Colour the flag
Speaking and listening – Pre-intermediate to Upper-intermediate
Let’s talk about AUSTRALIA
Conversation cards
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.
One of Australia‘s nicknames is
The Land Down Under.
Why is this?
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 do they do?
Which animals are endemic
(= native) to Australia.
Brainstorm. Make a list.
Where is the Great Barrier
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
1
ankle biter
a
no problem
2
barbie
b
food
Match
3
didgeridoo
c
I'll pay this time
dingo
4
g'day (good day)
d
barbecue
5
joey
e
Australia
6
my shout
f
small child
kangaroo
7
no worries
g
hello
koala
8
Oz
h
baby kangaroo
kookaburra
9
tucker
i
Aboriginal wind instrument
1
2
emu
Frilled neck
platypus
Tasmanian devil
thorny dragon
3
4
7
5
6
8
9
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.
Geography
 world’s smallest continent, 6th largest country
Area : 7,686,850 sq km (slightly smaller than the
contiguous 48 US States)
Capital: Canberra
Industry
 mining, industrial and transportation
equipment, steel
Agriculture
 wheat, barley, sugarcane and fruits
Natural Resources
 plentiful supply of precious metals such as iron
ore, copper, gold or uranium
Livestock
 cattle, sheep and poultry
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 (grey-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.