Australian English for Living and Working in Australia. Lesson 1.
After a long flight you arrive in Australia, tired and surrounded by new sounds. In this lesson you step into those first 48 hours: immigration, baggage claim, taxi rank, hotel check-in and your first café. You listen to short dialogues with different Australian accents and see how common phrases like "No worries" and "Too easy" work in context. You learn friendly ways to ask people to repeat or slow down, and how to check important details such as addresses, prices and times. You also practise simple survival conversations about buying a SIM card and telling a driver where you need to go. By the end, you can follow key questions and answers at the airport and in town, and respond with clear, confident sentences that sound natural in Australia.
1. Going through immigration after you land.
You have just stepped off a long flight into your new life in Australia. You are tired, maybe a bit nervous, and the very first Australian voices you hear are at immigration. In this block, I want you to feel what that moment is like, but in a safe way. We will listen to a short immigration conversation and then build some clear, confident answers you can use yourself.
At immigration, officers are usually polite but direct. They may sound more relaxed than you expect, and sometimes they use friendly phrases such as “How you going?” instead of “How are you?”. The important thing is to catch the key questions: Why are you here? How long are you staying? Where will you stay? Do you have anything to declare?
If you miss something, it is completely fine to ask. Phrases like “Sorry, could you say that again?” or “Can you speak a bit slower?” sound natural and polite. In the activity, you will first listen and notice the questions. Then you will write how you would answer them, using simple, direct sentences that still sound Australian enough for this context.
Scene: Your first conversation in Australia.
You walk down the corridor from the plane, follow the Arrivals signs and join the line for Passport Control. An officer calls you forward, scans your passport and starts speaking in a fairly relaxed Australian accent.
Here is a model dialogue.
> Officer: Hi there, how you going?
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> Traveller: Good, thanks.
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> Officer: What brings you to Australia today?
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> Traveller: I’m here on a skilled work visa.
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> Officer: Right, and how long are you planning to stay?
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> Traveller: At least two years.
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> Officer: Where will you be staying for the first few nights?
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> Traveller: I’ve booked a hotel in the city.
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> Officer: Got anything to declare? Any food, plants or large amounts of cash?
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> Traveller: No, nothing to declare.
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> Officer: Too easy. Off you go.
Noticing useful Australian chunks.
Look at a few key phrases from the dialogue.
“How you going?” – a very common Australian way to say How are you?. You can just answer: “Good, thanks.”
“What brings you to Australia today?” – means Why are you here? You can answer with your purpose: I’m here on holiday / I’m here for work / I’m starting uni.
“Got anything to declare?” – short, casual way of asking Do you have anything to declare? If you have nothing, just say: “No, nothing to declare.”
“Too easy.” – a friendly way of saying That’s fine, no problem. You do not need to reply.
Survival phrases if you do not understand.
In real life, you might not catch every word, especially when you are tired. These polite repair phrases are essential:
“Sorry, could you say that again?”
“Sorry, can you speak a bit slower?”
“Sorry, what does declare mean?”
Using sorry plus a clear request sounds friendly in Australia and will not annoy the officer.
In the activity, you will listen to a similar, short immigration conversation. Then you will write:
The questions you heard, in your own words.
Your own answers, as if you are the traveller arriving today.
Practice & Feedback
First, listen carefully to the short immigration conversation. Don’t worry if you do not understand every single word. Focus on catching the questions the officer asks, and the general meaning.
After listening, please write one clear response that has two parts:
Part A – What you heard: In 2–3 sentences, say what questions you think the officer asked. You can paraphrase in your own words, for example: They asked why I was coming and how long I would stay.
Part B – Your own answers: Imagine you are the traveller. Write short, natural answers to those questions using simple sentences. Try to use at least one phrase from the chunk bank, such as “Just landed, I’m heading to the city.” or “No worries, all good.”.
Aim for around 6–8 sentences in total. It’s fine if you mix what you heard and your own ideas, as long as it is clear which part is which.
2. Finding baggage claim and the taxi rank.
You have made it through immigration, well done. Now your next mini-mission is to find your bags and work out how to leave the airport without getting completely lost. In many Australian airports, the signs are clear, but you may still need to ask a staff member or another passenger for help.
In this block, we will zoom in on two very common moments. First, you are not sure where to collect your luggage. Second, you want to find the right line for taxis or rideshares. The language here is short and practical, but the accent can still feel fast, especially when people drop little words the way Australians often do.
You will read a short model conversation with airport staff and notice some really useful chunks like “Where do I pick up my bags?” and “Is this the right line for taxis?”. Then you will practise building your own questions that fit your real arrival plans. By the end of this block, you should feel more confident starting these quick, functional conversations with strangers at the airport.
Scene: Lost between arrivals and baggage claim.
You follow the crowd after immigration, but suddenly you are not sure if you are going the right way. You see an airport staff member in a high-vis vest and decide to ask for help.
> Traveller: Excuse me, where do I pick up my bags?
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> Staff: No worries, just keep going straight and you’ll see the baggage carousels on your left.
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> Traveller: Thanks heaps.
A little later, you have your bags, but you are confused about transport. You see a sign for Taxis and another for Rideshare pick-up, and there is a long line of people.
> Traveller: Sorry, is this the right line for taxis?
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> Staff: Yeah, that’s the taxi rank. If you want Uber or rideshare, just head outside and follow the green signs.
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> Traveller: Got it, cheers.
Noticing polite opening moves.
These openings are simple but powerful:
“Excuse me, …” – soft and polite; great for asking strangers or staff.
“Sorry, …” – in Australian English, adding sorry before a question can make it sound friendlier.
You can combine them with a clear question:
“Excuse me, where do I pick up my bags?”
“Sorry, is this the right line for taxis?”
“Excuse me, which way to the train station?”
Notice the casual friendly replies:
“No worries” – means That’s fine / You’re welcome.
“Thanks heaps.” – very Australian way to say Thanks a lot.
“Cheers.” – casual Thanks or Bye.
Language tip: keep it short and clear.
After a long flight, your brain is tired. You do not need long, perfect sentences. Focus on:
A polite opener: Excuse me / Sorry.
One clear question about place: Where…? / Is this…? / Which way…?
A short, friendly thanks at the end.
In the activity below, you will read another little dialogue, then answer some questions and write your own two airport questions that you really might need on arrival.
Practice & Feedback
Read the short dialogue in the box carefully. Imagine you are the traveller in this situation.
Then write one response that includes two parts:
Comprehension (2–3 sentences): Answer these questions in full sentences:
Where does the staff member tell the traveller to go for the train?
What useful phrase does the traveller use to check they are in the right place?
Your own questions (2–3 sentences): Write two new questions you might ask airport staff when you arrive in Australia. Use the patterns from the lesson, for example: Excuse me, where do I…? or Sorry, is this the right…? Try to make them realistic for your arrival: baggage, toilets, SIM cards, taxis, meeting point.
Aim for 5–7 sentences in total. Don’t worry about being perfect; focus on being clear, polite and sounding reasonably natural for Australia.
Airport information desk.
> Traveller: Excuse me, which way to the train station?
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> Staff: Just head down those escalators, then turn right. You’ll see the train signs.
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> Traveller: Sorry, is this where I buy a ticket as well?
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> Staff: Yep, you can buy a travel card down there too. No worries.
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> Traveller: Great, cheers.
3. Talking with the taxi driver to your hotel.
Now you have your bags and you know where the taxi rank is. The next conversation is often with a taxi or rideshare driver. This is where you first use Australian English in a slightly longer back-and-forth.
In this block, we will walk through a typical conversation from the airport to your hotel. You will see how to say where you are going, how to confirm the address and how to ask the driver to repeat or slow down if you miss something.
Australians often speak very casually in taxis. You might hear questions like “You heading to the city?” or “Here for work or a holiday?”. It is completely fine to keep your answers simple. At the same time, you can try out a few local-sounding chunks such as “Just landed, I’m heading to the city.” or “Too easy, thanks heaps.”
After we look at a model dialogue on the screen, you will write **your side** of a similar conversation. I want you to imagine your real arrival: which city, which hotel, roughly how long you are staying. This small writing task will give you a ready-made script you can adapt on your actual first day.
Scene: In a taxi from the airport.
You wheel your suitcase to the taxi rank. A driver waves you over and helps with your luggage.
> Driver: G’day, how you going?
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> Traveller: Good, thanks. Just landed, I’m heading to the city.
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> Driver: No worries. Which hotel you staying at?
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> Traveller: The Harbour View Hotel on King Street.
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> Driver: King Street in the CBD, yeah?
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> Traveller: Sorry, could you say that again?
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> Driver: The CBD, the city centre.
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> Traveller: Ah, yeah, that’s right.
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> Driver: Too easy. Should be about half an hour, depending on traffic.
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> Traveller: Okay, thanks heaps.
Key chunks to steal.
“Just landed, I’m heading to the city.” – nice, natural way to explain the situation.
“Which hotel you staying at?” – you might hear questions without some small words. You can answer in a full sentence: I’m staying at the Harbour View Hotel.
“CBD” – very common Australian way to say city centre.
“Sorry, could you say that again?” – your go-to phrase when you miss something.
“Too easy.” / “Thanks heaps.” – friendly informal ways to say That’s fine and Thank you very much.
Language focus: checking details.
In taxis, it is important to check addresses and time so you do not end up in the wrong place.
Useful patterns:
Checking the address
“Can I just double-check the address? It’s 25 King Street, Sydney.”
“So that’s the Harbour View Hotel near the station, yeah?”
Checking the time or cost
“Roughly how long will it take?”
“About how much will it cost to the city?”
You do not need to sound perfect; being clear and relaxed is more important. In the activity, you will write your side of a taxi conversation, using your real destination and at least two of the chunks from this lesson.
Practice & Feedback
Imagine you have just arrived at an Australian airport of your choice. You are taking a taxi to your real or ideal first hotel or accommodation.
Write your side of a short conversation with the driver. You do not need to write the driver’s exact words, but you can add short notes in brackets if that helps, for example: (Driver asks which hotel).
Please include:
a friendly greeting and a simple explanation that you have just arrived,
the name or type of place you are going,
one question to check the address or travel time, and
at least two survival or Aussie-style chunks, for example: “Just landed, I’m heading to the city.”, “Sorry, could you say that again?”, “Too easy, thanks heaps.”.
Aim for 6–8 short lines, like a mini-script you could quickly read before your real taxi ride.
Example structure for your taxi script.
Traveller: Greeting + very short explanation of your situation.
Traveller: State your destination clearly (hotel, street, suburb).
Traveller: Optional small talk (here for work or holiday, first time in Australia).
Traveller: Question to check address or time.
Traveller: Friendly thanks at the end.
Try to weave in chunks like:
Just landed, I’m heading to the city.
Sorry, could you say that again?
Can you speak a bit slower?
No worries, all good.
Too easy, thanks heaps.
4. Checking in at your hotel calmly.
After the taxi, the next important moment is checking in at your hotel or short-term accommodation. You are still tired, and maybe your brain is half in your first language. This is exactly when a clear little script can save you.
In Australian hotels, reception staff are usually friendly and quite informal. You may hear a lot of "No worries" and "All good" when there is a small problem. Your job is to give the key information: your name, booking, and maybe your ID, and to ask about what you need, such as wifi or check-out time.
In this block, we will look at a realistic check-in conversation, and notice how to ask simple but polite questions like “Could I check in a bit early?” or “What time is breakfast?”. Then you will do a short **chat-style simulation**: you will write what you would say to the receptionist, message by message, starting from “Hi, I’ve just arrived…”. I will respond as the receptionist, so you can feel how the phrases work in a natural flow.
Scene: First contact with hotel reception.
You walk into the hotel lobby with your bags. The receptionist smiles.
> Receptionist: Hi there, how you going?
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> Traveller: Hi, good thanks. I’ve just landed. I have a booking under Chen.
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> Receptionist: No worries, I’ll just pull that up. Can I see some ID, please?
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> Traveller: Sure, here you go.
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> Receptionist: Too easy. You’re in room 804. Check-out is at eleven.
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> Traveller: Thanks. Could I check in a bit early? I’m really tired.
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> Receptionist: Let me see… Yeah, that’s all good. The room’s ready now.
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> Traveller: Great, thanks heaps. Is there wifi in the room?
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> Receptionist: Yep, the password’s on the desk. Lift’s just over there.
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> Traveller: Cheers.
Useful hotel phrases.
Notice how the traveller keeps it simple and polite:
“I’ve just landed. I have a booking under Chen.” – gives context and the name on the booking.
“Could I check in a bit early?” – soft, polite request.
“Is there wifi in the room?” – clear question about services.
Notice the receptionist’s Aussie reassurance phrases:
“No worries, I’ll just pull that up.” – That’s fine, I’ll find your booking.
“Too easy.” – means That’s simple, no problem.
“Yeah, that’s all good.” – confirms that early check-in is okay.
Language focus: sounding friendly but not too formal.
In Australia, ultra-formal phrases like “Good afternoon, sir, may I kindly request…” can sound a bit strange in a normal hotel. It is usually better to use clear, relaxed English:
“Hi, I’ve just arrived. I’ve got a booking under ___.”
“Could I check in a bit early?”
“What time is breakfast?”
“Is there somewhere I can leave my bags?”
In the activity, you will see a short confirmation message from a real or imaginary hotel. Then you will write your chat-style messages to reception as if you have just walked in the door.
Practice & Feedback
Read the short booking confirmation carefully. Then imagine you have just arrived at this hotel after a long flight.
Write a chat-style conversation from your side, as if you are messaging reception on an app or speaking sentence by sentence at the front desk.
Please:
Start with a friendly greeting and say that you have just arrived.
Give the name on the booking and refer to at least one detail from the confirmation (for example, room type or number of nights).
Ask one or two simple questions, such as about early check-in, breakfast time, or wifi.
Use at least two Aussie-style chunks, for example: “No worries, all good.”, “Too easy, thanks heaps.”, or “Hi, I’ve just landed…”.
Write your message in short lines, like chat turns. For example:
> Hi, I’ve just arrived at the hotel.
> I’ve got a booking under …
Aim for 6–10 lines.
Hotel booking confirmation (example).
Name on booking: Lin Chen
Hotel: City Central Hotel
Room type: Queen room
Dates: 3 nights, check-in 14 March, check-out 17 March
Standard check-in time: 2:00 pm
Check-out time: 11:00 am
Wifi: Free wifi in all rooms
You arrive at the hotel at 10:30 am on 14 March, very tired from your flight.
5. Ordering your first coffee in Australia.
Many people say their first real moment of feeling in Australia happens not at immigration, but at the café. Ordering coffee is a daily ritual here, and it is also a great chance to practise relaxed, local English.
In this block, we will step into a busy morning café. You will hear how a typical coffee order sounds, with a fast but friendly barista. We will focus on two things: making your order clearly and handling it when you do not understand a question.
You will meet useful chunks like “Can I grab a flat white, please?”, “Have here or takeaway?” and “Sorry, could you say that again?”. Australians often speak quickly in cafés, but they are usually happy to repeat or slow down if you ask in a friendly way.
First, we will look at a written model of a café dialogue and unpack the key phrases. Then you will listen to another order and write your own version of what you would say in that situation, including at least one polite repair phrase.
Scene: Your first Aussie café.
The next morning, slightly jet-lagged, you walk into a busy café near your hotel. Music is playing, the coffee machine is loud, and people are chatting.
> Barista: Hey, how you going?
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> Traveller: Good, thanks.
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> Barista: What can I get you?
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> Traveller: Can I grab a flat white, please?
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> Barista: Sure thing. Have here or takeaway?
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> Traveller: Sorry, could you say that again?
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> Barista: Do you want to drink it here, or take it away?
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> Traveller: Oh, have here, thanks.
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> Barista: No worries. Anything to eat today?
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> Traveller: Nah, just the coffee, thanks heaps.
Key phrases for coffee orders.
“Can I grab a flat white, please?” – very common Australian way to order. You can also say “Can I get a small long black?”.
“Have here or takeaway?” – this short question can be hard to catch. It means: Are you staying here or taking it away?
“Anything to eat today?” – an offer to add food. You can answer: “Just the coffee, thanks.” or “Yeah, can I get a muffin as well?”
Handling fast café questions.
The café can be loud and the barista can speak quickly. That is normal. The important skill is not to panic, but to repair the conversation calmly:
“Sorry, could you say that again?”
“Sorry, can you speak a bit slower?”
“Sorry, did you say have here or takeaway?”
These all sound polite and natural. Adding sorry and a soft question keeps the tone friendly.
In the activity below, you will listen to another café order. Then you will write what you would say to order your own drink and, if needed, ask the barista to repeat one question.
Practice & Feedback
Listen to the café conversation. Try to notice:
what the customer orders,
what questions the barista asks,
and any repair phrases.
You do not need to repeat the exact words. Instead, after listening, write one answer that includes:
Your own coffee order in 1–2 sentences, using a natural Australian-style phrase like “Can I grab a flat white, please?” or “Just a small long black, thanks.”.
One repair line you would use if you did not catch a question, for example: “Sorry, could you say that again?” or “Sorry, did you say have here or takeaway?”.
Optional: one very short reply to an extra question (for example about food or milk type).
Aim for 3–5 sentences. Imagine you are really standing at the counter of a busy café in Sydney or Melbourne.
6. Buying a SIM and planning your first 48 hours.
To finish this lesson, we will add one more survival task: buying a SIM card so you can actually use your phone, maps and messages in Australia. Then you will bring everything together in a small performance task.
At many airports and shopping centres you will see phone shops and signs like "Prepaid SIMs" or "Mobile plans". Staff will probably speak quickly and use words like "data" and "recharge", but the basic structure of the conversation is simple: you say what you need, for how long, and they suggest a plan.
In this block, you will read a short SIM shop dialogue and notice useful phrases like “I’d like a SIM card with data” and “Can you tell me what plans you have?”. After that, you will do a bigger writing task: you will script **three mini-conversations** from your first 48 hours in Australia – immigration and airport, getting into town, and buying a SIM.
This is your chance to reuse the best chunks from the whole lesson: “Sorry, could you say that again?”, “Just landed, I’m heading to the city.”, “No worries, all good.” and more. By the end, you will have a personalised set of dialogues you can review on the plane before you arrive.
Scene: At the phone shop buying a SIM.
You walk into a small phone shop at the airport. A staff member looks up.
> Staff: Hi, how you going?
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> Traveller: Hi, good thanks. I’d like a SIM card with data.
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> Staff: No worries. How long are you staying in Australia?
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> Traveller: About three months.
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> Staff: Okay, we’ve got a prepaid plan with heaps of data for three months.
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> Traveller: Can you tell me what plans you have?
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> Staff: Sure, this one’s forty dollars a month with unlimited calls and texts.
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> Traveller: Sorry, can you speak a bit slower?
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> Staff: Yeah, all good. This plan is forty dollars a month. It has lots of data and free calls.
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> Traveller: Great, I’ll take that one. Cheers.
Useful SIM shop chunks.
“I’d like a SIM card with data.” – clear way to start.
“How long are you staying in Australia?” – a question you will probably hear.
“Can you tell me what plans you have?” – open question to hear your options.
“Sorry, can you speak a bit slower?” – again, your key survival phrase.
Final task: your first 48 hours script.
Now it is time to put the whole story together. You will write three short mini-dialogues as if you are really arriving in Australia tomorrow.
At immigration / arrivals – 3–4 lines from you.
Taxi or other transport / hotel check-in – 4–6 lines from you.
Café or SIM shop – 4–6 lines from you.
You do not need to write every word the other person says. Focus on your lines, the things you want ready in your mouth. Use at least five chunks from the lesson’s chunk bank, for example:
How you going?
Just landed, I’m heading to the city.
Sorry, could you say that again?
Can you speak a bit slower?
No worries, all good.
I’d like a SIM card with data.
In the activity, you will see a simple checklist to guide you while you write.
Practice & Feedback
Use this final task to rehearse your real first 48 hours in Australia.
Write three labelled mini-dialogues that show what you will say in each situation. You can include very short notes in brackets for the other person if you want, but focus mainly on your words.
Please follow this structure:
Immigration / arrivals – write 3–4 lines starting with something like: Officer asks why you’re here then your answer, etc.
Taxi or hotel – write 4–6 lines from getting into a taxi or checking in at your accommodation.
Café or SIM shop – write 4–6 lines where you either order coffee or buy a SIM card.
Use headings like IMMIGRATION, TAXI/HOTEL, CAFÉ/SIM so it is clear which part is which.
Try to:
include at least five chunks from the lesson (for example: "Just landed, I’m heading to the city.", "Sorry, could you say that again?", "No worries, all good."),
keep sentences short and natural,
imagine the real city, hotel and plan that fit your life.
Aim for around 15–20 lines in total.
Checklist for your mini-dialogues.
Make sure your script:
Clearly shows three different moments: arrivals, getting into town, and sorting out coffee or phone.
Includes your realistic details: city name, hotel or suburb, length of stay.
Uses at least five of these high-value chunks:
How you going?
Just landed, I’m heading to the city.
Sorry, could you say that again?
Can you speak a bit slower?
No worries, all good.
Where do I pick up my bags?
Is this the right line for taxis?
I’d like a SIM card with data.
Too easy, thanks heaps.
Cheers, have a good one.
This is your personal script to review before your real trip.
