The Aussie English CD is a must buy for anyone who has ever wondered what "Crikey!", "G'day" and "Fair dinkum" actually mean.
James Lambert, Macquarie Book of Slang
The Aussie English CD is available at www.AussieEnglishCD.com
For years people have come to our site seeking information about the language of the people who drink Australian beers - Australian English. "Why don't I understand a word Aussies say?" "How can I talk (or act!) like an Australian?" Or even, "I'm Australian and I want to learn more about the way *I* talk and act - can you help me?" Up until now all we have been able to do is refer them to the pages we have written about Australian culture and language. But really, this site's focus is ultimately on Australian beer and the pubs it is consumed in. Really.
Hence we were pleased to have recently been able to have a play with a copy of The Aussie English CD. We did have our fears though. Would it turn out to be an absolute shocker, written by people who wouldn't know what it means to be Australian if it bit them on the backside? Would it cause us to cringe, like Crocodile Dundee III did?
Well, we are pleased to that it's far from being a shocker, and we didn't cringe at all.
In fact, we'd go so far as to say that it's a bloody ripper. And it's bloody funny. Basically the CD does an excellent job of explaining what makes Australian English different from standard English (it's designed for people who already speak English). If you're an Aussie, you'll have a good bloody laugh at yourself. If you're a tourist, or just someone who likes Australians - then you'll also have a good bloody laugh, and next time you hear an Aussie there's a good chance you'll finally understand what he (or she!) is saying, and be able to hurl back some Strine (as it's called) in reply.
And it's only US$15, which is bloody cheap if you ask us.
Damper anyone?
The CD's based around the antics of your average Aussie bloke Bruce (which is fair enough as all foreigners seem to think that we are called Bruce - thanks to Monty Python we suspect). Basically you follow Bruce and his mates as they get up to all sorts of strife in what the CD calls the four "cornerstones" of Australian life: the Barbie, the Beach, the Outback and the Pub.
Bruce is obviously a cartoon character - it isn't Doom III, but to teach the joys of Australian English it doesn't have to be. It's high quality in a timeless sort of way. What they've done is take everything that's different and amusing about Australian English, and have the cartoon characters interact with each other using it. So naturally it sounds VERY Australian, as normally not every word that pops out of our mouths is only used down under.
The adventures go for quite a while - you get your money's worth that's for sure, and along the way you get to play games that keep you using Aussie words and phrases. Our favourite was getting to burn (oops, we mean cook) everyone's snags at the barbie. But there were others we had fun with as well - like whacking some local animals on the head with a boomerang to learn about the joys of bush tucker.
When good barbies go bad...
Anyway, the cartoon "movies" were bloody hilarious. Every Aussie will be able to identify with the main characters and what they get up to, and "non-native speakers" will no doubt learn heaps of Aussie slang along the way (the standard English subtitles will help here).
Bruce teaches you the finer points of shouting
Once you've done that you can listen to the Bruce character explain what you've seen, and also have him explain cultural or language concepts - with some overlap with the sort of stuff we've done on the site we might add. For example, he goes into detail about how to shout a beer, give Aussie greetings and goodbyes, the concepts of bludging and piking, and so on. In fact, there are bloody heaps of these - some 30 or more - and they don't just relate to the pub! You can't complain about the lack of content. And each of these also has a set of phrases that you can listen to (in either a bloke's or sheila's voice), and also record yourself. You can then play back your voice after the Aussie voice to see how you are going.
There's also a dictionary that does the same thing. Our favourite entry is as follows, but there are what seems like thousands of entries to check out.
Is that better or worse than being as flash as a rat with a gold tooth?
Finally we might say that out of the whole CD we particularly enjoyed our time in the pub: they've gone to great lengths to teach users about the language and culture of the rubbity, and even how to order beers in every Australian state.
What? No Hahn Premium??
It's good to see they have covered the important stuff of life down under. If you have an interest in Aussie culture and language, then this CD is tops.
More information about the features of The Aussie English CD can be found at their website: www.AussieEnglishCD.com.
You can also check out a review from a Brisbane newspaper.
More information about the features of The Aussie English CD can be found at their website: www.AussieEnglishCD.com.
NOTE: Two of the contributors to this site like The Aussie English CD so much they also hold shares in Smoko Software Pty Ltd, which is one of the vendors of The Aussie English CD.