When you arrive in Australia, it will be time to practise your English and meet lots of new people. You’ll notice your language skills will continue to get stronger every day as you settle in.

Australians are famous around the world for our unique accent and slang expressions. While we are taught to maintain courteous behaviours in social and professional settings, culturally we tend to talk to each other in quite a relaxed way.

Below are some handy tips about language and etiquette to help you settle in at Deakin.

• You may hear other people say ‘see you later’ or ‘see you’ as an informal way to say ‘goodbye’.
• It is considered good manners to say ‘please’ when you’re asking a person to give you something (for example, when you are ordering food in a café) or requesting help (such as seeking advice on your work). Likewise, you should also say ‘thank you’ to express gratitude to someone who serves or helps you.
• When you are ready to pay for a product or speak to an employee at the front of a store, you should wait behind any person who was there before you and who has not yet been served. This practice is called ‘queuing’ or ‘waiting your turn’ and ensures every customer receives orderly attention when a service or shop is busy. Australians consider it very disrespectful if you insist on being served first if you arrived after them.
• In Australia, we may sometimes shake hands when we greet someone in a formal manner (for example in the workplace), but we don’t generally hug or kiss people we have just met or who we aren’t close with.
• Many Australian schools and universities adopt a more informal (casual) tone than what you might be familiar with from attending school back home. Deakin lecturers and tutors will often request you call them by their first name, rather than insisting you address them using their formal or academic title. Listen to how your teachers introduce themselves and how other students speak to them if you’re unsure about how to greet your teachers.
• Although we are relatively relaxed with language, Australians consider it rude to be late for classes or appointments. Make sure you arrive a few minutes before your lectures and tutorials begin so you are ready to begin on time (and make sure your mobile phone is either off or set to silent mode!).
• If you arrive late to lectures or classes on one or two occasions, most teachers won’t be angry with you as this happens sometimes, but don’t let your lateness disrupt others. Please enter as discreetly and quietly as possible. Perhaps offer a short ‘sorry’ or apology if your lateness is acknowledged.