Hey listeners!
Are you wondering why the next episode is held up? I'm still waiting for your submissions! Go back and listen to the homework I gave you - and don't be shy! C'mon, I want to hear your best attempt at Aussie English.
I've had plenty of wonderful and encouraging comments from all you blighters out there who love listening to my podcast, now it's your turn to help make it become much better.
What was your homework again? I asked you to record your best effort at saying: "G'day mate, howzit goin?"
Record it, save it, send it to auseng.podcast@gmail.com
So what are you waiting for? Get a wriggle on!
Saturday, 24 April 2010
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Ep.4: Lazy Rs
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE
G'day! Welcome to my podcast - Aussie English from the sticks!
I've been very encouraged by some of my listeners, who have sent messages asking when the next episode will arrive. Well here it is! This is episode four.
As I mentioned in the introduction to this podcast, I will record something ocasionally when I find time. I'm a married man (sorry ladies) with four children. And that keeps me flat out.
First off today I'm gonna give you a few words in Aussie English, then I'll give you all a bit of homework. Reckon you can handle that?
OK, here we go. First off, listen to these words and see if you can notice something strange about Aussie English.
Are you noticing something here? Something about words ending in the R sound? We're kinda lazy and leave it off.
It's funny, cos when I was in Russia, one day I found my translators chatting together and laughing... they were mimmicking the way we say "SHOWER" and having a good old giggle about it.
Our British friends have a similar issue, maybe not as strong. Now compare those words to how an American might say them.
Alright, time to put on my American voice... it'll be close enough for this example - all I really need to do his pinch my nose, haha! (it's a joke)
Oh yeeee!
OK, that should prepare you for what you might hear if you are speaking to an Aussie. Especially if they say "G'day mate. That shower's blocked by a caterpillar, but I can't get hold of the plumber cos he's stuck on a roller coaster".
You never know, it could happen!
Rightio, we come now to the part where I give you a homework assignment. Have you got a microphone? There's plenty of free audio recording programs at FileHippo.com - the one I use is Audacity.
Now I want you to record your best effort at saying: "G'day mate, howzit goin?"
Let me slow that down so you can copy me carefully.
"G'day mate, howzit goin?"
Email your mp3 file to auseng.podcast@gmail.com, and I'll pick a few of the best and put them in my next podcast.
--- LATER ---
Well here I am at work, and you may be able to hear the noises of my work environment in the background. I thought I better finish off the recording so I can post the podcast.
It's been a while, it seems it's very difficult to find time to sit down at the computer. So, I'm using my iPod to finish off this recording.
Earlier I recorded some sounds of birds outside my house. I thought you might enjoy that as a little excursion. Enjoy this, and we'll see you in the next podcast.
--- EXCURSION OUTSIDE ---
Cockatoos. Traffic. Magpies. That's a PeeWee. And crows. There's a crow. You can hear the magpies and the peewees. I can also hear a bullen bullen (note: commonly called Mallee Ringneck Parrot, see picture on the left). Well there goes a car, I'm sure you've got those. And sparrows. Sometimes we hear kookaburras.
And babies :-)
I'm holding baby Amalia right now.
Words you might wanna know:
Flat Out: Very fast; Very busy
Reckon? Do you think?
Rightio/Righto Okay; Sure; No problems!
G'day! Welcome to my podcast - Aussie English from the sticks!
I've been very encouraged by some of my listeners, who have sent messages asking when the next episode will arrive. Well here it is! This is episode four.
As I mentioned in the introduction to this podcast, I will record something ocasionally when I find time. I'm a married man (sorry ladies) with four children. And that keeps me flat out.
First off today I'm gonna give you a few words in Aussie English, then I'll give you all a bit of homework. Reckon you can handle that?
OK, here we go. First off, listen to these words and see if you can notice something strange about Aussie English.
- Shower
- Mister (Mr)
- Here
- Plumber
- Rider
- Roller coaster
- Caterpillar
Are you noticing something here? Something about words ending in the R sound? We're kinda lazy and leave it off.
It's funny, cos when I was in Russia, one day I found my translators chatting together and laughing... they were mimmicking the way we say "SHOWER" and having a good old giggle about it.
Our British friends have a similar issue, maybe not as strong. Now compare those words to how an American might say them.
Alright, time to put on my American voice... it'll be close enough for this example - all I really need to do his pinch my nose, haha! (it's a joke)
- ShowER
- MistER (Mr)
- HeRE
- PlumbER
- RidER
- RollER coastER
- CaterpillAR
Oh yeeee!
OK, that should prepare you for what you might hear if you are speaking to an Aussie. Especially if they say "G'day mate. That shower's blocked by a caterpillar, but I can't get hold of the plumber cos he's stuck on a roller coaster".
You never know, it could happen!
Rightio, we come now to the part where I give you a homework assignment. Have you got a microphone? There's plenty of free audio recording programs at FileHippo.com - the one I use is Audacity.
Now I want you to record your best effort at saying: "G'day mate, howzit goin?"
Let me slow that down so you can copy me carefully.
"G'day mate, howzit goin?"
Email your mp3 file to auseng.podcast@gmail.com, and I'll pick a few of the best and put them in my next podcast.
--- LATER ---
Well here I am at work, and you may be able to hear the noises of my work environment in the background. I thought I better finish off the recording so I can post the podcast.
It's been a while, it seems it's very difficult to find time to sit down at the computer. So, I'm using my iPod to finish off this recording.
Earlier I recorded some sounds of birds outside my house. I thought you might enjoy that as a little excursion. Enjoy this, and we'll see you in the next podcast.
--- EXCURSION OUTSIDE ---
Cockatoos. Traffic. Magpies. That's a PeeWee. And crows. There's a crow. You can hear the magpies and the peewees. I can also hear a bullen bullen (note: commonly called Mallee Ringneck Parrot, see picture on the left). Well there goes a car, I'm sure you've got those. And sparrows. Sometimes we hear kookaburras.
And babies :-)
I'm holding baby Amalia right now.
Words you might wanna know:
Flat Out: Very fast; Very busy
Reckon? Do you think?
Rightio/Righto Okay; Sure; No problems!
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Ep.3: Australia Day!
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE
Aaaah, that good old Aussie tune, The Road to Gundagai, played by clarinetist Alex Hutchinson.
G'day and Happy Australia Day!
Yeah, that's right... today is the 26th of January, 2010. We celebrate Australia on this day every year.
So, what about Australia? What is it we celebrate? Well, for some it isn't a celebration at all. In fact, some Australians call it "Invasion Day" - especially the Aboriginal people.
You see, in January 1788 the "First Fleet" arrived from Britain carrying over 1,400 passengers and crew who would be the first white inhabitants on this beautiful island continent.
But this was no luxury cruise, these passengers were mostly convicts. It was not only the first white settlement, but the first penal colony.
There are many songs about that day, and many songs about poor Englishmen and Irishmen who were convicted of a crime and were "Bound for Botany Bay".
You know, even today a lot of English call Australians "convicts", and regard Australia as a barren, desert island.
Well that's a load of hogswash. What would those poms know anyway? We flog 'em at whatever sport they invent or try to dominate! Cricket, rugby league, rugby union, swimming, tennis...
Righto, I better back off a bit, I think I'm gettin' a little patriotic.
Anyway, what better way to celebrate Australia Day than to honour the Australian Anthem?
We have a pretty snazzy anthem, says me. Some people want to change the anthem to Waltzing Matilda, which I think is a totally stupid idea, because Waltzing Matilda says nothing about our country. It doesn't even say the word "Australia" in it. It's just an Aussie folk song, which is good in itself, but not for an anthem.
So here is our National Anthem. Please follow along to Advance Australia Fair!
Well it's been great having a good old chinwag with you, but I better hit the sack, cos tomorrow it's back to work! (Unless I chuck a sickie).
Enjoy your Australia Day! Seeya later when ya legs are straighter!
Words you might wanna know:
Aboriginal, Aborigine: Original inhabitants of a country. Native.
Convict: Convicted criminal, prisoner.
Hogwash: False talk, lies, silly rumours.
Flog 'em: To beat them (in sport, games etc), conquer them.
Snazzy: Very impressive, nice.
Chinwag: Chat, friendly talk.
Hit the sack: Go to bed.
Chuck a sickie: Have a day off work due to sickness (but usually when you are not truely sick)
Aaaah, that good old Aussie tune, The Road to Gundagai, played by clarinetist Alex Hutchinson.
G'day and Happy Australia Day!
Yeah, that's right... today is the 26th of January, 2010. We celebrate Australia on this day every year.
So, what about Australia? What is it we celebrate? Well, for some it isn't a celebration at all. In fact, some Australians call it "Invasion Day" - especially the Aboriginal people.
But this was no luxury cruise, these passengers were mostly convicts. It was not only the first white settlement, but the first penal colony.
There are many songs about that day, and many songs about poor Englishmen and Irishmen who were convicted of a crime and were "Bound for Botany Bay".
You know, even today a lot of English call Australians "convicts", and regard Australia as a barren, desert island.
Well that's a load of hogswash. What would those poms know anyway? We flog 'em at whatever sport they invent or try to dominate! Cricket, rugby league, rugby union, swimming, tennis...
Righto, I better back off a bit, I think I'm gettin' a little patriotic.
Anyway, what better way to celebrate Australia Day than to honour the Australian Anthem?
We have a pretty snazzy anthem, says me. Some people want to change the anthem to Waltzing Matilda, which I think is a totally stupid idea, because Waltzing Matilda says nothing about our country. It doesn't even say the word "Australia" in it. It's just an Aussie folk song, which is good in itself, but not for an anthem.
So here is our National Anthem. Please follow along to Advance Australia Fair!
Australians all let us rejoiceThat was beautiful...
For we are young and free
We've golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea:
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare,
In history's page let every stage
Advance Australia fair,
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia fair.
Well it's been great having a good old chinwag with you, but I better hit the sack, cos tomorrow it's back to work! (Unless I chuck a sickie).
Enjoy your Australia Day! Seeya later when ya legs are straighter!
Words you might wanna know:
Aboriginal, Aborigine: Original inhabitants of a country. Native.
Convict: Convicted criminal, prisoner.
Hogwash: False talk, lies, silly rumours.
Flog 'em: To beat them (in sport, games etc), conquer them.
Snazzy: Very impressive, nice.
Chinwag: Chat, friendly talk.
Hit the sack: Go to bed.
Chuck a sickie: Have a day off work due to sickness (but usually when you are not truely sick)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)