GETTING STARTED IN AUSTRALIA WITH OR WITHOUT ENGLISH

Hi, I am Amela, a twenty-something expat living in Sydney. I was born in Bosnia & Herzegovina but grew up in Austria.
Before coming to Sydney, I – like probably everyone else who is deciding on making such a big decision – did a lot of research. I researched the education system, the job market, the nature, the sight seeings, read many expat blots ….but no matter how much research one does and no matter how much you talk to locals telling you about life here, you will not fully understand it until you arrive.
Australia is a great country with wonderful people. You qet quickly used to the way things are run here. All you need to do is to stay open-minded and be aware that you are in a new country and things might not be like they were at home. You should experience it for what it is: a chance to broaden your horizon, experience new things, make new friends and last but not least improve your English skills (and with that your cultural understanding).
Being an interpreter & translator and having English as one of my working languages, I was not too worried about my English but rather I started worrying about understanding the Australian accent. All those worries for nothing! As it turns out the Australian accent is much easier to understand than I thought it would be as everyone you speak to in the city will speak in a standard English …..and now a couple of months later I am even being told that I am slowly starting to pronounce things the way an “Aussie” would.
So for anyone reading this blog and worrying about understanding people or even feeling ashamed of their level of English, let me tell you: There is absolutely no reason to worry about those things!
Everyone here is always trying to communicate with you no matter how good or “bad” your English might be and you will realize that it will take you only a couple of days to completely stop worrying about it.