Day 4 - Language barrier? But we all speak English...right?

When people go to study abroad there are a great deal of things to take into consideration and a lot of questions to ask yourself before deciding to go. The first question is "can I afford it" but when it comes to an opportunity like this a little bit of debt never hurt anyone. The second question is "where should I go". I've always wanted to travel to Australia and I've known about this program since orientation before college so it was a no-brainer to decide on this program. The last question is "what language do they speak there". Australia's official language is English, but it's impossible to tell. This isn't American English. Here's a quick breakdown of the words I came across just today:

1. toilet/loo = bathroom

2. have a go = try it out

3. 5 of 10 = 5 times 10

4. 5 from 10 = 5 over 10

5. decimal 3 = point 3

6. full stop = period

7. have a think = think about it

8. have a chat = make a conversation

9. have a sleep = take a nap

10. smells = farts

11. heaps = lots

12. reckon = believe/think

13. crayons = colored pencils

14. colors = crayons

15. tuckshop = lunch counter

16. avo = afternoon

17. chemist = pharmacy

Today we did quickmath and I carried out my first lesson. I didn't have to plan or write it because it was already set in place but my teacher let me give them the quickmath test. It went well, I confused some of the kids because of the terms I use. But they were all very understanding and patient with me. Tomorrow I have to teach a lesson about myself. I'm going to use Google Earth to show all the students the places I've been and to give them a look at the schools I've attended. I'm also going to show them how to make a culture bag to show how unique they are. It's a great activity and I hope that they enjoy it. Now, it's time to start planning for tomorrow!