Chapter 2 – Aim to learn English before you travel
“Lucas and Emma need to focus on learning English before they leave. This will help them to deal confidently with people from other cultural backgrounds…” There is some obvious wisdom in the opening paragraph of Chapter 2. By learning English before you travel to Australia (or another English-speaking country) you will be able to not just survive, but also to thrive in your dealings with other people. In our story, Emma (who is hinted to be slightly more proficient in English than Lucas) sits on the sofa and starts to quiz her brother. When asked for the meaning of the word “poor“, Lucas responds, “Poor means the opposite of rich.” From our experience with coaching Chinese students in real-world English communication, we find that identifying the “opposite” of a word is a great way to clarify whether the word is in fact understood, without requiring a detailed explanation of the word. It’s also a very efficient way of introducing a new and highly relevant word into the student’s vocabulary.
Learn English – a common language between foreigners
English as an international language cannot be overstated. To take an example: let’s say you are a Chinese national, and you travel to Australia for a holiday. At your holiday destination you meet someone from France who attempts to strike up a conversation with you. Now ask yourself: Will you expect the French traveler to speak and understand Chinese? Not likely. And will your French acquaintance expect you to be able to speak his or her language? Also less than likely. What will you both be hoping? Obviously, that the other person can communicate confidently in English – or in any case, that you will both be able to make yourselves understood – in English.
“The importance of English as an international language cannot be overstated…”
“An emu is an animal…”
At the close of Chapter 2, Emma asks Lucas what the word “animal” means – and the confident response she gets is: “An emu is an animal.” While the story doesn’t elaborate on exactly why Lucas chose to name Australia’s largest native bird, we can assume that he has been doing some research in preparation for their upcoming trip, and the emu was the first “animal” which came to mind. (In case you didn’t know, at almost 2 metres tall, the emu is the second largest bird in the world, second only to the African ostrich). If you come to Australia and spend some time driving in the “outback” inland regions then chances are that you’ll spot a few of these strange, flightless birds feeding on the open grasslands. Emus are also often sighted closer to the suburban areas, in particular in the vicinity of farms.
Now, back to our story: Lucas pokes a bit of fun at his sister, reminding her that “…If you’re going to apply for a job at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, you’ll need to know this.” This light-hearted interaction also serves as a subtle reminder to Chinese travellers who are hoping to secure employment in Australia. Obviously, having a good grasp of basic English written and verbal communication is a huge advantage.
A note regarding our course content
The Emma and Lucas – A Journey to Australia (Text and Audiobook Content Package) consists of an Introduction + 50 chapters + Epilogue. A significant portion of the story is focused on travel and ordinary conversation dialogue. Regardless of whether you purchase the course content alone for self-study, or whether you invest in the Reality English Coaching (3-month course package), we strongly recommend that you learn English before you travel to Australia.
Below you can listen to the complete audio of Chapter 2.