Colour the flag
Speaking and listening – Pre-intermediate to Upper-intermediate
Let’s talk about AUSTRALIA Conversation cards One of Australia‘s nicknames is Down Under. Why is this?
What do you know about Australia? Make a list of cities, facts and landmarks.
Where in the world is Australia? Describe and locate on the map.
What’s the capital? What’s the biggest city? What’s the sports capital?
How big is Australia? How many people live there? Compare with other countries.
Do you know any famous Australians? Talk about them.
When was Australia founded? When did it become independent? Guess.
The Queen of England is the head of state in Australia. Why is this?
In the middle of Australia there is a famous red rock. What’s it called? How big is it?
What are the original people of Australia called? What do they look like? Where do they live? What What do the the do? do?
Which animals are endemic (= native) to Australia. Brainstorm. Make a list.
Where is the Great Barrier Ba rrier Reef located? What is it? Is it important? Why?
What are the most common wild animals in Australia? What about farm animals?
What’s a boomerang? What’s it made of? What’s it used for?
What sports are popular in Australia? Guess. Explain why.
Australia has plenty of raw materials. Which ores and minerals are mined?
What languages do people speak in Australia? Are they easy to learn?
‘All Australians are criminals.’ Is this true? Was it ever true? Explain.
Typical Australian words and expressions
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2 Match dingo emu frilled lizard kangaroo koala kookaburra platypus Tasmanian devil thorny dragon
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1 ankle biter 2 ba b arbie 3 didgeridoo 4 g'day (good day) 5 joey 6 my shout 7 no worries 8 Oz 9 tucker
a no problem b fo food c I'll pay this time d barbecue e Australia f small child g hello h baby kangaroo i Aboriginal wind instrument
Speaking and listening – Pre-intermediate to Upper-intermediate
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FAST FACTS
Speaking and listening – Pre-intermediate to Upper-intermediate
Location Australia is located in southern • hemisphere between the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The country called Australia is on a • continent which is also called Australia.
Industry mining, industrial and transportation equipment, steel •
Agriculture wheat, barley, sugarcane and fruits •
Geography world’s smallest continent, 6 th largest • country Area : 7,686,850 sq km (slightly smaller than the contiguous 48 US States)
Natural Resources plentiful supply of precious metals such as iron ore, copper, gold or uranium •
Livestock cattle, sheep and poultry •
Capital: Canberra Population: 21 million (July 2008 estimate) Government Democratic, federal-state system • recognizing British monarch as sovereign Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of • Australia Money: Australian Dollar (AUD) Climate: generally arid (= dry) to semiarid Languages: English and native languages History United Kingdom formally claimed the western part of Australia in 1829 • Australia gained Independence on the 11th December 1931 •
Animals Owls, bottlenose dolphin, crocodile (salt water), bilby, parrot, dugong, fur seal, pelican, great white shark, platypus, tree frog, western swamp tortoise, giant cuttlefish, pygmy possum, dingo, red kangaroo, emu, kingfisher, kookaburra, flying fox (greyheaded),frilled headed),frilled necked lizard, sulphur crested cockatoo, Tasmanian devil, koala, kangaroo, wallaroo, magpie, wombats, wallaby. Sports Australians love sports, including rugby, • football, golf, soccer, swimming, and cricket. They have gained high level of achievement in Olympics and other international sporting events. •
