Chinwag Tuesdays

Val grew up in Kyiv, and Australia is the fifth country she's called home, after Poland, Georgia and the US. She's also my very first Ukrainian guest on Chinwag Tuesdays, and she joins me from Melbourne to talk about what it's actually like to build a life in Australia when you've already started over four times.We chat about the small talk that felt so weird when she first left Eastern Europe, why Aussies can be really friendly and still hard to become friends with, and how Val (a self-confessed introvert) went from Facebook groups to "friend dating" to joining social clubs. She also shares how she got her job in the US after sending more than 300 resumes, and how the same company later brought her to Australia.We get into Australian workplace culture too, from flat hierarchies and work-life balance to the very different personalities of her teams in Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland. And of course there's slang, including the meeting where Val had to send her new manager a message explaining what arvo means.The part I loved most was how honestly Val talks about home. She shares how hard it is to be so far from Ukraine right now, what it feels like to end up somewhere in the middle of every country you've lived in, and the things she does in Melbourne to stay close to her Ukrainian roots, like painting eggs with her girlfriends for Orthodox Easter, while still making new memories in Australia.In this episodeMeet Val, my first Ukrainian guestFrom Kyiv to five countriesSmall talk culture shock in the US and AustraliaWhy Aussies are friendly but hard to become friends withWhy migrants have to step out of their comfort zoneThe Ukrainian community in MelbourneA logistics career across three countriesAdvice if you're thinking of moving abroadAustralian workplace culture vs the USTipping and pricing in AustraliaHow work culture changes from state to stateBeing far from Ukraine and what home means nowStaying connected to Ukrainian roots in AustraliaAussie slang at work: arvo and "how ya going"Regional slang: beer glasses and pokiesLinksFree Australian Small Talk PlaybookWork with meInstagramHow to contact Val Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valeri.diaries LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeria-shnit

In this episode of Chinwag Tuesdays, Amanda sits down with Joe, the Sydney-based creator behind Joe Speaks Hindi. Joe has been learning Hindi for 27 years, spent a year living in a remote village in Rajasthan teaching English, and recently went viral on Instagram after being interviewed by CNN News18.Joe and Amanda talk about what it actually feels like to learn a language for decades, why an accent is something to be proud of, and why there is no such thing as speaking "full English." They also cover the universal experience of making friends as a migrant, what makes someone genuinely good at learning something new, and the misconceptions people have about Australian culture and about going viral.What You'll Hear in This Episode● What sparked Joe's interest in India and Hindi● A year living in a remote village in Rajasthan● Why an accent is something to be proud of● Misconceptions about Australian culture and family● Making friends as a migrant is universal● What makes someone genuinely good at learning a language● Going viral and the CNN News18 interview● Joe's most memorable moments in India● Rapid fire: Australia or IndiaConnect with Joe● www.instagram.com/joespeakshindi

Belén is an English teacher and translator from Argentina who spent two years in Australia on a working holiday visa, living in Brisbane, Tasmania, and Adelaide. In this episode, she talks about what it was really like navigating life, work, and language in a country she'd dreamed of visiting for years.She was ready to go in 2020 — and then COVID happened. She waited three years, finally arrived in June 2023, and packed more experiences into two years than most people manage in a decade: au pair in Brisbane, strawberry picker in Tasmania, cherry packer near Hobart, cafe cook and barista in Adelaide, sandwich artist at Subway, hotel housekeeper, and eventually ESL teacher at a private English college.The conversation covers what actually helped Belén's English improve most (hint: it wasn't the classroom), the moment she realised she'd absorbed Australian politeness habits and was saying please at restaurants back home, the challenge of being locked out of conversations when her partner's friends spoke only French, and the heartbreak of having her visa expire knowing she desperately wants to go back.What You'll Hear in This Episode• Why Belén waited three years before finally making it to Australia• What the 88-day farm work requirement for a second-year visa actually looks like on the ground• Which jobs gave her the most natural English immersion• How Australian politeness norms felt completely foreign at first• What it felt like to be locked out of a conversation in a language you don't speak• The emotional reality of leaving Australia not knowing when you'll get back• Advice for teachers and migrants who want to move to AustraliaConnect with BelénInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbelenbarberisLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mb-barberis

Jayanti arrived in Brisbane in 2017 to start her PhD, and her very first day in the research lab involved watching a fellow student struggle through a presentation in front of a room full of people asking tough questions. She thought: what have I signed up for?In this episode, Jayanti talks about the journey from that intimidating first day to delivering a TEDx talk in front of 200 people, in her Indian accent, on her own terms. She shares what it took to get there, including years of Toastmasters, deliberate exposure to different audiences, and a shift in how she thought about vulnerability and failure.She also gets into some of the cultural gaps that hit migrants in Australia harder than expected: the dry sarcastic humour you can't always tell is a joke, the discovery that Aussies have hobbies and actually talk about them, the word "arvo" almost ruining a social plan, and why saying "please" is not as universal as you'd assume.And she tells a story about a date that knocked her confidence right before her biggest speaking moment, and how she decided to show up to that TEDx stage as fully, visibly Indian as she could.Topics Covered• Arriving in Australia as a PhD student and the culture shock of the first research group meeting• How Australia's multicultural environment means learning not just Australian communication, but many cultures at once• What Toastmasters actually does for confidence and why the incremental exposure matters• Speaking to different types of audiences to build real communication range• Why sharing your failures in Australia is often a strength, not a weakness• The difference between Indian and Australian communication culture: politeness, humour, and identity• The word "arvo," the magic word, and the word "candy" (Amanda's husband was not impressed)• Why hobbies matter socially in Australia and how to build them into the life you already have• How a comment about her accent almost derailed her TEDx week, and why it didn't• What she would tell her younger migrant self about accent, identity, and self-esteemGuest LinksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayanti-mendhi/TEDxtalk: https://cms.qut.edu.au/tedxqut/speakers/speakers-pages/2022/jayanti-mendhiResources Mentioned• Toastmasters — toastmasters.org• Three-minute thesis competitions — check with your university• QUT Open Day — mentioned as an example of non-conference audience building

In this episode of Chinwag Tuesdays, I'm chatting with Serena Low, a Singapore-born, Melbourne-based trauma-informed coach who helps introverts, high achievers, and quiet achievers do something that doesn't come naturally to a lot of them: let people see how good they really are.Serena spent 11 years as a lawyer before making a major career pivot. She's also the host of The Quiet Warrior Podcast and author of The Hero Within. In this conversation, we get into why introverts often get overlooked in meetings even when they have the best ideas in the room, how energy management is the real issue (not confidence), and what quiet achievers can do to make themselves heard without having to become someone they're not.We also talk about belonging, about what it actually takes to build a life in a new country from scratch, and about why Serena thinks migrants are already warriors by the very fact of being here.This one is for you if you've ever sat in a meeting with something valuable to say and talked yourself out of saying it.Topics Covered• Why extrovert-focused workplaces make things harder for introverts and migrants• The energy management piece that most advice for introverts completely ignores• How introverts can contribute in competitive group settings without jumping in• Common myths about introversion that hold people back• What it means to be a 'quiet warrior' as a migrant• Practical strategies for building belonging in a new city, from Meetup groups to board game clubs• Serena's story: from law to trauma-informed coaching, and why Nancy Drew had something to do with it⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻How to contact SerenaLinkedInWebsiteThe Quiet Warrior Podcast⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻Want to work on your own Australian English?Book an Accent Assessment with Amanda: https://www.aussieenglishwithamanda.com/accent-assessment

This week on Chinwag Tuesdays, I'm sitting down with Aastha, who made the big move from New Delhi to Sydney five years ago after meeting her Australian husband. Aastha has an eight-year background in media and communications, a Master's in Business Administration, and she's now working as a Customer Success Manager, connecting with clients all across Australia and New Zealand.We talk about everything from the culture shocks that caught her off guard (shops closing at 5pm, anyone?), to navigating a complete career pivot in a brand new country, to the very real challenge of communicating confidently when your accent is different to everyone around you.One moment in this episode really stuck with me. Aastha shared that when she first arrived in Sydney, she was nervous ordering a coffee because she wasn't sure she'd be understood. She'd ask for her coffee in full, complete sentences, and sometimes the barista would still say 'pardon?' — and that one moment would shake her confidence for the rest of the day. If that sounds familiar to you, this episode is absolutely one to listen to.Aastha is honest, warm, and genuinely funny, and her story is one that so many migrants in Australia will recognise. We also chat about how she's adapted her communication style for work, what she wishes she'd known before arriving, and the advice she'd give to anyone just starting out in Australia.IN THIS EPISODE• What brought Aastha from New Delhi to Sydney (and how she and her husband met)• The work culture differences between India and Australia that surprised her the most• How Australians treat time, boundaries, and work hours very differently• Aastha's honest reflection on ordering a coffee and being asked to repeat herself• Why communication barriers aren't always about English level• How Aastha pivoted from an 8-year media career to Customer Success in Australia• Why asking for help is one of the most important skills a migrant can develop• Practical time management tips for working parents in a new country• Advice for new migrants building careers and confidence in AustraliaCONNECT WITH AASTHAFind Aastha on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/aastha-yadav-98102962Short term courses through TAFE: https://www.tafensw.edu.au/short-coursesInterested to hear what other migrants in Australia are getting up to? Check out these episodes:NohelyDawaLeticiaCarolRovieDanielaTomDakshMohitAnishJoAdityaKarenJuliaShakJeanne⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻Want to work on your own Australian English?Book an Accent Assessment with Amanda: ⁠https://www.aussieenglishwithamanda.com/accent-assessment⁠ 

This week on Chinwag Tuesdays, I’m joined by Jeane, an Indonesian-born primary school teacher who packed up a decade-long teaching career in Indonesia and moved to Melbourne to start fresh, on a completely different continent, in a completely different classroom.We talk about what it’s really like to teach Australian kids when you’re still learning the culture yourself, the hilarious moments when her students became her teachers, and why she says her accent has become her strength, not her weakness.Jeane shares the moment a student corrected her pronunciation of “giraffe,” how she learned what Shapes chips are the hard way, and what happened when she tried to explain what a “rubber” is. We also get into the deeper stuff: what it actually takes to build confidence as a migrant professional, how she found her footing as the only Asian teacher at her school, and the advice she’d give anyone starting over in a new country.This episode is warm, funny, honest, and genuinely motivating. If you’re a migrant professional navigating a new workplace and a new culture, Jeane’s story will feel like a conversation with someone who really gets it.•      Why Jeane left a 10-year teaching career in Indonesia to start over in Melbourne•      The biggest cultural differences between Indonesian and Australian classrooms•      What it’s like to teach phonics and literacy in your second language•      Vocabulary surprises: rubber, Shapes, tuck shop, bubbler, grey lead, mark the roll•      Building confidence as the only Asian teacher at her school•      Why her background became an asset, not a barrier•      Practical advice for migrants starting work in Australia•      Why saying yes to the coffee invite matters more than you think⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻📲How to Contact Jeane1. Instagram : www.instagram.com/jeaneclint_ 2. ⁠LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeane-clinton-1ba3a0233/ 3. ⁠TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@doryfishteacher ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻Want to work on your own Australian English?Book an Accent Assessment with Amanda: https://www.aussieenglishwithamanda.com/accent-assessment 

G'day! Welcome back to Chinwag Tuesdays, the podcast from Aussie English with Amanda where we chat about language, culture, and life as an Aussie abroad or a migrant finding their feet in Australia.This week I'm chatting with Tara, a fellow Aussie originally from Newcastle who packed up her life after graduating from uni and moved to Prague, Czech Republic, to teach English. And she's built an entire teaching business there, working with kindergarteners, marketing teams, airport staff, and even C1-level students who genuinely know more grammar than she does (her words, not mine!).In this episode we chat about:• What it was like moving to Czech Republic knowing absolutely no one• The cultural shock of a country where small talk just isn't a thing• How Czech education works, including high school until age 21• The challenges of teaching English when immersion is almost impossible• What the phrase 'silly sausage' apparently translates to in Czech (we'll let you use your imagination)• How living and working abroad builds confidence, business skills, and a whole new pace of speakingWhether you're a migrant learning English in Australia, a teacher thinking about moving abroad, or just someone who loves a good Aussie chin-wag, this one's for you.⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻📲How to Contact TaraFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C9XbqGjXp/?mibextid=wwXIfrInstagram: www.instagram.com/@tarainpragueEmail: [email protected]⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻Looking to improve your own Aussie English?I offer 1:1 coaching and online courses designed to help you sound more natural, build confidence, and feel at home in Australian conversations.To see what other Aussies are doing around the world, check out these episodes:Adriana MattAmanda EmmaTomPamOzzie MacguireMaxAnnaJemBenAndyMicheleJosieCliftonMikeChris

Welcome to Season 3 of Chinwag Tuesdays 🎙️In this episode, I’m chatting with Christopher Kong, founder of Crouching Tiger Network, about the real soft skills migrants need to succeed in Australian workplaces.Chris was born in Melbourne, spent 17 years working across Asia (including China and Singapore), and has landed every role in his career through networking. In this honest and practical conversation, we unpack why so many skilled migrants struggle at work in Australia, even when their English and technical skills are strong.We talk about why clear, simple communication often works better than “advanced” English, how cultural habits around silence, hierarchy, and feedback can create misunderstandings, and why working hard alone is not always enough in Australian workplace culture.If you’re an international student, professional migrant, or anyone trying to understand how Aussies really communicate at work, this episode will give you clarity, confidence, and a few lightbulb moments.In this episode, we cover:Why clarity matters more than perfect EnglishThe biggest workplace mistakes migrants make in AustraliaWhy networking feels awkward (and how to make it easier)How to speak up in meetings without feeling rude or uncomfortableA simple framework to build professional relationships naturallyWhat reverse culture shock actually feels likeThis episode is especially helpful if you’re trying to: ✔ fit into Australian workplace culture ✔ communicate more confidently at work ✔ handle tricky conversations without avoiding them ✔ understand how Aussies approach networking and visibilityLooking to improve your own Aussie English?I offer 1:1 coaching and online courses designed to help you sound more natural, build confidence, and feel at home in Australian conversations.📲How to Contact Chris💼 LinkedIn: https://linktr.ee/crouchingtigernetwork🌏 Quiz (discover your strengths & weaknesses as a networker): https://ctn-sign.scoreapp.com/🌏 Quiz (discover your strengths & weaknesses to navigate difficult situations at work): https://ctn-leap.scoreapp.comTo see what other Aussies are doing around the world, check out these episodes:AdrianaMattAmandaEmmaTomPamOzzie MacguireMaxAnnaJemBenAndyMicheleJosieCliftonMike

In this Chinwag Tuesdays episode, I sit down with Mike Budden—an Aussie English teacher living in Berlin—who is also fluent in German! We dive deep into accent training, pronunciation, language immersion, and the real reason why many learners struggle with listening.If you're learning English (or teaching it!), this episode is packed with insights and relatable stories to help you improve your Aussie accent and make your language learning more effective.Mike Budden shares practical strategies to improve your English listening skills, understand Aussie pronunciation, and avoid common accent mistakes—especially for German speakers. We explore why “reading aloud” is so powerful, what learners misunderstand about “correct pronunciation,” and how to shift your mindset from fear to fluency.Whether you're a migrant, international student, or language teacher, this episode gives you the tools to speak English with confidence—and feel proud of your unique voice.⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻Key Highlights:Meet Mike: Aussie English teacher living in BerlinLearning German through travel, music and community Teaching during COVID and returning to Australia Amanda's Hindi learning journey and immersion struggles Why pronunciation is essential for language learners Devoicing in German: What it is and why it matters German accent issues: real-world examples and fixes The power of reading aloud to improve pronunciation Final thoughts: evolving accents and student advice  ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻Looking to improve your own Aussie English?I offer 1:1 coaching, group classes, and online courses designed to help you sound more natural, build confidence, and feel at home in Australian conversations.📲How to Contact Mike Budden🌏 Website: https://www.mikeblanguages.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-budden-4553a4b2/To see what other Aussies are doing around the world, check out these episodes:AdrianaMattAmandaEmmaTomPamOzzie MacguireMaxAnnaJemBenAndyMicheleJosieClifton