When preparing to study at an Australian university, students from a non-native-English-speaking background are taught to focus on developing their ‘Academic English’ skills to best succeed in their learning environment. Once they commence their study in Australia, they soon discover how complex it is to understand and communicate in English on a day-to-day basis – from colloquial language to unique Australian slang, to the nuance of tone, pronunciation, and body language, and how this can be received by the people you’re speaking to.

In this episode, our host, Zakwan, sits down with fellow PLA Helia, and Avin from the Centre for English Teaching, to discuss the difficulties faced by students from non-native-English-speaking backgrounds and what support is available for students looking to develop their empathetic English skills.