Identity. It's trully brilliant. (click the picture)





























For real nerds
 
*** Australian accents and their distribution - Australian voices


For uber geeky nerds (or people who are planning to write their BA about Australian language next year)

*** REGIONAL ACCENTS

*** AUSTRALIAN WORD MAP Here is a list of "cult" Australian songs you may be familiar with and never knew they were actually Aussie.


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Now, the second big topic is MUSIC. Australians are a strange mob when it comes to it. As you remember on the one hand their tastes are very... well... "unsophisticated", on the other they have a much larger knowledge of opera and classical music than an average European.

Below you'll find a list of songs which are sometimes considered "iconic" (and at the very least most Australians would mention them if you asked for something "really" Aussie).

1. Kylie Minogue - Locomotion
2. INXS - Suicide Blonde
3. Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
4. Men At Work - Down Under
5. Powderfinger - These Days
6. MGF - Unsent Letter (documentary 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
7. Nick Cave - Weeping Song , Into My Arms
8. Midnight Juggernauts - Into the Galaxy
9. AC/DC - Back in Black, Thunderstruck
10. (Last year's revelation) Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know

And of course this:

M part 1: Melbourne, marsupials and mateship

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1. Let's begin with a sightseeing tour of Melbourne. Watch the clip below, and if you want to learn more follow this link: slideshow





2. Our second topic is marsupials.



(more marsupial humour here - Mark Parisi site :) )

For general information go to Australian Wildlife website, and then have a look at this clip:



3. The last topic that you may expect some questions on is mateship and larrikinism. Once again we'll be trying to define "Aussie soul". I'm more interested in general attitude than dates and names ;)


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K: Kangaroos, Kids and Kings Cross

That's a "catch-up" note. We have covered the roos and kids' TV programmes in class. But we will come back to Kings Cross (and crime related topics) next week, so please have a look at the materials.

 


1. Kings Cross (or a loving look at Australian crime scene). This is one of the topics really close to my heart.

Kings Cross is a wild mixture of prostitution and crime, with stylish restaurants and hotels. It has visitors of all kinds and although has some slightly run down areas has a certain quality to it as well.

Kings Cross is also home to one of Sydneys oldest areas, Wooloomooloo. Here, opposite the Artspace Gallery, you will find Harry's Cafe de Wheels, open for 18 hours a day, started in 1945. It is a must visit on the way home after a night out.

CLICK HERE to read more about this district of Sydney and learn some useful tips ;-)

Click the picture below to enter the world of Harry's Cafe de Wheels.




The soul of a nation is frequently defined by its outlaws. We'll be talking at lenght in the future about the likes of Ned Kelly, but on Monday we'll just have a look at present day criminals and their portrayal in various media (but mostly films).

Have a look at the clips below to get the feel of Kings Cross, but you don't really need to prepare any answers.






But you will have to do a bit of work for topic #2 ;-)

2. Kangaroos

Here is the ultimate kangaroo quiz from Animal Planet. Take it to find out how much you remember from the class (it takes less than 5 minutes to do).































3. Kids' TV programmes and books

Some clips from the shows we talked about in the class:

Koala Brothers

A fantastic look at the Outback and the life there. Stunning voice acting with a variety of broad accents.

Dot and the Kangaroo

 

This is the whole movie if anyone feels like watching.

The film is one of iconic elements of Australian culture. It's the second ever animated Australian film, and a fantastic mixture of world views represented by the white and the Aboriginal members of Australian society.

Visit Australian Screen website to read more.

And for those who don't have time to watch the movie - the traumatic Bunyip Song:

The Wiggles

The Wiggles is the most popular show for kids in Australia, and normally it looks like that:



(It's a TV programme, but here you have a clip of Wiggles in concert).

However sometimes the Wiggles are much more demonic than that... ;)

This is another song which has traumatised generations of young Australians. Brace yourselves...

Yeah. What have they been smoking, eh? ;)

Finally go here to read about great Aussie literature for kiddies.



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