Slow English has moved

Hi,

I have moved my Slow English podcast to a new website address at www.slowenglish.info.  There you will find a full list of all my podcasts.

Have a great day.

Rob

Podcast 21 – Federal Government in Australia

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 21 – Federal Government in Australia

Hi,

Who makes the decisions in Australia?  I am talking about the big decisions about our economy, our taxes, our defence forces, our schools, our hospitals, our roads, our laws, our immigration – just to name a few.  It’s the government of course, the politicians in the government.  Sometimes I don’t agree with their decisions.  In Australia you get the opportunity to vote for a new Australian Federal government about every 3 years.  If you don’t agree with government decisions, or you don’t like what they are planning to do, or are not happy about how they are running the country, you can vote for someone else at the next election.  That’s what democracy is all about – it’s the people who choose who will run the country.

In this podcast, I would like to tell you something about politics and how our democracy works in Australia.  I must say I’m a great fan of our democracy.  It’s not perfect, and I don’t always like who wins the election, but I believe it is a fair system and a good one.

Australia is a federation of 6 States and 2 Territories.  Before 1901, there were 6 independent states and each was a separate colony of Britain, with its own government.  There was no Australian government.  In 1899 and 1900, the people in each state voted in a referendum.  A referendum is where all the voters answer a question, either Yes or No.  The question was whether or not the States should join to become one nation. There was a majority Yes vote in each state.  A majority means more than half.   In 1901, Australia’s Federal government was created.  That’s when Australia became a nation.  Each state and territory today still has its own government which manages certain aspects of Australian life, while Australia’s Federal government looks after the big things at the national level.

Australia, like other countries, has a constitution. This is a document which describes all the rules for how Australia will operate as a nation, how the government must work including how laws will be made and what role the Australian Federal government and the State and Territory governments will have.  I’ve only read small pieces of the constitution, but I think it must be a good document, because Australia has been a stable country, with a good democracy, ever since 1901.

Australia’s democracy is called a parliamentary democracy.  It’s very similar to the democracy in Britain.  Australia’s parliament building is in Canberra, our capital city.  Our parliament is made up of two houses.  We have the Lower House, called the House of Representatives, and the Upper House, called the Senate. The parliament building has two large rooms or chambers, where members of each house meet to carry out their roles.  Their job is to follow the rules set out in the constitution in order to govern Australia.

In Australia’s Lower House of parliament, the House of Representatives, there are 150 places or seats.  Each seat represents about 90,000 people covering a small part or region of Australia.  All the seats have been given names.  For example, I live in the federal seat of Menzies, which covers my area of Melbourne.  This seat is named after one of Australia’s most famous politicians from the 1950s and 1960s, Sir Robert Menzies.  The 90,000 people who live in the seat of Menzies elect one person who goes to the parliament in Canberra to represent us.

In Australia’s Upper House of parliament, the Senate, there are 76 places.  People elected to the Senate are called Senators. Unlike the Lower House, each Senator represents a whole State or Territory.  Each of the 6 States has 12 senators and there are 2 senators for each of the 2 territories.

People who are elected to the parliament nearly always belong to a political party.  A political party is a group of people who believe in certain types of policies.  A policy is a way of doing things in government.  For example, if you earn a high income, should you pay a much higher rate of tax?  This is a policy question.  In Australia, we have 2 major political parties – The Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party of Australia.  They have different policies in many areas.  The Australian Labor Party is more to the left, and the Liberal Party is more to the right.  There are other smaller political parties too, including the National Party and The Greens.  Sometimes two political parties work together because they agree on many policies.  For example, at the moment the Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party are working together against the Australian Labor Party.  Working together like that is called a Coalition.

So who is the head of the Australian Federal Government?  Well that’s an interesting question.  You see, Australia has a Queen.  She’s Queen Elizabeth, who is British and lives in Britain.  She is actually the head of Australia’s government.  She is also the head of the government for some other countries, including Canada and New Zealand.  Because she lives so far away from Australia, she has a representative who lives in Australia.  That person is called the Governor General and they are the head of Australia’s Federal government.  But in reality, neither the Queen nor the Governor General actually makes any decisions.  They always act on the advice of the elected government and their role is quite limited.  In reality, the elected politicians make all the decisions and they are the ones who really govern the nation.

There are many people in Australia who believe that we should not have the Queen as our head of government, and that we should become a republic. For example, India and the USA are republics. There are different opinions about this in Australia.  In 1999 there was a referendum, asking if Australia should become a Republic.  The majority of people voted no, so our head of government stays as the Queen.  But perhaps one day this question will be asked again in another referendum.  Personally, I would prefer a Republic.  But our government continues to work well with the Queen as our head.

The real head of Australia’s Federal government, the one who makes decisions for us, is the Prime Minister.  He or she is the leader of the political party which has won a majority of seats in the Lower House, the House of Representatives.  Since the House of Representatives has 150 seats, the political party which wins more than 75 seats in the election becomes the government.   The leader of that party becomes the Prime Minister and he or she appoints a team of ministers from among the other elected members and senators in his or her political party.  Together, they control the government and make all the decisions for Australia.  The largest political party with less than 75 seats is called the Opposition, because their job is to ’oppose’ the government and make sure the government does a good job.  It’s no surprise that their leader is called The Leader of the Opposition.  The Opposition could become the government after the next election, depending upon how the people of Australia vote.  Debate in our parliament can be very vigorous at times.  The Opposition are almost always very critical of what the government is doing and they ask tough questions in parliament, make statements and deliver speeches about what the government is doing wrong and how they would do it differently if they were the government.  This keeps the government ‘on their toes’, which I think is good for our democracy.

The two houses of parliament play slightly different roles.  Because the government is determined by whichever party has the majority in the House of Representatives, the Lower House, it is also called the House of Government.  This is where the Prime Minister sits and is where most new laws are proposed, although new laws can also be proposed in the Senate.  The Senate, by contrast, is also called the House of Review, since it must review and pass all the new laws which are passed by the House of Representatives.  All laws must be voted on and passed by both houses of parliament.

In Australia, it is law that all Australians 18 years or older must vote.  This helps to ensure that we get the government that the people want.  And that is also what democracy is all about.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com.  I would love to hear from you.  Tell me where you live, a little bit about yourself and what you think of my Slow English podcast.  Perhaps you could suggest a topic for a future podcast. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

appoints = to choose

belong = when you are part of a group.  For example, a family, a football team, a political party

Britain = another name for the United Kingdom.  Includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  Also called Great Britain.

British = someone who comes from Britain

chambers = large rooms

continues = when something doesn’t stop

debate = when people talk about things.  Usually they don’t agree.

defence forces = the navy, army and airforce, who protect the country in time of war.

democracy = a form of government where the people decide who will govern the country

determined = when something is decided

different = when two things are not the same

document = where things are written down.  For example, a book, a newspaper, a constitution

economy = describes all the goods and services in a country, including the money paid for them

elected = when someone is chosen in an election.  Other people have voted for them.

election = when everyone votes.  They choose what they want

famous = when someone is well known

govern = when you control something according to rules

immigration = when someone goes to another country to live and does not return.

including = when something is a part of something else

income = the money you receive for doing your job or for running your business

nation = a single country.  For example, Australia, China, USA, India

national level = when things are a high level, the level of a country or a nation

‘on their toes’ = when someone has to be careful that they do the right thing

operate = to make something work

opinions = when someone believes something which they may not be able to prove

opportunity = when you have the chance to do something not normally possible

oppose = to be against something

opposition = when you are against something

personally = for one person

pieces = parts of something

politicians = people who are elected by the people to make decisions in the government

proposed = when something is put forward for others to consider.  For example, an idea

representatives = people who speak for you, on your behalf

represents = to speak for someone else

republic = a type of government which has no King or Queen.

review = to look at something again and check that it is correct

similar = when two things are the same or nearly the same

speeches = when someone speaks before a group of other people and they listen

stable = when something has not changed much, does not vary much

states = a region which has a name and its own government

surprise = when you are not expecting something

taxes = the money that is paid to the government by the people, so the government can do its job

territories = a region which has a name and under the control of a higher government.  It may also have its own government

tough = difficult

vigorous = when something is strong and active

Podcast 20 – The Royal Flying Doctor Service

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 20 – The Royal Flying Doctor Service

Hi,

Even though Australia is a big place with lots of open spaces, 89% of its 23 million people live in the big cities or in towns nearby, mostly on the coast.  For those people, getting to a doctor or a hospital is usually no problem.  But what about people who live in remote locations?  In these places, there are no hospitals and a doctor may not visit very often, or not at all.  What about people who work at remote cattle stations, or remote mining towns in the outback, or in small towns many hundreds of kilometres from the nearest hospital?  These people get sick and have accidents too.  And what about people who are travelling in these remote areas?  Sometimes they will need urgent medical help while they are travelling. To meet these health needs, Australia has a unique organization.  It’s called the Royal Flying Doctor Service, or RFDS for short.

The RFDS was started 85 years ago by the Reverend John Flynn.  On the 17^th of May, 1928 he was able to organise the first aircraft flight carrying a pilot and the first RFDS doctor to help someone in a remote area.  In 1929, the pedal powered radio was invented so that people in remote outback Australia could call the RFDS by radio in a medical emergency.  Today the RFDS provides medical transport across 80% of outback Australia, providing medical help for all those people living in remote areas and also those travelling through outback Australia.  Radio is still used to communicate in many outback locations today although the telephone is now readily available. John Flynn’s picture is on Australia’s $20 note.  He was certainly a great Australian.

The RFDS today is a large organization with 61 aircraft which, in 2011/12, made over 74,000 flights covering a distance of nearly 27 million kilometres.  It employs 1,150 staff including 186 pilots, 19 radio staff, 162 doctors and 247 nurses.  It has 21 bases around Australia with aircraft which also provide medical services, and 5 special health facilities which provide just medical services.  It provides services 24 hours a day to an area of Australia that’s nearly the size of the USA.  Every day, it makes around 200 landings.  Wow, that’s big.  Without it, life in outback Australia would be almost impossible.

In 2011/12, it cost nearly $60 million to run.  These costs come from Australian governments (72%), charity donations (17%) and the rest from other sources of income.  Importantly, for the people that it helps every day across Australia, there is no cost.  It is free.

The RFDS helps people in a number of ways, and not only by aircraft transport.  I’ll summarise their services next.  For a complete list and more details about the RFDS, you should visit the RFDS website, at http://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/.

Emergency Air Transport

When someone is seriously ill or injured and requires urgent transport by air to a hospital, the RFDS will send an aircraft.  For this service, the RFDS may fly to an isolated place such as a cattle station, a mine site, a road house or a small town, to a remote health facility, or even to where the accident has happened.

The RFDS will also transfer sick patients by air from one hospital to a larger hospital if required.

All RFDS aircraft are specially set up as small intensive care units, with state-of-the-art medical equipment.

They are capable of speeds of up to 500 kilometres per hour and can travel for up to 1,500 kilometres. They are pressurised, which means the air pressure inside the aircraft is the same as at sea level.  This is essential for the treatment of serious injuries.

Aircraft are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Aircraft are staffed with a pilot, a flight nurse and sometimes also a doctor.  In 2011/12, there were almost 5,000 emergency evacuations.

Telehealth Consultations

Sometimes, a doctor can treat a sick person by talking to them on the phone and then prescribing medicine.  This method of remote consultations is used by RFDS doctors very successfully.  It is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week by telephone and radio to people living or travelling in rural and outback Australia. Over 85,000 of these consultations are conducted each year.   That’s a lot of patients who were helped without anyone having to travel hundreds of kilometres.

Doctors and Nurses – They Come to the People

Many times however, it’s best if the doctor or nurse goes to the patient.  The RFDS meets this need by sending doctors to remote areas regularly to hold clinics.  A clinic is like a temporary doctor’s practice which the people can visit to be treated for sicknesses which are not urgent.  The RFDS doctor flies in, holds the clinic and then flies out.  In 2011/12, there were around 3,000 such clinics and RFDS doctors treated more than 31,000 patients at these clinics.  There are also special child and maternal clinics for the care of pregnant women, babies and young children.  This means having a family in a remote area can be a safer experience.  These clinics are run by RFDS doctors and specialist child and maternal health nurses.

Nurses also provide clinics.  As well as providing everyday health care to patients, they also spend several days in each place providing health education, including school health programs, immunization and screening programs in remote schools.  In 2011/12, there were around 1,600 nursing clinics and they treated more than 10,000 patients at those clinics.

Medical Chests

The RFDS also provides medical chests at certain locations around Australia.  A medical chest is a large metal box containing a range of medicines, bandages and other medical items used to treat sick or injured people.  It’s a bit like a chemist shop in a box. They are looked after by a member of the public who must manage it according to RFDS rules.  Currently, there are 2,431 medical chests in rural and remote Australia.

Rural Women’s GP Service

One special RFDS program is called the Rural Women’s GP Service.  It provides RFDS women doctors for remote communities, to deal with more sensitive women’s health issues.  Many rural women would prefer to see a female doctor about these issues.  This service encourages them to visit the doctor when a clinic is held.

Health Promotion

A major part of what the RFDS does is about promoting healthy living.  There is a saying – prevention is better than cure.  So all RFDS programs and services also promote good health practices.  That way, even if you are healthy today, you can learn how to prevent illness in the future.

For those of you who are interested in flying, here are some details about the aircraft the RFDS uses.

• They have PC-12 Pilatus aircraft, which are single engine propeller aircraft.  These carry a single pilot, 1 nurse and room for 2 patients.  These are used for emergency air transport.
• They also have Beecraft King Air B200 aircraft, which are twin engine propeller aircraft.  These can carry two pilots, 1 nurse, sometimes a doctor and have room for 2 patients.  These are also used for emergency air transport.
• The third aircraft is a single Hawker 800XP2, a twin engine Jet, carrying 3 medical staff and with room for 3 patients.
• There are also 2 Cessna Grand Caravan C208 aircraft.  These are single engine propeller aircraft.

I have never had to fly in an RFDS aircraft and I hope it stays that way.  In the meantime, those Australians living in rural and remote Australia can enjoy living in the outback, knowing that if they become sick or are injured, the RFDS is always there.

There is a good film called Royal Flying Doctors on TV.  You can see it at this link.  http://www.flyingdoctor4education.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=13&Itemid=218

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com.  I would love to hear from you.  Tell me where you live, a little bit about yourself and what you think of my Slow English podcast.  Perhaps you could suggest a topic for a future podcast. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

(Photographs copyright Royal Flying Doctor Service – used with their permission)

Vocabulary

accidents = when something goes wrong.  For example, a car crash.  In accidents, you sometimes get hurt

aircraft = an aeroplane.  It flies through the sky and carries people to other places.

bandages = used to wrap a part of your body which has been injured

bases = a place where the RFDS has its aircraft and where it can also treat sick people

cattle stations = very large area of land used to raise cattle for meat

charity = when money is given in order to help someone in need

clinics = a place where doctors or nurses provide help to those who are sick

communicate = when messages are passed from one person to another.  For example by telephone or radio

conducted = when something is undertaken.  For example, a search was conducted.

consultations = when you go to see the doctor about your sickness

emergency = when somebody is very sick and they need a doctor very soon.

employs = when a person works for a company or organisation

equipment = the tools which help you do something.  For example, a heart monitor

evacuations = when people are taken away from a place

experience = when you go through an event

immunization = when you are given a medicine which stops you from getting a sickness

impossible = it cannot be done

intensive care units = a place where very sick people get the best of care

invented = when someone thinks of and builds something new which no one else has thought of.

isolated = when a place is a long way from any other place.  There are no other towns nearby.

maternal = to do with being a mother

mining = digging valuable minerals (like gold) from the ground

organise = to get things in order

organization = where a large number of people work together

outback = the parts of Australia which are a long way from the city

pedal powered radio = a radio which makes its own electricity using pedals from a bicycle

pregnant = when a woman is going to have a baby

prescribing = when the doctor tells you what medicine you should have

prevention is better than cure = when you get sick, a doctor can cure you.  But it is better not to get sick at all

promoting = when you tell people about something which is good for them

remote locations = places which have few people and are a long way from cities

Reverend = a type of priest in a Christian church

road house = on the highway, where you can buy petrol and something to eat

Royal = means that the Queen supports this service and has said it can use the word Royal in its name

screening = when people are tested in a group to see if they have a disease

sensitive = things that are hard to talk about.  For example, when something is very personal

single engine propeller = an aircraft which has one propeller to make it move through the air

special health facilities = a place where sick people are treated

state-of-the-art = the best you can get

travelling = to go from one place to another

twin = two

unique = when something is the only one of its kind.

urgent = when something must be done now or very soon

 

Podcast 19 – Working Life in Australia

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 19 – Working Life in Australia

[audio  http://traffic.libsyn.com/slowenglish/podcast19.mp3%5D

Hi,

We spend a lot of time at work during our life.  I spent 38 years in full time work before I retired.  During my working life, I had periods where I was very happy in my work, but I also had periods where I didn’t enjoy my work much at all.  But overall, I can say that I was well paid and had good working conditions. In this podcast, I will tell you a little about the conditions that Australians have when they go to work.  I think many Australians don’t appreciate just how good our working conditions are.  When you write it all down, as I have here, it makes you realize how fortunate we are.

Our current working conditions in Australia are described in a law passed by the Australian Federal Parliament in Canberra (our capital city).  The law is called The Fair Work Act 2009.  This is a law which describes the minimum conditions which must be provided by Australian employers for all their workers.  Many employers provide better conditions than these, however every company must provide these conditions as a minimum.  For example, my last company before I retired, Australia Post, provides much better conditions than these minimums in some aspects.  That’s one of the main reasons it was (and still is) a great company to work for.

The Fair Work Act lists a number of standards which must be met by Australian companies.  These are called the National Employment Standards (or NES).  More details can be found at http://www.fairwork.gov.au.  I will provide a brief summary only in this podcast.

The first standard is about hours of work.  It states that the maximum hours is 38 hours per week, although the employer can ask you to work additional hours if it is reasonable.  I know when I was working, there were some weeks when I worked more than 38 hours.  It was usually because there was a project which had to be finished by a certain date.  Working the additional hours was always discussed first with the worker.  For example, people with children may not be able to work additional hours, and this must be taken into account by employers.

The second standard is about asking for flexible working arrangements.  This standard means that a worker can ask for a change in their working arrangements, such as a reduction in their working hours, or perhaps changing their start and finish times.  This standard is for parents of young children not yet going to school, or for those parents who have a disabled child under 18 years.  The worker can only make the request after they have been working for 12 months at that company.  The employer can say no, but there must be good business reasons.  For example, a parent of a 3 year old child might ask if he can start work later, at say 10.00am, so that he can leave his child at a local child care centre by 9.30am.    The thing I like about this standard is that the request is made in writing by the worker and the employer must reply in writing within 21 days.  Sometimes a compromise can be agreed.  Maybe the worker can work from home for the first hour, making work phone calls and using the computer, drop his child off at the child care centre and then come to work by 10.00am.  That might be suitable for both the worker and the employer.

The third standard is about parental leave.  This standard means that every parent is able to take up to 12 months leave for the birth or adoption of a child.  The leave is unpaid (that means, without pay) but the person’s job will still be there for them when they return to work.  For pregnant mothers to be, they can start their leave 6 weeks before the birth of their child.  A parent taking this leave can also take a second 12 months of parental leave if they want to. I think this standard is an excellent one, as it means that mothers (and fathers) can look after their child at the time when the child needs them most, when they are very young.

The fourth standard is about annual leave.  We all love and need our yearly holidays.  In Australia, every worker is given four weeks of paid annual leave, as long as they have worked for at least 12 months with that company.  Four weeks is just right in order to have a trip or go on a cruise.

I always felt well rested after four weeks away from work.

The fifth standard is about sick leave or carer’s leave.  Sometimes we are just too sick to go to work, or perhaps you need to care for your child who is sick. This standard gives up to 10 days paid leave each year.  Usually, a medical certificate from a doctor is required.   One great thing about this leave is that it accumulates from year to year if you don’t use it.  That means after 2 years, you will have 20 days sick leave if you need it, and so on.  I remember one of my co-workers at Australia Post who got seriously ill and, because his sick leave had accumulated over many years of working, he could take many months off work on full pay in order to get well again.  That’s a great thing to have.

Another standard is about long service leave.  This is something I used when I was working.  The amount of long service leave varies from one Australian State to the next, and from one employer to the next, but in Victoria it is around 8 weeks fully paid leave after 10 years of working for the same employer.  What a fantastic benefit.  In my case, I worked for 10 years for Australia Post and then I was able to take 3 months long service leave.  I really enjoyed this time and I used it well.  For example, I got my guitar out of its case, practiced a lot and learned how to record my own songs.   I love playing guitar now and you can hear my playing at the start and end of this audio podcast.

The last standard I would like to talk about is what happens when you lose your job, in particular when it is not your fault.  Firstly, you will receive at least 4 weeks’ notice, or payment in lieu.  This means that the employer must tell you four weeks before you are due to finish.  If they can’t give you 4 weeks’ notice, then they must give you 4 weeks’ pay instead of, or in lieu of, the notice.   As well as that, they must also give you what’s called redundancy pay.  The amount of the redundancy pay will depend on how long you have worked for the company.  If you have worked for 1 year, you will get at least 4 weeks redundancy pay.  If you have worked for 10 years, you will get at least 12 weeks redundancy pay.  Many companies, especially large ones, have much better redundancy pay than this minimum amount.  This helps you to pay your bills while you look for another job.  It’s a great benefit.  Overall, I think Australians are fortunate to have such good minimum working conditions while they earn a living to support their families.  Personally, I’m glad that I am retired.  That’s the best job of all.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com.  I would love to hear from you.  Tell me where you live, a little bit about yourself and what you think of my Slow English podcast.  Perhaps you could suggest a topic for a future podcast. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

accumulates = when something gets bigger every year.

additional = when there is something more, another one.

adoption = when it is agreed that a child can become a member of another family

annual = every year.

appreciate = when you understand that something is good.

arrangements = the things that are agreed to by everyone.

aspect = one part of something.

Australian Federal Parliament = where the government of Australia meets to make laws, in Canberra.

benefit = when something is good for you.

bills = the amounts you must pay in order to live your life.  For example, your rent, your food.

carer  = the person who looks after someone.  They care for them.

company = a group of people working together in business.  The employer owns the company

compromise = when two people agree on something.  They get some of the things they want, but not all.

cruise = to go for a trip on a ship.

described = to talk or write about something.

disabled = when someone is not able to do the things other people can do.  For example, when they are blind or deaf.

discussed = when you talk something over with someone.

earn = when you are paid for doing something.  For example, doing a job in a company.

employers = the people who give you a job.  They are the boss.

fantastic = when something is really, really good.

flexible = when things can change and are not fixed all the time.

fortunate = when good things have happened to you.

holidays = when you don’t need to be at work.  You can rest at home or take a trip.

leave = when you don’t need to be at work.  For example, when you are on holidays.

maximum = the largest amount.  It cannot be larger than this.

medical certificate = a piece of paper you get from a doctor to say you are sick.

minimum = the smallest amount.  It cannot be smaller than this.

not your fault  = when you did not make something happen.

notice = when you are told that something will happen in the future.

overall = when you include everything.

paid = when money has been given in exchange for something.  For example, for work.

parental = to do with being a parent.

period = an amount of time.  For example, 2 months.

project = when you have a job to do which has a start and a finish

provided = when something is given.

reasonable = when you think something is okay and you agree with it.

reduction = when something is made smaller or a smaller amount.

redundancy pay = a special pay you get when you lose your job and it is not your fault.

reply = to give an answer to a question.

request = when you ask for something.

seriously ill = when someone is very sick and they may die.

standard = you can compare things to a standard.

suitable = when some meets your needs.

taken into account = when something is understood and is thought about.

working conditions = how things are at work.  For example, hours of work, pay, holidays.

Podcast 18 – A Licence to Drive – Learning to Drive in Australia

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 18 – A Licence to Drive – Learning to Drive in Australia

Hi,

 Australians love their cars.  We have a large country, long distances and very long roads.  That means that almost everyone has a driver’s license. In fact, it’s rare to find someone who doesn’t have one.  I got mine when I was 17 years old, way back in 1969. Back then, it was much easier to get a driver’s licence.   Nowadays, it’s much harder and that’s a good thing.  There are many more cars on the road now and all our drivers need to be highly skilled.  In fact, the number of people killed in road accidents (called the road toll) has dropped steadily in Victoria since 1970, when it was at its peak of 1061.  In 2012, Victoria’s road toll had dropped to 282.  That’s the lowest since we started recording these numbers.  Improving our driver training has played an important role in that reduction. In this podcast, I will give you a summary of how you get a driver’s licence in my state of Victoria.  For more detailed information, you should visit www.vicroads.vic.gov.au or www.keys2drive.com.au.

In Victoria we have a graduated licensing system.  This means there are 4 types of licences and new drivers move from one type to the next as they develop more driving skills.  For young drivers under 21 years of age, there is an extra step, as these drivers have the most risk of crashing when they first start driving.  The graduated licensing system is helping to reduce this.

 The first licence is a Learners’ Permit.  The second is called a Probationary 1 Licence.  This licence is only for new drivers under 21 years of age. The third is called a Probationary 2 Licence.  The final licence is called a Full Licence.

 You can get a Learner’s Permit from the age of 16 years.  To do that, you must read, study and understand a book called ‘The Road to Solo Driving’.  This book has all the information and rules that a driver needs to know in order to get a Learner’s Permit.  First, you must complete a computer test at an office of VicRoads.

VicRoads is the government department which administers drivers’ licences in Victoria.  You must first book an appointment at VicRoads and then you must take a computer based test. In the test (which is available in 20 languages), you must answer 32 questions about the road rules and about road safety.   In order to pass the test, you must get at least 25 questions correct.  That’s 78% correct.  If you pass, just pay the Learner’s Permit fee and, congratulations, now you are a learner driver!  The Learner’s Permit lasts for up to 10 years.  But I don’t think there are many people that would take that long.  I hope not anyway.

The Learners’ Permit allows you to drive a car only under the supervision of another qualified driver.  They are called the Supervisory Driver.  They must have a Full Licence.  The job of the Supervisory Driver is to teach you how to drive safely and how to drive according to the road rules.  When our two sons were learning to drive, my wife and I were the Supervisory Drivers, although our sons both had around 5 driving lessons with a professional driving instructor.  I think that’s a good idea, especially before they take their Probationary Licence driving test.

 There are some restrictions for drivers with Learners Permits.

1. Obviously, they must always drive with a qualified Supervisory Driver in the car.
2. They must show yellow L Plates on the front and back of the car.
3. They must have NO alcohol in their blood.  That means no drinking alcoholic drinks before you go driving.
4. They must not use a mobile phone, not even if it is a hands-free phone.
5. They must not tow a caravan or a trailer, and
6. They must always carry their Learner’s Permit licence card with them.

But that’s not all. If they are under 21 years of age, they are also required to practise their driving for at least 120 hours before they can take the Probationary Licence driving test.  Included in the 120 hours there must also be 10 hours of night driving.  They must also prove they have done the 120 hours driving by completing an official Learner Log Book.  Each time they drive, they must write down in the log book when they drove, for how long, for how far, in what conditions and who was the Supervisory Driver.  For example, they must show that they have driven in light traffic, in heavy traffic, in the dry, in the wet, on Freeways, on country roads, on gravel roads, during the day, at night and at dusk.  Wow, that is a lot of driving.  But it helps make sure that each new driver receives a lot more driver training than when I was a young man.  And that means fewer accidents and fewer road deaths and injuries.  A Learner Log Book is not required if you are over 21 when you learn to drive.

New drivers under 21 years of age must practice with their Learners Permit for at least 12 months.  Those who are 21 to 25 years of age must practice for at least 6 months, and those over 25 years of age must practice for at least 3 months.  Note however that you can only take the Probationary Licence test once you turn 18 years of age.  So some 16 year old learner drivers will get 2 years of practice with a driving supervisor.  I think that’s a good thing.  Practice makes perfect.

When they are finally ready to take their Probationary Licence test, there are two tests to take.

The first is a Hazard Perception Test.  This is a video test and shows how safely you respond to traffic situations.  If you pass that test, then you take the Probationary Licence Drive Test.  This is the big one. This is a practical test taken with an examiner in the car.  You drive for 30 minutes in many traffic conditions, both quiet and busy.  You must show that you can control the car, can obey all the road rules, can cooperate with the other drivers on the road and show that you can drive safely.   If you pass that test, then well done, you are now a Probationary Driver.  Time to celebrate. If you are under 21 years of age, then your licence is called a Probationary 1 Licence.  This lasts for 1 year.  During this time, you must wear red P plates on the front and back of your car.

 This lets other drivers know that you are a young, new driver.  These drivers have the highest rate of accidents and so there are special conditions which apply, including:

1. You must not use a mobile phone, not even if it is a hands-free
2. You must not have any alcohol in your blood.  Like the Learners Permit, no drinking.
3. You can carry only one other person who is aged between 16 and 22 years of age in the car.  This rule applies because, in the past, we have had crashes where many young people under 22 years of age have all died in one car.  That’s a terrible thing that this law will help prevent.

Once they have successfully driven for 1 year, then the new driver automatically receives his Probationary 2 Licence, which lasts for 3 years.  Now they can change their red P plates for green P plates.

 They can now use hands-free mobile phones, but they must still not have any alcohol in their blood.  Note that new drivers who are over 21 years of age go straight to the Probationary 2 Licence once they pass their drive test.

After 3 years of successful and safe driving with a Probationary 2 Licence, the new driver will automatically receive their full drivers licence.  Now they should be an experienced and safe driver. I hope our road toll continues to drop.  In my opinion, our graduated licensing system is a great system.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page.  You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com.  I would love to hear from you.  Tell me where you live, a little bit about yourself and what you think of my slowenglish podcast.  Perhaps you could suggest a topic for a future podcast. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

accidents = something that is not planned, usually something bad

according = when you follow something

administers = to control

alcohol = in beer and wine, it affects your brain.  It can make you drunk

applies = when you must follow what you are told

appointment = when you make a time to see someone

automatically = when something happens by itself.  You don’t need to ask, it just happens.

blood = the liquid in our bodies.  It is red

caravan = a place where you can sleep that is pulled behind a car

computer based test = a test done on a computer

conditions = the things which can change

congratulations = when you tell someone they have done something very good

cooperate = when you help someone else or work together with them

correct = when something is right

country = the areas away from the city

crashing = when two cars hit one another

died = when someone is no longer living

distance = how far from one place to another place

dusk = just before the sun goes down

experienced = when someone has done something for a long time.

extra = when there is one more

graduated = when something increases in steps

gravel = made from loose rock.

hands-free phone = a mobile phone which you can use without your hands

hazard = something which might be dangerous

highly skilled  = when someone is very good at doing something

improving = when something is getter better

injuries = when people get hurt, usually in an accident

killed = when someone has their life taken

nowadays = in our time, now

peak = when something is at its highest

perception = when you see or hear something

perfect = when something has no errors or mistakes

practise = when you do something many times in order to get better

professional driving instructor = someone who is paid to teach learner drivers

qualified = when someone has been trained and knows what to do

rare = when something is hardly ever seen

recording = to write something down

reduction = when something goes down or gets smaller

respond = when something makes you do something else

restrictions = things which you are not allowed to do

risk = when something may happen, but it is not known if it will happen

rules = these tell you what you can and what you can’t do

steadily = when something is changing over a long time

successful = when someone has done something correctly.

supervision = when someone watches you to make sure you do it correctly

terrible = when something is very, very bad

trailer = is pulled behind a car and used to carry things

Podcast 17 – Schools in Australia

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 17 – Schools in Australia

Hi,

As a parent, I know how important schools are in giving your children a good start in life. Schools have also been important for me personally. My first job after university was as a school teacher. I was a teacher for 12 years in schools in Western Australia before I decided to become a trainer and later a project manager. But that’s another story.

Schools systems in Australia are controlled by each state or territory government. I live in the State of Victoria so the schools here are controlled by the Victorian State Government. There are 5 other states and two territories in Australia and each of them has some differences in their school systems. I will talk about the government school system in Victoria in this podcast. However, the school systems in the other states and territories are very similar. As well as government schools, there are also many private schools. They mostly follow the same type of program, but with some differences. Private schools charge fees. Government schools, by contrast, are free. I will provide a summary in my podcast, but if you want more detailed information, you should visit http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au.

There are 3 levels in Victoria’s school system, as there are in each state and territory in Australia. The first level is Kindergarten. This is for children aged 3 to 5 years. The second level is Primary School. This is for children aged 5 to 12 years. The third level is Secondary School. This is for children aged 12 to 17 years. I will talk about each of these 3 levels in this podcast. There is, of course, a fourth level after this which I will cover in another podcast. The fourth level is the Tertiary Level. This level includes universities and technical colleges.

Our first level of schooling is Kindergarten. It’s interesting that this is named using the German word. Often, this name is shortened to Kinder in every day speaking. Kindergarten is also called Preschool.

When I was a child in school (about 50 years ago), there was no Kindergarten or Preschool level. However, these days it’s important to start preparing for schooling early so that children can develop the social, mental and physical skills needed for Primary School. Whilst Kindergarten is not compulsory in Victoria, nearly all children in Victoria do attend. It’s usually a 1 year program and children normally start when they are 4 years of age. Some children may need an extra year of Kindergarten, if their kindergarten teacher feels they need more time to develop the skills needed for Primary School. Of course, this decision is always made together with the child’s parents. Kindergarten is not a full time program, as the children are still very young at 4 years of age. Children usually attend kindergarten for 15 hours a week, in two or three sessions. My wife and I can still remember dropping our youngest child off at Kindergarten in the morning. At first he was sad to see us leave (and so were we), but soon he was happy to be with his friends, playing games and having fun.

The second level of schooling is Primary School and this is compulsory, which means all children must attend. Primary School starts with grade ‘Prep’ (‘Prep’ is short for preparatory year) and finishes at grade 6. That’s a total of seven years in Primary School. When I was a teacher, I taught mostly in Primary Schools. I must say, I loved it. Children at this age enjoy school and really want to learn.

To attend a government primary school in Victoria, a child must be 5 years of age by the 30th of April in the year they start school. Those with a birthday after the 30th of April will start school the following year.

The primary school program covers English, health and physical education (which includes sport), other languages (such as German or Chinese), mathematics, science, society and the environment, technology (which includes using computers) and the arts. Children who have recently arrived in Australia may also have extra classes in English, to help them more quickly learn how to speak English. It’s amazing how quickly young children can learn a language, especially when they speak it every day. I wish I could learn a language that quickly. The school year starts at the end of January each year and finishes in the middle of December.

Primary school hours are Monday to Friday, from 9.00am to 3.00pm. There are 4 terms during the year, leaving about 12 weeks for holidays. The long summer holiday in December and January lasts about 6 weeks. I can still remember my summer holidays when I was at school. We spent most of our time at the beach. Those were the days.

Government primary schools are free, although there are some minor costs for school uniforms and some books. Our two sons went to our local government primary school in our part of Melbourne and they received a wonderful education. The teachers were excellent and we were very happy with the school.

The third level of schooling is Secondary School, also called High School. Secondary School starts at Year 7 and finishes at Year 12. All children must attend secondary school, at least until they complete Year 10. They can leave at the end of year 10, but only if they have a full time job to go to. Otherwise, they must stay at school until they turn 17 years of age.

The secondary school program includes English, humanities, mathematics, science, other languages (such as French or Japanese) and the arts. For the last 2 years of secondary school, most students study the Victorian Certificate of Education (called the VCE). The VCE results are used to decide entry to the tertiary level (e.g. to universities). There are two other study programs as well, for those students who want more practical work-related experience and learning. Following this, students graduate from Secondary School.

That’s about it for schooling in Victoria. I hope you have found it interesting. Government spending on education is a topic of great interest here in Australia, especially at election time. Education costs a lot, but I think it is a good investment for the nation.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this webpage. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com.  I would love to hear from you. Tell me where you live, a little bit about yourself and what you think of my slowenglish podcast. Perhaps you can suggest a topic for a future podcast. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

attend = to be in a place or to go somewhere

compulsory = when something must be done

contrast = when something is different

controlled = when someone tells you how it should be done

decided = when you have chosen something

develop = to make

differences = when things are not the same

dropping off = to leave someone at a place

education = describes all the levels of learning, including schools, colleges, universities, etc

election = when the people decide who will be their politicians, by voting

environment = the place where we live

excellent = when something is very, very good

experience = when you actually do something, rather than just learning about it

government = the country is run by the government

graduate = when you have finished school. You normally receive a certificate

humanities = the study of human activities. For example, history

important = when something is really needed

investment = when you buy or pay for something which help you do things better in future

mental = about thinking skills

nation = your country. For example Australia, Japan, Germany, Thailand, etc

parent = a father or a mother

personally = about one person

physical = about being able to do things with your body, for example sports

practical = when something is done with your hands

private schools = schools which are not owned by the government

results = the outcome of what happened. For school students, this means the scores they get

school uniforms = the clothes that a child wears to school. It has the same colours for everyone

sessions = a period of time, usually no more than a few hours

shortened = when something is made shorter

similar = when things are the same

social = being able to mix and work with other people

society = all of the people in a country

state = a part of Australia which has its own local government. There are 6 states in Australia

technical colleges = like a university, but it teaches work-related subjects

territory = a part of Australia which has its own local government, but is not yet a state. There are 2 territories in Australia

the arts = includes music, painting, drama, etc

Western Australia = a region of Australia which lies in the west

work-related = when something is about a job

Podcast 16 – Pets in Australia

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 16 – Pets in Australia

Hi,

Australians love their pets and that’s how it is in our family. We have a Siamese cat named Cosmo and he’s a great pet, even though he thinks he is the boss. He’s 15 years old, which is old for a cat. We will be so sad when he finally leaves us.

Having a pet is quite common in Australia. Actually, there are estimated to be around 33 million pets in Australian households. This includes dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles (such as snakes and turtles), horses and small mammals (such as rabbits and Guinea Pigs). Dogs and cats are the most typical pets in Australia. About 36% of all households in Australia have a dog as a pet. That’s 3.41 million dogs. About 23% of all households have a cat as a pet. That’s 2.35 million cats. That’s a lot of dogs and cats! We also spend a lot of money on our pets. For example, in 2009, we spent about $3.6 billion (yes, billion dollars) on our dogs to buy services and products for them. For cats, it was about $1.4 billion. So you can see that we really do love our pets.

Pets in Australia are quite well controlled. For example, in my part of Melbourne, you must register your dog or cat and pay a yearly fee to the local council. For dogs, it costs $128 per year and for cats it is $120 per year. However, you pay much less if your dog or cat is de-sexed. Cosmo has been de-sexed and therefore he only costs $28 per year to register. Dogs and cats must also be microchipped. This means that a small microchip, the size of a grain of rice, is put just under the skin at the back of the animal’s neck. The chip has a number on it that is also stored on a computer database, together with the owner’s details. The microchip and its number can be scanned by a special machine. If a pet becomes lost, the microchip can be scanned and the number can be read. It is then used to identify the animal and also who is their owner. It’s a good system and helps keep down the number of stray cats and dogs.

You know, owning a pet is good for you. They make you happier. They make wonderful friends and companions. They help children learn to take responsibility for things and to care for their pet. These are useful skills to learn for later in life. For older people, having a pet helps to keep them active, provides companionship and also makes them feel safer in their homes. And of course your pet will still love you even if you are having a bad day.

Our pets also help to keep a lot of people in jobs. In 2009, it was estimated that around 48,000 people worked in the pet industry in Australia. This includes about 20,000 who worked in veterinary practices. There are around 2,500 veterinary practices in Australia. These are places where you can take your pet if they are sick, or if they need a check up or a vaccination. We have a veterinary practice only a few minutes drive down the road.

They know our Cosmo well, as he has been a regular visitor, especially now that he is an old cat. He’s had a few health problems in his life, that’s for sure. For example, he was run over by a car when he was about 4 years old. His hip was badly dislocated and the vet had to operate. He had to remove the top part of Cosmo’s right hip bone. Amazingly, he can still walk and run okay. But now that he is getting old, he gets arthritis in his joints quite badly. He has injections every 3 months to control the pain. He also has a problem with his blood and we have to give him special medicine every morning and every night. It is ointment which we put inside his ear. He costs us quite a bit of money, but we love him so we gladly pay it.

All he does all day is sleep, eat and sleep. Whenever he can, he loves to sit on someone’s lap and go to sleep. I think he is one of the laziest cats in the world. But I guess all cats are the same. They say that a 15 year old cat is the same age as a 77 year old person. So he’s pretty old. Maybe he’s earned the right to sleep all day. He thinks he’s the boss, so I won’t argue with him.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page.  You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you. Tell me where you live, a little bit about yourself and what you think of my slowenglish podcast. Perhaps you can suggest a topic for a future podcast. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

amazingly = when it is hard to believe

arthritis = a disease that causes pain in your joints

boss = the person who tells you what to do

companions = friends who are with you

computer database = the place where a computer stores its information

controlled = when someone tells you how it should be done

de-sexed = this means that the animal can no longer be a mother or a father

dislocated = when a joint gets out of place. For example, a hip joint

estimated = when you make a guess about something, when you don’t know the exact number

households = a single family living together

industry = all those who are involved in a certain activity

lap = the top of your legs when you sit down

laziest = when someone does not want to do any work

local council = part of the government which controls the local area

mammals = animals who feed their young with their own milk

microchip = small electronic device to store information

ointment = a medicine which you put on the skin

operate = when a doctor (or vet) removes or repairs something in or on your body

owner’s details = the information about the owner. For example, their name and address

products = things that are made which you buy

register = to give your details to be stored on a list, usually on a computer database

responsibility = when you take care of something and look after it

scanned = when the information is read by a machine

services = things someone does for you that are helpful

Siamese = a type of cat

stray = dogs or cats which have no owner

typical = something most often seen for a particular group

vaccination = when you are given a medicine which stops you from getting a sickness

veterinary practices = places where animals are treated by animal doctors (vets)

vets = doctors who treat animals

Postcast 15 – Rubbish – It’s Not All Rubbish

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 15 – Rubbish – It’s Not All Rubbish

Hi,

One of the regular jobs in our house is to take out the rubbish. It’s amazing how much rubbish we create each week. Every time I look at our kitchen rubbish bin, it seems to be full. In Australia, we help control our rubbish by recycling. Recycling means that certain types of rubbish are collected separately and then turned back into something useful. This helps keep our environment cleaner.

Each household in our part of Melbourne has 3 rubbish bins. We need to sort our rubbish and put it into one of these three bins. I keep our three bins out near the clothes line, behind the garage.

The first bin we have is black in colour and is for real rubbish. By real rubbish, I mean that it will be thrown away and can really be called rubbish. In this bin we put things such as food scraps, food wrappings, broken glass, plastic bags, old or broken cups and plates, old light globes, used tissues, plastic cling wrap, jar lids, tea bags, coffee grounds, polystyrene foam (for example take away cups and meat trays), anything sharp and anything else about which you are not sure. The rubbish from this bin is taken away to be buried in landfill.

The second bin we have is brown in colour. Into that bin goes any garden waste. We have a garden at our house, but I don’t like gardening very much. Therefore I don’t use the garden waste bin a lot. I’m afraid our garden is not as good looking as it could be. However, my wife enjoys gardening so she will often work in the garden and then put the garden waste into the brown bin. Garden waste includes such things as grass clippings, small branches and leaves. All of the garden waste which is collected is sent to a garden waste recycling centre, where it is made into mulch. Mulch is put onto gardens to keep the moisture in the soil and to stop weeds from growing. There is one of these garden waste recycling centres near my home. I walk past it each morning on my regular walk.

The third bin we have is green in colour. This bin is used for recyclables and is the most interesting one. So what goes into this bin? Well, it is for those things which can be turned into something useful, that is, recycled. Our local council has given us a list of what can, and can’t, go into this bin. Things which can go in are:

1. Glass bottles and jars – these are sorted and then used to make new glass bottles.
2. Plastic drink bottles – these are made from plastic which can be recycled. They have a small triangle on their base, with a number in the middle of the triangle. For example, a plastic milk bottle has, on its base, a triangle with a 1 in the middle. Any plastic bottle with a 1, or indeed a 2,3,4,5,6 or 7 in the triangle can be recycled. This type of plastic is turned into resin which is used to make new rubbish bins and also other plastic products.
3. Milk and fruit juice cartons – these are recycled into paper for use in printers and for writing.
4. Aluminium cans – these are recycled to make more aluminium cans. Did you know that making a recycled aluminium can uses 20 times less energy than making a new aluminium can.
5. Steel and aerosol cans – these are recycled to make new cans, train tracks and other steel products.
6. Old newspapers, magazines and advertising material – these are recycled to make paper for newspapers, cardboard packaging, insulation and building products.
7. Cardboard boxes – these are recycled to make new packaging.

For our house, about 40% of our rubbish goes into the recycle bin. It’s great that these materials are not wasted and can be used again and again. It means that less rubbish is buried in landfill and that’s good for the environment.

Our rubbish is collected once a week on a Friday. We must put our bins out on the edge of the street, so that the rubbish truck, the garden waste truck or the recycling truck can pick it up.

The black bin is collected every week, while the other two bins are collected every 2 weeks. I am happy to say, that since 1998 when we moved into this house, we have never forgotten to put our bins out for pick up. Not bad eh?

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com. I would like to hear any suggestions you may have. I would especially like your suggestions for podcast topics. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

aerosol cans = a steel can used to hold something under pressure, like fly spray

base = the bottom of something. For example, the bottom of a bottle

behind = in the back of

boxes = rectangular containers that you put things in.

buried = when something is put in the ground and covered up

cardboard packaging = the material used to wrap something in.

cartons = like a bottle, but made of hard paper

coffee grounds = what is left of the coffee beans after you make coffee

collected = when things are put into one place

control = to make something do as you want

create = to make something

environment = the world around us

garage = where you park your car

grass clippings = when you mow the lawn, grass clippings are made.

insulation = used in a house to keep it warm. Usually put in the ceiling or walls

landfill = a way of burying very large amounts of rubbish in the ground.

light globes = made of glass and uses electricity to make light in a room

middle = when something is in the centre

plastic cling wrap = clear covering used to cover food

polystyrene foam = a very light material used for throw away cups and other things

products = things that are made by man

regular = when somethings always happens at fixed times

resin = a product that is used to make plastic

separately = when things are kept apart

sharp = when something can cut you

steel = very hard metal

tissues = paper used to wipe things

triangle = a shape with 3 corners and 3 straight sides

wrappings = used to cover up something like food. For example, paper

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Podcast 14 – Turning on the Tap – Clean Water in Australia

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 14 – Turning on the Tap – Clean Water in Australia

Hi,

Sometimes we don’t appreciate the good things we have. We complain about having a bad day, or perhaps we wish we had a new car or a new computer. One of the good things we have in Australia is our water. It’s clean and it’s always there. You just turn on a tap and it comes out. In this podcast I would like to tell you a little about our water here in Melbourne.

Australia is a land of contrasts. We have areas with lots of rain and we have areas with very little rain. In fact, in many parts of Australia it doesn’t rain very much at all. So not having enough water can be a problem. In 2009, Melbourne’s water supplies got very low. There had been poor rains in the winter for several years and our water storage levels were below 30% full. The truth is, we didn’t use our water well. We wasted a lot of water. So our government started an advertising campaign to help us all to use less water. This advertising campaign told us to try and use no more than 155 litres of water, per person, per day. The people of Melbourne heard the message and our use of water went down. That was a great result. Over the last 3 years we have had good rains in winter and, together with using less water, our water storage levels are now back to over 70% again. We are all happy about that.

The city has ten large reservoirs for water. The largest is the Thomson Dam, which holds more than one billion litres. That’s enough water to fill 427,000 Olympic swimming pools. These reservoirs are in the Yarra Ranges near the city. Five of these reservoirs have catchments. A catchment is a large area of land around the reservoir where the rain can run off the land, into creeks, into rivers and finally into the reservoir. For example, the Thomson Dam has a catchment area of 48,700 hectares. That’s 487 square kilometres. From these five reservoirs with catchments, some of the water is pumped to the other five reservoirs, so that, in total, Melbourne has ten reservoirs to hold it’s water.

But of course it’s not only about having enough water. The water must be clean. Well, Melbourne’s water is very clean. About 80% of Melbourne’s water comes from catchments which are closed. A closed catchment means that the forest and bush in those catchments is undisturbed – that means that no people live there and people are not allowed to go there. It is completely natural forest and bush. Water which flows from these catchments into those reservoirs is already very clean. Melbourne is one of only 5 cities in the world which has closed catchments.

About 20% of our water still comes from open catchments. Open catchments are not closed to the public. These catchments are downstream from towns and farms. Therefore treatment of our water is required to make sure it is clean and safe for people to drink and to use. There are 3 treatment plants in Melbourne. One of them is the Winneke Treatment Plant and I can ride there on my motorcycle in about 30 minutes.

It is next to the Sugarloaf Reservoir, one of the ten reservoirs which Melbourne has.

Like many reservoirs, it has a great area where you can take the family for a barbeque. When our children were young, we took them there for a barbeque and we really enjoyed it.

The water is treated in 3 steps. First, it is filtered. Filtering removes 95% of solids and microorganisms. Microorganisms can make people sick and must be removed to make the water safe. Second, a small amount of chlorine is added. The chlorine kills any remaining microorganisms not removed by the filtering. The water is now safe to drink. Third, flouride is added. Flouride is a chemical which helps prevent tooth decay.

From there, the water is sent down large pipes to 40 smaller service reservoirs around Melbourne. From there, it is sent down smaller pipes straight to houses and to businesses all around Melbourne. So all you have to do is turn on a tap and out it comes.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com. I would like to hear any suggestions you may have. I would especially like your suggestions for podcast topics. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

advertising campaign = a number of advertisements are shown, usually on TV, radio or posters

appreciate = to realize the value of something

billion = 1,000,000,000

businesses = where people sell things or services to make money

complain = to tell someone that you are not happy about something

contrasts = differences, when two things are not the same

creeks = water running down a valley

downstream = down the river, the water always flows downstream

farms = where people grow crops and keep animals

government = the country is run by the government

natural = has not been changed by people

not allowed = when you are not able to do something

per = each

pipes = long round tubes which carry water

prevent tooth decay = stop people’s teeth going bad

public = the people who live in your country

remaining = what is left after something is taken away

removed = when something is taken away

required = when something must be done

reservoirs = a place which stores a very large amount of water, usually a dam

result = the outcome

several = more than one

tap = something at the end of a water pipe. You can turn it on or off

treatment = when something is changed, usually to fix a problem

truth = when something cannot be denied

undisturbed = has not been changed by people

wasted = when something is not used as it should be

water storage levels = how much water there is. For example, full, empty, high, low, 50%

Podcast 13 – Health Care in Australia

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 13 – Health Care in Australia

Hi,

There is a saying – ‘Nothing else matters, as long as you’ve got your health’. This is very true. I have been very lucky in my life because I have not been sick very often. When I have been sick, I have always received the best medical treatment. That’s because Australia has a good system for making sure that all Australians can get the health care they need, when they need it. Now I’m not saying our system is perfect. It has problems, that’s for sure, but overall I think it’s a good system. In this podcast, I will tell you a little about how it works. Obviously, any health care system is very complicated, so I will only give a brief summary. If you want to find out more, you should go to http://www.humanservices.gov.au.

Australia’s health care system is a universal system. In other words, everybody who lives in Australia is covered. That’s a good thing. You can’t choose not to be covered. You never know when you might get sick or injured and, in Australia, if you do, you will get quality health care – no questions asked. The Australian health care program is called Medicare.

I will only talk about the 2 main types of health care situations in this podcast.

First – When You Need to See a Doctor

Often there’s the situation where you feel sick and need to see a doctor. In Australia, there are 3.9 doctors for every 1,000 people, according to the World Bank website. This is quite high by world standards. It’s true that many rural areas don’t have as many doctors as they need. For isolated rural areas, Australia has the Royal Flying Doctor Service. It has an interesting story and I’ll talk about that in another podcast. For most Australians, it’s easy to find a doctor when you need one. For example, I have a medical practice just 200 metres away in my street.

We have lots of small medical practices in Australia, usually with a few doctors working together. We also have many large medical practices with 15 or 20 doctors which are part of a bigger network. At these practices, you can also get treatment from dentists, physiotherapists, dieticians and other special medical staff. These practices are like a ‘one stop shop’ for medical care. I use one of these practices when I go to the doctor.

When you visit a doctor, they will often prescribe medicines for you. To get these medicines, you need to go to a Pharmacy or Chemist with the prescription which the doctor has written for you. The pharmacist will then prepare the correct medicines based on the prescription. Often, the pharmacy will be located near to, or even next to, the doctor’s practice.

The doctor may also suggest that you need to see another specialist doctor for further assessment and treatment. To see a specialist, you must be referred by your doctor. This is called a referral. For example, when I went to the doctor about blemishes on my face, my doctor referred me to a skin specialist.

What does it cost to see a doctor?

Well doctors have two ways of charging you.

• In the first method, the doctor gives you a bill and you pay the doctor. Medicare then pays you a rebate towards your bill. The rebate is almost always less than what the doctor charges. For example, one local doctor I know charges about $65 for a visit. The standard Medicare rebate is about $35. So you have to pay about $30 out of your own pocket.
• In the second method, the doctor can send the bill straight to Medicare. Medicare pays the doctor the standard Medicare rebate (about $35), which the doctor must accept as full payment. So you have nothing to pay. This is called bulk billing.

About 80% of all doctor’s visits are bulk billed. In the big cities, it is easy to find doctors who are happy to bulk bill. My doctor bulk bills. I like it because it means I don’t have to worry about paying. Other people prefer to go to a particular doctor, and if that doctor doesn’t bulk bill, they don’t mind that they have something to pay.

If the doctor gives you a prescription for medicine, you then go to a Pharmacy. When you buy the medicines, the government subsidizes the cost so that you pay no more than around $36, and most times much less. This includes all prescription medicines, many of which can be very expensive. This excellent scheme helps keep the cost of health care down for all Australians.

What About When You Need to Go to a Hospital?

As we all know, sometimes there are emergency situations. Perhaps you have had an accident, for example a car accident, or you have had a bad fall off a ladder. Or perhaps you have terrible pain and you know you need to get to a hospital fast, for example if you are having a heart attack or a stroke.

Hospitals in Australia are either Public Hospitals or Private Hospitals. Public Hospitals are owned and fully paid for by the government. They handle most of the emergency cases, such as accidents or urgent cases. If you go to a Public Hospital, you don’t get any choice in who the doctor will be. Also, if your case is not very urgent, you may need to wait many hours for treatment, depending on how urgent your sickness or injury is. The most urgent cases are always treated first. If you need an operation and it is not urgent, you can sometimes wait for many months to have the operation. However, you don’t have to pay anything, as Medicare pays the bill.

By contrast, private hospitals are owned privately, usually by a company which specializes in owning and managing hospitals. Private hospitals charge fees for your room and for other services you may receive. However, you can have the doctor of your choice. The doctor will also charge you fees. Generally, private hospitals specialize in cases where the patient’s treatment is not an emergency. People who need an operation and don’t want to wait will choose a private hospital and take out health insurance.

What Does It Cost in a Hospital?

As stated before, it costs nothing in a public hospital.

By contrast, in a private hospital it can cost a very large amount. That’s why patients almost always take out health insurance if they want to use private hospitals. I have health insurance and I think it’s a great idea. But that is another topic and needs a separate podcast.

Medicare – How Does the Government Pay For It?

Well, Australians pay an amount in their taxes called the Medicare Levy. For most Australians, it is 1.5% of their taxable income. This levy is compulsory. However, if you have a low income, you may pay less than 1.5% or indeed nothing at all if your income is below a certain amount.

I hope this podcast has not been too complicated for you. I don’t think about our health system very often, but when I get sick, I’m just glad that it works.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page.  You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com. I would like to hear any suggestions you may have. I would especially like your suggestions for podcast topics. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

according to = when someone tells you something

assessment = when someone decides something about you

blemishes = marks on the skin

charging = what you must pay

complicated = when something is not simple

compulsory = when you must do it

covered = when something is included

dentists = a person who treats your teeth

dietician = a person who helps you choose the right things to eat

emergency = when someone is need of help right away

injured = when part of your body gets hurt

insurance = when you pay another company so that they will help you if something happens later

isolated = when there are no people living nearby

medical treatment = the help that a doctor gives you to make you well.

medicine = something which you take into your body to make you well

method = a way of doing something

obviously = when everyone can see it

operation = when a doctor repairs part of your body

particular = specific

pharmacy = a place which prepares and sells medicines

physiotherapists = a person who treats problems in muscles and joints

practice = the place you go to see a doctor

prescribe = when the doctor tells you what medicines you need

referred = when someone directs you to another person

rural = away from the city

situations = when a set of conditions apply

specializes = when someone has a lot of skill in something

subsidizes = when someone else pays some of the cost

universal = when something applies in all cases

Podcast 12 – Grocery Shopping at Our House

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 12 – Grocery Shopping at Our House

Hi,

Every week, everybody has to buy groceries.  In our house, I do the grocery shopping. Now some people love to go shopping for groceries.  Not me.  For me it’s a chore.  I don’t really enjoy it at all.  It takes me about 2 hours all together.  That means 2 hours from the time I leave the house to the time I put the last item away in my pantry, kitchen cupboard or refrigerator.  In my opinion, that’s 2 hours that could be better spent, like playing my guitar or riding my motorbike. But it just has to be done.

So about 5 years ago I decided to try shopping for my groceries online.

I liked it.  The first time I did it, it took me about an hour to select all my groceries.  But as each week’s list is saved online, each time I shop I just bring up my last list and make any changes I want.  It’s very quick.  The website (www.colesonline.com.au) is reasonably easy to use.  The grocery items are grouped into categories so you can easily find them.  For example, some of the categories are:

• Fresh – this includes fruit, vegetables and bakery items.  For example, apples and bread rolls.
• Pantry – this includes things you put in your pantry and which are usually in a container or package, such as a box, jar or can.  For example, jam, breakfast cereal and biscuits.
• Meat – this includes all fresh meats.  For example, lamb chops, beef steak and sausages.

I won’t list all the categories, as there are 13 categories altogether.  You can almost get everything that is normally available in a standard supermarket.  For example, you can buy light globes, cosmetics, baby goods and alcohol and tobacco, just to name a few.

You browse each category and select the items you want and how many you want.  For example, I buy around 6 cartons of milk and put them in the freezer.  During the week, when we need more milk, I take a carton out of the freezer and let it defrost.  I do the same with bread and of course the meat goes straight into the freezer too.  Aren’t freezers a fantastic idea?

After you have selected all your items, you then need to select your delivery day and time.  It costs no more than $11 for delivery, depending on when you want it delivered.   I think that’s pretty cheap.  You must select a 2 hour window and it can be any time in the next 12 days, between 6am and 12 midnight.

The last step is to pay.  You use your credit card so that’s not a problem.  They send you an email to confirm your list of groceries and your payment.  You also have a chance to make changes up to a certain time prior to delivery.

On the day of the delivery, I always keep a watch out for the truck to see when it arrives.

It’s great to see the driver bringing all our groceries up the steps, and me not having to lift a finger. How good is that?

The drivers are always friendly and, if required, will carry the groceries inside as well.

I just put it all in the hallway before I take it into the kitchen to put away.

The driver needs a signature to show that the delivery was accepted.

Then that’s it. The shopping is almost done.  All I need to do then is transfer the groceries to the kitchen and put them away – in the pantry, the fridge, the freezer or the kitchen cupboard.

Now that’s the way to do the weekly grocery shopping!

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page.  You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com. I would like to hear any suggestions you may have. I would especially like your suggestions for podcast topics. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

alcohol = a type of drink. For example, beer and wine

biscuits = food made from flour and butter

browse = when you look at something without buying it

cartons = used to put liquids in. They are made from plastic or cardboard. For example, milk cartons

categories = groups

cheap = when something doesn’t cost too much

chore = a job you have to do at home. Usually it is not much fun

confirm = when someone checks something with you. For example, are these your groceries you asked for?

container = something you can put things in. For example, a box or tin

cosmetics = something you put on your face to make you look better. They are used by woman. For example, lipstick

defrost = when you take food out of the freezer and goes back to normal. You can now eat it

delivery = when something is brought to your door. For example, groceries

freezer = makes food very, very cold until it goes hard. The food is frozen and last a long time

grouped = when things are put together because they are the same or similar

hallway = the part of the house which leads to the other rooms in the house

jam = made from fruit and put onto bread. Tastes sweet. For example, plum jam

kitchen cupboard = a place in the kitchen where you can store things, such as food or pots

light globes = used to give you light in a room. They use electricity

online = is on the internet

package = when something is wrapped in paper or cardboard.

pantry = a place in the kitchen where you put your food

payment = when you pay for what you have bought

prior = before

refrigerator = keeps the food cold

saved = to keep something for later

select = when you decide to buy something, or you choose something

signature = when you write your name

standard = normal

tobacco = used in cigarettes for smoking

transfer = to move something from one place to another

Podcast 11 – Skin Cancer in Australia

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 11 – Skin Cancer in Australia

Hi,

Australia is a great place to live. Despite that, there are some diseases in Australia which are caused by our climate and our active outdoor lifestyle.  One of those diseases is skin cancer.  In this podcast, I would like to tell you a little bit about this disease in Australia, what causes it and how Australians are now changing their lifestyle in order to reduce it.

Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer of any country in the world.  Two out of three Australians will be diagnosed with some type of skin cancer before they reach the age of 70.

There are three main types of skin cancer and only one of them is serious.  Luckily, the serious type is not very common.  The three main types of cancer are basal cell carcinoma (called BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (called SCC) and melanoma.  The third type of cancer, melanoma, can be very serious and can lead to death if it is not treated early.  The first two types of cancer (called non-melanoma skin cancers) are not dangerous and cannot lead to death.  However, they still must be treated.

Non-melanoma cancers are the most common types of skin cancer.  In Australia, about 430,000 cases of these skin cancers are diagnosed and treated each year.   They usually develop in people who are over 40 years of age.   Melanoma is the cancer Australians worry about most.  In Australia, there are more than 10,300 cases of melanoma diagnosed and treated every year. Melanoma can develop even in young people.

What causes skin cancer?  Well it’s quite simple really.  The answer is too much exposure to ultraviolet light.  That comes from too much exposure to intense sunlight or through the use of tanning machines in a Solarium.  Australia has lots of sun and our lifestyle means we are often out in the sun having fun.  For example, we like to go to the beach in the summer and to go outdoors for such activities as swimming, camping, bush walking, picnics,  barbeques and watching and playing sports.  What is more, we like to do these things in the heat of the day.

Since the 1980s, Australian governments have been educating Australians that skin cancer can be prevented. Again, it’s quite simple.  The answer is to protect your skin from the sun, especially when the sun is most dangerous during the middle of the day.   You protect your skin by wearing protective clothing when outside (such as a long sleeve shirt), using a sunscreen lotion or spray and always wearing a hat when outside, especially during summer.

The government advertisement from 1980 gave the message Slip, Slop, Slap.  Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat.

I am 60 years of age now, but when I was a boy growing up in a seaside town in the 1950s and 1960s, nobody knew about the dangers of skin cancer.  We went to the beach most days in the summer and never wore a hat, nor a shirt and never used sunscreen lotion.  I can remember many times laying in bed with my skin red, burned and painful from a long day at the beach.   Now that I am 60 years old, my skin is damaged and I have had many small non-melanoma skin cancers removed from my skin.  One on my nose was so large that I had to have a skin graft after it was removed.  The doctor performed an operation where he removed the skin cancer from my nose and replaced it with skin from behind my ear (a skin graft).

Today, all Australians are well educated about how to prevent sun damage to their skin.  If you drive past a school in Australia, all the children playing outside will have a wide brimmed hat on.   That’s a good thing.  I hope that our children will grow up to have fewer skin cancers than I have had.  It means that we can still enjoy the great outdoor life here in Australia, but by being careful, we can ensure we don’t get skin cancers as we get older.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com. I would like to hear any suggestions you may have. I would especially like your suggestions for podcast topics. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

active = when you do a lot of things, especially outside

advertisement = a message which tells you to do something.  For example, a TV advertisement

camping = when you live out in the open, usually in a tent

climate = the weather

common = when lots of people have it or do it

dangerous = when you might be hurt, or get very sick or even die.

despite = when something is not expected.

diagnosed = when a doctor finds that you have a disease or sickness

diseases = sicknesses.  For example, cancer or a cold.

educating = when you learn something

exposure = when your body is not covered and light can shine on it.  Usually not a good thing

intense = when something is very strong

lifestyle = how you live

prevented = when something is stopped

protective = something that protects you from something else.  For example, clothes protect you from the sun

serious = when something must be treated or you might die

Solarium = a place where you can go to use tanning machines to make your skin go brown

sunscreen lotion = something you spread on your skin.  It stops you from getting sunburn

tanning machines = special light machines which make your skin go brown

treated = when a doctor helps you get well again

ultraviolet = the part of sunlight that can damage your skin

wide brimmed hat = a hat which is very wide.  It keeps the sun off your face.

worry = when people think about something a lot, something they don’t like

Podcast 10 – A Hobby in Melbourne – Motorcycling

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 10 – A Hobby in Melbourne – Motorcycling

Hi,

Melbourne is one of those cities where you can do a large number of hobbies or pastimes.  One popular pastime in Melbourne is motorcycling.

It is also growing in popularity.   In the countryside around Melbourne there are many fantastic places to go motorcycling.  The major highways out of Melbourne are wide and generally mostly straight.  But if you turn off the major highways onto the minor roads, you will find the roads are still bitumised, adequately maintained and there are plenty of curves and wonderful scenery to enjoy on a motorcycle.

In particular, the area to the north east of Melbourne, within say 300 kilometres, is a great place to go motorcycling on a day ride.  The hills close to Melbourne are called ‘The Dandenong Ranges’, or as most Melbourne people say, ‘The Dandenongs’.   Another name for this region is the Yarra Valley, as the river Yarra runs through it.  This region has a lot of agriculture and also is strong on tourism.  For example, there are about 80 wine growers in this region.

These are world class vineyards and wine making places.  These are always fun to visit, but if you are riding a motorcycle, any drinking of wine must be left for another time.  When on a motorcycle, you need all your senses to be sharp.

There are many small towns in this region. One of my recent motorcycle rides was to a small town called Marysville.  I think this is my favourite small town in Victoria. Let me tell you about this ride.

I often ride with my friend Ray.  Ray has been riding motorcycles since he was a young man and he is now retired.  So he knows nearly all the great places to ride around Melbourne.

For our ride to Marysville, we decided to meet up at Lilydale, a small town on the outskirts of Melbourne. When I arrived, we had a drink and talked about where we would go. Then we looked at and talked about our motorcycles, as we often do. Ray rides a 2006 red and white Honda CB1300.  I ride a 2001 blue, white and black Yamaha XJR1300.  We love our motorcycles.

Then we set off.  We rode off down the highway but were soon riding on minor roads with lots of curves towards a town called Warburton on the Yarra River.  After about an hours riding, we stopped for a break.

We always carry a Thermos of hot water so we can make a cup of tea.  At our stop, we were next to thick forest. All we could hear were the birds and the sounds of the forest.  Life is good, we said to one another.

We set off again towards Marysville and rode through dense forests of tall trees on roads that wound around, through, up and down the hills.

The ride was magnificent.  It was a very hot day, but in the hills and riding past the magnificent trees and undergrowth, the air was cool and fresh.

Finally we arrived at Marysville and parked our motorcycles under the shade of large trees in the main street.

Only 4 years ago, Marysville was almost completely destroyed in a terrible bushfire.  It has now been almost fully rebuilt and is a beautiful village once again.

In another podcast, I will tell you about the bushfire danger in Australia.  It is a very real danger and one which we take very seriously.

After eating a fine lunch and having a long chat, we got back on our motorcycles and came back to Melbourne. There is no better way to spend a day, than riding a motorcycle.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com. I would like to hear any suggestions you may have. I would especially like your suggestions for podcast topics. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

adequately = when something is done well enough

agriculture = when people grow plants or animals on the land

arrived = when something has come to a place

bitumised = when a road is covered with a hard, dark blue surface.  Then it will last a long time

break = when you stop doing something for a short time, so you can have a rest

bushfire = when the bush catches on fire and burns everything. Sometimes houses are burned too.

completely = totally

curves = when something bends, like a road when it goes around a corner

danger = when people can get hurt or die

dense = when there are many things together in a small space

destroyed = when something is no good anymore. For example, when soemthing is burned in a fire

forest = an area of trees

growers = people who grow plants on the land

hobbies = things you do for fun, in your free time

magnificent = when something is very, very good to look at, or very, very good to do

maintained = when something is looked after and works well.

minor = not so important

outskirts = on the edge

parked = when you stop your car or motorcycle and turn off the motor

pastimes = the same as hobbies

popularity =high popularity means that many people like it

rebuilt = when a house is built again, after it has been destroyed

region = an area or part of a country

scenery = what you can see in the countryside. For example, hills, valleys and fields

seriously = when we take notice, when we do not ignore it

sharp = when things are very clear

straight = when something has no bends in it

terrible = when something is very, very bad and causes great fear in people

Thermos = this is the name of a container which keeps hot water hot for a long time

thick = when things are very close together

undergrowth = the plants which are growing low on the ground, under the trees

vineyards = where grapevines are grown. Wine is made from the grapes

wonderful = when something is really good

world class = as good as the best in the world

wound around = when something goes around in a curve

Podcast 9 – Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 9 – Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market

Hi,

I enjoy food markets.  I love to see fresh food laid out for sale, with its bright colours and the wonderful smell of fresh fruit and vegetables.  That is one of the pleasures of life.  Melbourne has a famous market which has over 10 million visitors each year.  It sells fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, cheeses and other specialty foods and lots of non-food items such as clothing, souvenirs and jewellery.  It’s called Queen Victoria Market.

Queen Victoria Market is 130 years old.  It is found in the main central business district of Melbourne and is easy to get to by tram.  It is open 5 days a week and is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays.  It is the place to go if you want your food really fresh.  On Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, it opens at 6.00am.  Now that’s early.  It closes at 2.00pm on Tuesday and Thursday, 5.00pm on Friday, 3.00pm on Saturday and 4.00pm on Sunday.  Sunday is more about specialty goods rather than fresh food and tends to be more for families, with children’s rides and other entertainment activities. On my visit today, it was Thursday. I took my motorcycle and there was plenty of parking.

Queen Victoria Market (or ‘Vic Market’ as Melbourne people call it) has a number of different areas which specialize in different types of products.  Two of my favourites are the Deli Hall and the Meat Hall.  These areas of the market are inside and are fully air conditioned, which is great if it’s one of those hot Melbourne summer days.

The Deli Hall is short for Delicatessen Hall and includes wonderful dairy products such as cheeses from all over Australia and the rest of the world.

The Deli Hall also offers cured meats like ham, bacon and sausage.  There are also shops which have a wide range of breads.  The high grain sourdough bread is my favourite. Today on my visit I  bought some Strudel with poppy seed.  That is a real favourite of my wife and mine too.

The Meat Hall has a fantastic range of fresh meat, seafood and poultry.  There are 20 butchers, 10 fishmongers and 3 fresh poultry shops.  And the food is all well priced and top quality.  On my visit today I bought some juicy pork and some beautiful beef steaks.

As well as these two areas, of course there is the fresh fruit and vegetable area.

Here you can always get a real bargain and it’s all fresh.  Today the peaches and nectarines looked especially nice.   I also love the mangoes.  They are so juicy and sweet.

Other areas in the market include the organic produce area.  Fruit and vegetables in this area are grown without any insecticides or chemical fertilizers and are called organic.  The General Merchandise section includes things such as clothing, shoes and jewellery.

And Vic Market also has great places to sit down for a nice meal such as a pizza or a well cooked steak with chips and salad.  And to finish your meal, you must have a real Melbourne coffee.

Of course Melbourne has many, many shops and shopping centres, but for a real adventure when buying your fresh food for the week, the Queen Victoria Market is the place to go in Melbourne.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com. I would like to hear any suggestions you may have. I would especially like your suggestions for podcast topics. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

adventure = when an activity is new and exciting

air conditioned = a machine to make the air cool (in summer) or warm (in winter)

bacon = meat from a pig

bargain = when something is cheaper than you thought it would be

beef steaks = meat from a cow

butchers = people who prepare meat for sale

central business district = the centre of the city, where all the businesses are

chemical fertilizers = used in the ground to make plants grow quicker and bigger

chips = a food made from potatoes and cooked in oil

closed = when the shop is not open

clothing = things we wear to keep warm and to stop our skin from being sunburned

cured = when meat has been treated so that it won’t go bad for a long time

dairy = food that is made from cow’s milk. For example, cheese, yoghurt

entertainment = events that people want to see because it pleases them

fantastic = when something is really great and people like it a lot

fishmongers = people who sell fish

fully = completely

grain sourdough = a type of bread

ham = meat from a pig

insecticides = chemicals used to kill insects, like flies

jewellery = beautiful art that we wear on our body

juicy pork = very good meat from a pig

mangoes = a type of fruit

markets = a place where you can buy things, usually food, fruit and vegetables

nectarines = a type of fruit

non-food items = things you buy which are not food

offers = when a shop has something for sale

organic = when something is grown without using any chemicals or insecticides

peaches = a type of fruit

pizza = a type of food made with pastry and toppings

pleasures = something that pleases you

plenty = when there is more than enough of something

poultry = meat from chickens and other birds

products = things that shops sell

seafood = food that comes from the sea

shoes = we wear these on our feet to keep them warm and dry

smell = we smell things with our nose

souvenirs = things we buy at a place so that we remember that place

specialize = when a shop sells just one type of thing

specialty = something that is hard to find. You can only buy this in a few places

strudel = a type of dessert sweet made with pastry and apple

sweet = when something tastes like sugar

tends = usually

top quality = when something is very, very good

wide range = when a shop offers many products for sale

without = when something is not there

Podcast 8 – Melbourne’s Federation Square

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 8 – Melbourne’s Federation Square

Hi,

Melbourne is a great city for sports, art and culture.  One of the places where these things come together is Federation Square.  Federation Square is Melbourne’s central public square.

In many ways, it is the real centre of Melbourne. But it is much more than just a square. Like every city square, Federation Square has large open spaces where people can gather.  It has an open air theatre which holds more than 15,000 people.

It has large television screens so people can watch major television events such as the Olympics.

But as well as outdoor spaces, Federation Square has many excellent indoor areas and spaces.

It has many cafes and restaurants where people can meet and enjoy a meal, or a snack, along with some of Melbourne’s famous coffee.

Federation Square also has art galleries, museums, exhibitions, studios, cinemas, a theatre and many shops.

And most of all, Federation Square is a place where things happen.  Musicians perform their work, artists show their paintings, their drawings or their sculptures, conferences are held, television programs are made, festivals are held and book and wine fairs are held.

One special museum is the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.

This museum explores film, television and digital culture.  It holds exhibitions and screenings, and educates all visitors about the important role of film, television and computer imaging in modern society. Another important gallery at Federation Square is the The Ian Potter Centre.  This art gallery is part of the National Gallery of Victoria and is Australia’s first major art gallery for Australian art.

You can even rent a bicycle at Federation Square so that you can cheaply explore the city of Melbourne.  Or you can take part in one of the many activities. Regular concerts at Federation Square include rock, classical, pop, hip hop, folk and R n B music.

Federation Square was opened in 2002 and it now has over 10 million visitors each year.  It is built over a working railway yard right next to Flinders Street station, one of Melbourne’s major city railway stations.  The buildings and open spaces at Federation Square rest on a huge concrete deck built over the railway yard.  In spite of that, the design of the deck means no noise or vibration from the railway disturbs the space or the buildings in Federation Square.

Federation Square has become one of the most important meeting places in Melbourne.  People call it ‘Fed Square’.  When our 2012 Olympic team came home, Melbourne welcomed them at Federation Square.  The main tourist information centre for Melbourne is also here.

There is no doubt that Melbourne would not be the same without Federation Square. When you come to Melbourne, make sure you visit Fed Square.   For more information, go to www.fedsquare.com/.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com. I would like to hear any suggestions you may have. I would especially like your suggestions for podcast topics. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

art = beautiful things made by people

cafes = a place where you can buy and drink coffee

central = in the centre

cinema = where you to to see a film

classical = music of a certain type, not rock, not jazz, not hip hop

computer imaging = a picture made on a computer

concerts = when artists perform music

conferences = when people meet together to talk about something

culture = the way we live and the things we like

design = the plan for something

digital = to do with computers

disturbs = when something stops you from doing something

drawings = pictures drawn by artists

educates = when someone learns something

excellent = when something is very, very good

exhibitions = a large number of things to see in a museum or art gallery

fairs = when people come together to talk about the same thing

famous = when everybody knows this person or thing

festivals = when people come together to see organised music, art and other activities.

film = a story taken by a camera and shown in a cinema

galleries = a place where you go to see art

gather = when people come together

happen = when something takes place, when something comes to pass

holds = the number of things or people that can fit inside

huge concrete deck = a large space made of concrete

in spite of that = when something happens even though it’s difficult or hard

meal = when you eat food, usually at morning, noon and night. Usually with your family or friends

meeting = when 2 or more people come together to talk about something

museums = a place where you go to see art and valuable things

musicians perform = when people play music for you. For example, play the piano or guitar

no doubt = when you are very sure of something

noise = when something can be heard in your ears

paintings = pictures painted by artists

programs = a show on radio or television

public = when something is for everyone

regular = when something happens again and again

rent = when you pay someone so you can stay in a house or a building

restaurant = a place where you can buy and eat food and drink

screenings = when a film is shown

sculptures = beautiful shapes made by artists

snack = a small amount to eat or drink. Not with your meal

society = all of the people in a country

square = a large area in a town or city, usually in the town centre. People can gather there

studios = where television shows are made

theatre = where you go to see a show or a play

together = when there are 2 or more things at the same time

vibration = when you can feel something shaking

visitors = people who come to visit

welcomed = when someone is happy to see you

wine = a drink with alcohol

Podcast 7 – Melbourne’s Tram System

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 7 – Melbourne’s Tram System

Hi,

In my last podcast, I told you about Melbourne’s train system.  That’s the best way to get to and from the suburbs of Melbourne. But when you are in the city centre, the electric Tram system is the best and most enjoyable way to get around.  Melbourne’s trams add colour and are a part of the character of Melbourne.  I love to hear the sound of a tram bell as a tram approaches a tram stop. I can still remember taking my two boys on their first tram ride when we came to live in Melbourne in 1994.  They were so excited as young children to be riding on a tram through the streets of Melbourne. And so was I.  I still enjoy a tram ride today, around 20 years later.

Melbourne’s tram system provides transport for the city centre and many suburbs close to the city.  Actually, Melbourne’s tram system is the largest city tram network in the world.  The network has 250 km of track, 487 trams, 30 different routes and 1,767 tram stops.  Like the trains, trams are quite cheap to use and are great for students, shoppers, tourists, city workers and those who live in or near the city centre.

Melbourne’s trams also take very large numbers of people to and from the many sports and other special events here in Melbourne.  For example, during the Australian Rules Football season and the cricket season, extra trams will run to carry many sports fans to and from the MCG and the Docklands Stadium.  During events such as the Australian Tennis Open in January, the Australian Formula One race in March and the Melbourne Cup in November, extra trams will also be running in order to move the large numbers of people to and from the venues.

And it works very well too.  Trams are great people movers.

One of the great things about trams is their colour.  Many trams are painted in bright colours or covered with bright advertising.  My favourite tram is the one painted with pictures of Rhinos.  Rhinos are a very heavy African animal. Trams are big and heavy too.

This tram is giving the message that one tram weighs as much as 30 Rhinos.  Car drivers need to take care that they don’t collide with a tram.  Trams are not to be argued with on the road!

A popular tram in Melbourne is the City Circle tram.  This is free and operates just within the city centre.

It goes in a circular route around the city centre passing major tourist attractions and shops.  You can hop on and hop off these trams during the day as you explore the city.  City Circle Trams run in both directions around the route and come every twelve minutes or so, between 10am and 6pm from Sunday to Wednesday and from 10am to 9pm from Thursday to Saturday.  These trams are heritage W class and are painted maroon.  You should try these when in Melbourne.

Riding a tram is easy.  You will need to buy a Myki card (just $6 at retail stores and railway stations) and ‘touch on’ when you get on the tram, then ‘touch off’ as you get off.  It’s that easy.

Have fun on Melbourne’s trams.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page.  You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it.  Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com.  I would like to hear any suggestions you may have.  I would especially like your suggestions for podcast topics.  Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

advertising = signs which say you should buy something. For example, buy Coca Cola

African = when something comes from Africa. For example, a lion comes from Africa

approaches = when something is getting closer

argued = when 2 people don’t agree

attractions = places which people like to go to see. For example, the Great Wall of China

bell = something that makes a ringing sound

character = the things about Melbourne that we like

cheap = a small cost

circular = something that is round. For example, a tennis ball is round

collide = when 2 things hit one another

colour = red is a colour. Other colours are blue, green and yellow. The sky is blue.

different = when something is not the same

direction = the way to get to a place

Docklands Stadium = a place in Melbourne where they play sports

enjoyable = when you like something. It makes you happy

explore = when you go to different places to see what is there

extra = some more

heavy = when something is hard to lift up

heritage = very old

maroon = a colour

message = when someone tells you something, it is called a message

painted = when something is covered in colour

popular = when something is liked by lots of people

provides = gives

quite = part of, up to a certain amount

remember = when you can recall something from the past

retail stores = places where you can buy things. Also called a shop.

routes = a way to get somewhere. The way that a tram goes

shoppers = people who buys things in shops

students = people who go to university or high school

tourists = people who have come to Australia for a holiday, to see Australia

transport = a way of getting around. For example, trains, trams, cars, bicycles, motorcycles, etc

venues = a place where sport is played

weighs = when you say how heavy something is. For example, a tram weighs a lot

Podcast 6 – Melbourne’s Train System

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

 Podcast Number 6 – Melbourne’s Train System

Hi,

Melbourne is a large city with a population of around 4.2 million people. Melbourne is also spread over an area of about 2000 square kilometres. Like all big cities, people need to travel in Melbourne. Many people work in the city centre and each day they need to get to and from work. Still more people like to shop and visit the city centre. About 800,000 people use the city centre each day.

Melbourne has a train system (Metro Melbourne), a bus system and also, for the inner city, a tram system. As well, many people still use their cars to get into the city every day. In this podcast, I will talk about the train system for our city.

Metro Melbourne – trains in Melbourne

The train system, called Metro Melbourne, has 16 lines linking the centre of the city to most of the major suburbs of Melbourne. The lines are named after the final destination for each line. For example, the line closest to me is the Lilydale Line. Lilydale is a nice village on the edge of Melbourne’s north west. I often ride through Lilydale on my motorcycle rides into the hills around Melbourne. So this line is called the Lilydale line.

The Metro Melbourne system is mostly above the ground. Only the small section which runs around the city centre is underground, passing through 3 underground stations. The main city stations are Southern Cross Station and Flinders Street Station and these are above ground. Flinders Street Station is an older style building and very interesting.

Southern Cross Station is a new building and very modern. Each train station has Protective Services Officers. They are special police who only work on the Metro Melbourne train system. They ensure that Metro Melbourne travellers are safe. Melbourne’s train system is a generally safe system and people can use it safely right up until the last train.

The last train from the city leaves at around midnight for most lines. On week ends, a bus service (Night Rider) runs after the last train to most suburbs. But I am always in bed by that time.

To ride on Melbourne’s trains, you must have a special card called a ‘Myki’.

There is no other way to pay for your travel on a Melbourne train. First you need to buy a Myki card (for $6) and you must ‘load’ some money onto it. You can buy a Myki card at any train station, at many shops (e.g. 7-Eleven) and from Myki self service machines at train stations.

When you buy a Myki card, you can also ‘load’ some money onto it at the same time. It’s really quite easy. Every time you travel, you must ‘touch on’ at the Myki reader machine at the entrance to the station where you begin your journey. When you get off at the end of your journey, you must ‘touch off’ with your card at the Myki reader machine at that station. The Myki system subtracts your fare from the amount you loaded onto your Myki. I put $30 on my Myki when I first bought it. It costs about $5.50 to go from my nearest station into the City. That’s about 25 kilometres. So it’s not too expensive.

Of course, at peak travel times around 5pm to 6pm in the evening and from 7.30am to 9am in the morning, Melbourne’s trains are usually full. But even at these times, I can always find a space to stand comfortably, or sometimes even get a seat. At other times, there will always be a seat for you.

I hope that has given you some basic information about Melbourne’s train system. When you come to Melbourne, you should try it.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Or, you can send me an email at slowenglish.wordpress@gmail.com. I would like to hear any suggestions you may have. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

amount = how much you have, for example, an amount of money

basic information = the facts that are the most important

bought = when you have used money to buy something

building = a place where people can live or work, with 4 walls and a roof

comfortably = when you feel okay and have room to move

Entrance = the place where you go inside. Often a gate or a door.

expensive = when something costs a lot

fare = the cost of travelling on the train

final destination = the last place the train goes to

generally = nearly all of the time

inner = the middle of a city

interesting = you want to look at it

lines = the different paths where the railway line goes

linking = when one thing is connected or joined to another

load = to put money into

midnight = at 12.00pm

million = a large number. It is 1,000,000.

modern = when something is new

motorcycle = a vehicle with 2 wheels and a motor used for travelling

peak travel times = when there are lots of people travelling to and from work.

population = the number of people that live in a place

section = a part of something

self service machines = machines which you use by yourself. You serve yourself.

special card = a small square piece of plastic

spread = when a city covers a large area

stations = where the train stops and people get on and off

style = how something looks

subtracts = when something is taken away

system = all the parts together form a system

travel = to go from one place to another

underground = under the ground

usually = when something happens most of the time

village = a small town

Podcast 5 – A Morning Walk in Melbourne – the Yarra Trail

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia

with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 5 – A Morning Walk in Melbourne – The Yarra Trail.

Hi. I go for a long walk every morning. I find it is a great way to start my day. We live on the north eastern edge of Melbourne, near the Yarra River which winds its way through the city to Port Phillip Bay. Next to the Yarra River is a trail called the Yarra Trail.

The Yarra Trail goes for 35 kilometres into the heart of the city. It starts near my home and that part goes through native bushland and grassy fields. In this podcast I would like to describe for you my walk along some of the Yarra Trail. I turn around and go back home after 4 kilometres, so my walk each morning is 8 kilometres long. Not bad, eh?

My walk starts at my house. For the first kilometre, I walk through the streets of my suburb until I come to the first field where a 200 metre gravel path leads me to the Yarra Trail. This gravel path goes past the local garden waste recycling centre, where garden waste is made into mulch for the gardens maintained by our local government council. It always smells strongly of cut grass and garden mulch. That smell always wakes my senses for the morning walk ahead. When I reach the Yarra Trail I turn left.

As I walk westwards, I see large grassy bushland to my right and the back fences of the last line of suburban houses on my left. I often think that the owners of these houses must enjoy living right next to such beautiful bushland. The grasslands on my right are the grazing grounds for my favourite native animals in this area – kangaroos. Although they are wild, they don’t worry too much about people walking or riding by. However, if you want a closer look and walk towards them, they will at first look up and study you as you approach. They are deciding if you are dangerous, and how close they will let you come – not too close.

I love the kangaroos because of their beautiful shape and the way they move.

This mob of kangaroos has all ages, including young kangaroos (called ‘Joeys’) and some very large and old kangaroos. One time I was able to photograph one old kangaroo getting under a fence. He had to get down low but he did it.

After I have walked about 3 kilometres, the path winds close to the river on my right, and to an orchard (Petty’s Orchard) on my left. The orchard grows all kinds of fruit and has been in this area for over 150 years. It is now owned by a State Government department (Parks Victoria) and is being preserved for all Victorians. Protecting the fruit from the many birds in the area is a major task.

The Yarra Trail includes some sections where a wooden walkway has been built to allow walkers and bicycle riders an easy trip. This is taxpayers money being well spent, in my opinion.

Along the way I often see wild rabbits. There are so many that I often wonder if they are becoming too numerous for the good of the bushland. They too are not afraid of people and will allow a walker to come as close as 5 to 10 metres before running off into the long grass.

I also see native ducks feeding in pairs in the wetland areas I pass by. They seem quite tame although they will fly off if you get too close. They look so graceful when they fly.

When I get home my legs are tired and I enjoy a short rest before eating my breakfast. What a great way to start the day.

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box at the bottom of this page. You can leave your comment in English or in any language and I will translate it. Goodbye until next time.

Rob

Vocabulary

approach = when you go closer to something

bushland = land where there is bush

dangerous = when something can hurt you

favourite = the thing you like best

fences = used to show the boundary of a field. Made of wood or wire

fields = flat areas of land, often with grass

gardens = a place where plants are grown

graceful = when something moves in a beautiful way

grasslands = fields where there is a lot of grass

gravel = very small rocks, used on pathways.

grazing = when animals eat grass

local government council = a level of government in Australia that looks after the local area

maintain = to look after something

major = when something is important

mob = used to describe a group of kangaroos

mulch = mulch is put on the garden to keep water in the soil

numerous = many

opinion = when you believe something and you tell it to others

orchard = a place where there are lots of fruit trees

pairs = two of something

photograph = taken with a camera

preserved = to be kept and looked after

protecting = to look after something and keep it from harm

reach = to get to a place

sections = parts of something

senses = our senses are sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste

State Government department = a level of government in Australian that looks after a state

suburban = used to describe things in a suburb

tame = when an animal is not afraid of humans and won’t harm humans

taxpayers = people in Australian who pay taxes to the government

Victorians = people who live in the State of Victoria in Australia. Victoria is in the south

waste recycling centre = a place where waste can be taken so it can be used again

westwards = towards the west

wetland = an area of land which is wet all the time

Podcast 4 – A Barbeque in Melbourne – Let’s Do It

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 4 – A Barbeque in Melbourne – Let’s Do It.

Hi. In my last podcast, I talked about preparing to go on a summer barbeque in Melbourne. In this podcast, I would like to talk to you about one of the many parks and gardens around Melbourne where you can take your family for a barbeque.

Melbourne suburbs have many beautiful parks and gardens, with many walking and cycling tracks for the people to use and enjoy. Actually, Melbourne has been called ‘the Garden City’, as all suburbs have such parks and gardens. These are filled with native and exotic trees and plants, as well as wide grassed areas where you can have a fun game of football or cricket. And crossing all the parks are long walking and cycling tracks.

At several places in the park there are wooden benches and seats, often under a large covered pergola or shelter. Other park features include Adventure Playgrounds for the children, nearby seats where the adults can sit and watch their children play, toilets and plenty of off street parking for your car. At several places throughout the park there are also public barbeques.

Let me tell you about such a park near my home in Melbourne. I have been there many times for a family barbeque, especially when our two boys were younger. It is the Ruffey Lake Park in Doncaster. It is 68 hectares in area and has 7.8 kilometres of walking paths. Ruffey Lake Park has a small lake (Ruffey Lake), but the best things about this park are the beautiful gardens, the large grassed areas, shady trees, children’s adventure playgrounds, walking paths and many barbeque areas. Even on a hot day, you can always find a shady spot to eat your meal and enjoy the great Australian outdoors.

The family arrives by car. As soon as the car stops in the car park, the children are out and running excitedly for the playground. The parents bring the Esky full of food and drinks, the picnic rug and any sports equipment they may have bought. They find a spot near the playground, either a nice piece of shaded grass, or perhaps there is a bench and table available under the shelter. They set up their picnic. Next one of them takes the meat and goes to the nearest barbeque. At Ruffey Lake Park the barbeques are electric. Underneath each barbeque plate is a button. By pushing this button for about 10 seconds, the barbeque will turn on. A light next to the button tells you the barbeque is turned on. It’s free and it stays on for around 15 minutes.

Once hot, scrape the hot plate clean with your barbeque spatula and lay on your meat for cooking. Umm… There is nothing better than the smell and sound of sausages or steak cooking on an outdoor barbeque. When cooked, call the children in and pile up your plate with salads, a bread roll and some cooked meat. And don’t forget the tomato sauce!

Now enjoy the meal and the day. Another summer’s day in Australia – magic!

If you have a question or a comment to make, please leave it in the comments box on the bottom of this page.  Goodbye until next time.

Vocabulary

actually = when you say something that you think is important

adventure playgrounds = places where children can play. They have ropes, ladders and things to climb on.

available = when something is ready to be used

button = a small round dial that you can push. Normally, it turns things on

cycling tracks = a path or track where bicycle riders can go without any cars.

electric = uses electricity

especially = more frequently

excitedly = to do something in a happy way

exotic = plants which come from other countries to Australia

grassed = an area which has grass

hectares = a way to measure area. 1 Hectare is 10,000 square metres

magic = when something is very pleasing

native = plants which are found in Australia

parking = a place where you can put your car

pergola = a wooden shelter, but with no sides and sometime no roof

pile up = to put one thing on top of another

plenty = lots of

scrape = to pull a sharp blade across something. This removes the dirt.

several = more than one

shady = where there is lots of shade, for example, under a tree

spatula = a flat utensil used to lift up food, or also used to scrape the hot plate of a barbeque.

sports equipment = the things you need to play sport. For example, a tennis racket

suburbs = a part of the city where people live

underneath = when something is under something else

wooden benches = long seats made from wood. These are found in parks.

younger = when you are a child, or when you were not old

Podcast 3 – A Barbeque in Melbourne – The Preparation

Learn English While Learning About Daily Life in Australia – with Rob McCormack

 Podcast Number 3 – A Barbeque in Melbourne – The Preparation

Hi. A really common activity for families in summer in Melbourne is to have a barbeque. A barbeque is when you cook your meat outside on a griller or a hot plate. In Australia, we also call the griller or hot plate the ‘barbeque’. For a typical barbeque, you cook steak or sausages. Or maybe you might also cook lamb chops or pork chops. Whatever, it always tastes better when it has been barbequed outside. Together with your cooked meat, you also have prepared salads, like coleslaw, a garden salad, potato salad, and you usually also have bread. The bread can be either sliced or fresh bread rolls. And also, one must never forget the tomato sauce. No barbeque is complete without tomato sauce.

So, let’s describe how you prepare for a typical barbeque where a family decides to go to the local park and have a family barbeque.

First, you get the Esky out. Now the Esky is a cooler (like a refrigerator) that can keep food cold. Then you prepare the salads. I like a good coleslaw and also a potato salad. And you can’t beat a good mixed garden salad with lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, olives, tomatoes and maybe some cheese. And don’t forget the dressing. French dressing is nice. Uhmm! You need to put the salads into sealed containers so they don’t leak everywhere when inside the Esky. Now you get the drinks organised – soft drink for the kids and maybe a wine or a few beers for the adults. I like to take large bottles of soft drink for the kids because it’s a lot cheaper than cans or small bottles and also it creates less rubbish for the environment. That means you need cups or mugs for the kids also. Lastly you put your meat into the Esky along with your eating utensils – paper or plastic plates, knives and forks. You also need a pair of cooking tongs, for handling the meat while it cooks. Don’t forget your picnic rug so you have somewhere to sit and eat your food. Oh, and you must also take a football, or perhaps a cricket bat and ball, so that the family can enjoy some exercise in the open space in the park.

Okay, now you are ready to leave for the nearest park. The Esky goes in the boot of the car, then the whole family gets into the car and off you go. At the park you will find public barbeques where you can cook your food and enjoy a great family day out in the bright Melbourne sunshine.

In another podcast, I will tell you more about the parks and picnic areas around Melbourne.

If you liked this podcast, or you have a question or a comment to make, you can leave a comment on the bottom of this page.  Goodbye until next time.

Vocabulary

activity = when you do something

bright sunshine = when the sun is shining with no clouds

cheaper = when something doesn’t cost much

complete = when everything is all there

containers = something which holds a drink or some food, for example a box, can, bottle.

describe = when you tell someone about something

dressing = a liquid you put on a salad to make it taste better

environment = the world around us, for example the land, the air, the rivers, the seas.

exercise = to run around or play a game

fresh = when something is new, or made not long ago

handling = when you need to move something

leak = when liquid spills out

local park = a place nearby where there is grass and plants, a place to play or sit.

mixed = where there are many things put together

nearest = the closest

organised = to get everything you need

outside = in the open air

prepared = when something has been already made

public = everybody can use it

refrigerator = something used in the kitchen to keep food cold

rubbish = something that is no longer useful and is thrown away

sealed = when no air can get it

sliced = when you cut something into slices, for example bread.

summer = the hottest season of the year. The other seasons are winter, spring and autumn

tongs = a large metal utensil used to put meat on a hot plate

typical = something that is normal, that everyone knows

usually = most of the time

utensils = things you use to eat your food with

Podcast 2 – Australian Rules Football

Learn English While Learning About Daily Life in Australia – with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 2 – Australian Rules Football

Hi. Do you like sport? Australians, and particularly those who live in Melbourne, are crazy about sport. In Melbourne you can watch a large range of competitive sports. For example, I have been to see Australian rules football, rugby league, rugby union, cricket, basketball, hockey, Taekwondo, golf, tennis, car racing, motorcycle racing and athletics, just to name those which I have attended here in Melbourne. Now most cities in the world have lots of sports events, but in Melbourne we attend these events in large numbers. For example, the Grand Final of the Australian Rules Football competition in September of each year has around 100,000 sports fans attend the match. And we have the sports ground big enough to hold such a large crowd, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (popularly called ‘The MCG’, or ‘The G’). In this podcast, I would like to talk about Australian Rules Football.

Australian Rules Football (called ‘Footy’ by fans all around Australia) is around 150 years old. It is played with an oval shaped ball by two teams, each with 18 players. The team which kicks the most goals and points wins the game. It is a very physical game and it’s main characteristics are speed, strong tackling, long kicking (up to 70 metres), long handballs (up to 30 metres) and high marks. A ‘mark’ is when someone catches a kicked ball.

Those fans who follow their teams (‘footy fans’) are indeed fanatical. There are currently 18 teams in the top level competition, the Australian Football League (called the ‘AFL’). The oldest team in the AFL competition is Melbourne (also known as ‘the Demons’), which formed in 1858. It is the oldest football team in the world. The team with the largest following today is Collingwood (also known as ‘the Magpies’), which has 72,600 paid up members. Collingwood fans are very fanatical indeed, and it is probably true to say that Collingwood is the team which all other football fans ‘love to hate’. I follow a team called Essendon (also known as ‘the Bombers’), and our two biggest rivals are Carlton (also known as ‘the Blues’) and, of course, Collingwood.

So what’s it like to attend a big game of Australian Rules Football? Well, it’s exciting, loud, fun and passionate. And it’s played fast and furious. Top level players run approximately 14 kilometres during a game, further than in any other game. Footy Fans arrive early, usually with a colourful club scarf, beanie and perhaps a club jumper.

Up the mighty Bombers! The crowd love to shout, cheer and clap whenever a goal is kicked, or a high mark taken. And disagreeing with the umpire (the ‘man in white’) is an old tradition amongst footy fans. For most footy fans, the umpire makes the wrong decision about half the time.

One of my favourite memories is watching a great player called Michael Long for Essendon, playing at the MCG. Michael has retired now but he was a fast, agile and brave player. He played on the wing, down one side of the ground. I can remember the ball being kicked to him near the boundary line in front of the full Great Southern Stand, holding 45,000 fans. When he marked the ball, the crowd in that stand seemed to rise as one and they roared loud enough to burst your ears. Michael ran like the wind down the boundary line, bouncing the ball every 10 metres as he went (as required by the rules). Players from the other side had no chance to catch him with that crowd cheering him on. His run ended with a long kick to score a goal. Then we rose to our feet and cheered as loud as we could, hands and fists pumping the air, along with about 40,000 other Essendon fans. Up the mighty Bombers!

If you liked this podcast, or you have a question or a comment to make, you can leave a comment at the bottom of this page.  Goodbye until next time.

Vocabulary

agile = when you can move very quickly

approximately = about equal to, almost equal to

attended = when you have gone to a place

beanie = something you wear on your head to keep warm, often in your team colours

bouncing = when you throw the ball to the ground and then catch it when it comes up

boundary = the edge of the playing area

brave = when you are afraid, but you still do something

burst = when something breaks

characteristics = the things that make something unique

cheering = when the crowd calls out loudly

competitive = when you try to win in a game

crazy = mad, not thinking normally

currently = right now

disagreeing = when you do not agree with someone

ended = when something has finished

events = when something happens

fanatical = when you are very excited about something, when you like something a lot.

fists pumping = when you close your hand and put it up in the air.

following = the people who like a team and always want the team to win

furious = when a game is played with a lot of speed and the players play hard

goals = when you score in a game. In Australian Rules Football, a goal is the same as 6 points

Grand Final = the biggest game. The winner of this game wins everything

ground = a place where sport is played

handballs = when you pass the ball with your hands. In Australian Rules Football, the ball must be punched.

jumper = something you wear on your body to keep warm, often in your team colours

memories = things you remember from the past

oval shaped = not a circle, looks like an egg

paid up members = when somebody pays money to the club and joins the club.

particularly = especially

passionate = when you are very excited about something

physical = when people bump into one another in a game

points = when you score in a game, but you miss the goal

required = when something must be done

retired = when you are older and no longer play the sport

rivals = a team that you always like to beat when you play them in a game

scarf = something you wear around your neck to keep warm, often in your team colours

speed = when something is fast

tackling = when you grab or hold the other player in a game

tradition = when something has been there for a long time

umpire = the person who blows the whistle and says the rules of the game

wing = a place on the football field, near the edge of the playing area.

Podcast 1 – Introduction

Learn English while learning about daily life in Australia, with Rob McCormack

Podcast Number 1 – Introduction

Hi. My name is Rob McCormack. I have just turned 60 years old and I have been retired for about 18 months. I live in Melbourne Australia with Silvia, my wife of 35 years, and our youngest son Andrew who still lives at home. I’m very happy in my retirement, as I have many personal interests and I now have time to focus on them.

But why am I making these podcasts? Let me explain that by telling you about my most important personal interest. You see, I am learning to speak German. I started to learn German because my wife, Silvia, was born in Austria and came to Australia when she was 8 years old. She still speaks German fluently. She learned to speak English very well of course and throughout our 35 years of marriage, we have always spoken English together. But when we go back to Austria to visit her relatives, I find that I can’t get involved in the conversation unless everybody speaks English. Now, many of Silvia’s relatives can speak English, but they prefer to speak German with Silvia. So I feel a little ‘left out’ of the conversation. That makes me think, wouldn’t it be great if I could speak some German? I could perhaps understand a little of what they are talking about and perhaps I could do some of the talking too.

So I decided about 3 years ago that I would learn German. I have gone to German classes every week and I have used as many other ways as I can to help me learn German. For example, I use websites for language learning (like Babbel.com) and I also use apps on my iPhone (like Pimsleur German). Now while I have been able to learn a lot of grammar, and I am always learning new vocabulary, I find it difficult to get opportunities to listen to spoken German which is not too fast. When I try to listen to the German news, or to watch German movies, the spoken German is always way too fast for me. I can’t understand it because the people speak too fast. What I needed was some spoken German which was not too fast, and was about topics which are interesting. Imagine how happy I was when I found there were many podcasts which have been made for just this purpose.

So I thought, I wonder if people learning English have the same problem? I decided to develop a blog site where I would provide podcasts in English, about everyday topics, which learners of English could use to help with their listening skills. But, I would make sure that I spoke slowly enough so that learners of English could understand me.

So this is my first blog for ‘slowenglish’. I hope you will download my podcasts and give me feedback about them. My podcasts will usually be about Australian topics, about life, people and events in Australia. If you’re interested in Australia, I hope you will find my podcasts interesting. You can leave a comment on my website at the bottom of this page.

Goodbye until next time.

Vocabulary

apps = you can buy these at the iTunes store – short for ‘applications’

comment = something you would like to say.

conversation = when you talk with other people

feedback = when you tell someone what you think about something they have done.

imagine = when you think of something in your mind

involved = to be a part of something

opportunities = when you get a chance to do something

prefer = when somebody likes to do something

provide = when you give something to somebody

purpose = what something is made for

relatives = people in your larger family, for example  cousins, uncles, aunties, etc.

retired = when you are older and you do not work anymore

skills = the things you are good at, the things you can do well.

throughout = for all of the time