Hi guys, Simon here from Go Study Australia, and I want to give you a few tips on the best ways to improve your English. If you’re from a non-English speaking background, it can be really difficult coming to a new country, making friends, going to school, even just understanding the way we talk with our Australian accents. So there’s a few things that you can do to increase your English language quickly.

Number one, start watching lots of television in English. Have subtitles on if you need. Netflix is a great tool because it has subtitles, er, that you can actually read in English while you’re listening as well.

Number two, start talking to everybody. It’s gonna be so uncomfortable. I totally know. I’ve been to non-English speaking countries and had to try and speak Spanish. It is so difficult. But you’ve got to start somewhere. People will understand that you’re from a non-English speaking background and they will wanna help you. Ask for people to correct you on your English or talk about the best way to actually say something.

Number three, don’t hang around people from your own country. If you’re coming all the way from Spain, or Italy, or Columbia, the last thing you wanna be doing is hanging around with lots of people from your home country. It’s more comfortable speak your own language, but you’re gonna need to put yourself out there and be forced to speak in an English speaking, er, environment.

Related to this, guys, is number four. Try and get a job where you’re also forced to speak English. So try not to work in a kitchen with other people from your own country or a cleaning job where you’re not talking to anyone. Try and get a job in a busy, social environment, like in a bar, or a restaurant, or an office, where you’re talking to people in English whether they be from Australia or from any other country.

And also number five, guys, is do try and actually get out there and meet some local Australians. It’s amazing how many people I talk to that have been in Australia for six or 12 months that haven’t actually made any Australian friends, because all they do is speak with their own friends from their own country.

We as Aussies love meeting international people. We think you’re foreign, we think you’re exotic and you’ve got a cool accent. So come and hang out with us. Don’t just hang out in the stereotypical student places. Go to places where Aussies are hanging out, local pubs and bars, sporting events. I always recommend people go to a dance class, because everyone from every nationality can all speak the same language through dance. Really, really cool.

And lastly, guys, write down your favorite words and sentences and practice them. We say a lot of very strange things here in Australia, some slang that doesn’t quite make sense or doesn’t quite fit the rules of normal English, so write them down, practice them and get your favorite Aussie saying so you’ll be sounding like a true-blue Aussie in no time. We’ll see you down under.