ESL WORKSHEET - Australia

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

VISITING AUSTRALIA

LinguaHouse
Nov. 29, 2021

Level: Upper-Intermediate (B2-C1)
Type of English: General English
Tags: Travel and Leisure; People and Places; Animals; Art; Behavior, Feelings and Emotions; Historical Events; Visiting Places; Video Talk; Article Based
Publication date: 11/29/2021

This lesson is based on information from the Visit Australia website. Students will learn about Australian landmarks, geography, and history and get some ideas of what to see and do if they visit Australia. Exercises will cover vocabulary specific to Australia and some phrasal verbs. Listening and reading skills will also be tested, and students will have the opportunity to prepare a presentation (by Gillian Smylie).

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet (American English).
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet (British English).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan (American English).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan (British English).
• CLICK HERE to listen to/download the American English audio (MP3).
• CLICK HERE to listen to/download the British English audio (MP3).

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Interviewer: We’re going to talk to Jason, from Queensland, who’s going to give us some advice and tips on visiting Australia. Jason, your country is so huge! Can you talk us through some different ways of getting around?
Jason: Well, if you’ve got plenty of time, consider renting a car and taking a road trip. But before you set off, especially if you’re going into the bush or the outback, fill up your tank and pop a spare container of fuel in the back of your car, which you can fall back on if you need to. Most major roads are well signposted, but once you get into more remote outback areas you might end up on a dirt road! Or... how do you feel about long train rides?
Interviewer: I personally love them!
Jason: Well, in that case, you shouldn’t miss out on one of Australia’s epic train journeys. The Ghan is the world’s longest north-south train journey, from Darwin to Adelaide. It lasts three days and takes in three diverse landscapes: the South Australian hills and plains, the rocky gorges of the Red Center, and finally the beautiful greenery of the Top End. Or there’s also the Indian Pacific, which takes you from east to west, traveling between Sydney and Perth. If you travel eastbound, you’ll have the chance to stop in Australia’s largest outback settlement, Kargoorlie Boulder. Located in the eastern Goldfields, you might even be lucky enough to come across some gold!
Interviewer: If you had to choose some must-see attractions for visitors, what would you recommend?
Jason: So, first of all, I would say don’t leave without experiencing at least some Australian Aboriginal culture. Indigenous Australians have not always been treated well throughout history, but things have improved, and there are lots of opportunities to experience Aboriginal art, history, and food, among other things. Secondly, it’s one of Australia’s most iconic landmarks...you guessed it...the Great Barrier reef. There are so many options available to explore this wonderful habitat, so make sure you do plenty of research to find one which suits your budget and abilities. It goes without saying but Australia’s ecosystems are fragile, so make sure you respect our natural landscapes wherever you go. We, unfortunately, have many bushfires at certain times of year.
Interviewer: Of course. Well, your ideas sound fantastic! Now we all love Australia’s marsupials, but I feel I have to mention the subject of Australia’s less cuddly creatures... spiders and snakes for example.
Jason: (laughs) OK, there are a lot of myths surrounding Australia’s deadly animals. Yes, there are two species of potentially dangerous spider, but there are a few things I would point out. They will only attack when provoked, antidotes exist for bites from both, and nobody has died from a bite for over 40 years. So, ignore any spiders you see, avoid touching their webs, and shake your shoes before putting them on! The same goes for snakes really. Wear sensible shoes when hiking, and if you see a snake, back away very slowly, stamp your feet, and make noise. This should scare it away.
Interviewer: OK, thanks, Jason. I’ll keep your advice in mind and encourage our listeners to do the same. Thanks so much for talking to us today.
Jason: My pleasure!

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

There’s nothing like it, is there?

There’s nothing like a sunrise, that first wave of the day.

This trip along the coastline, this ride across the bay

There’s nothing like this ancient place

The sunset from a camel

This organism

This billabong

Or this duck-billed mammal

There’s nothing like the people here (or here, or here, or there)

My mates up here

My friends down there

There’s nothing like this bear (that’s not a bear)

There’s nothing like this giant shrub

This rock, these fish, these birds

There’s nothing like these furry things that bounce around in herds

There’s nothing like Australia

There’s nothing like this wondrous land, from Darwin to the Straits

There’s nothing like the people here, where everyone’s your mate.

There’s nothing like Australia

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/visiting-australia. Accessed on March 11, 2022. LinguaHouse.com © 2008 - 2022. All rights reserved.