Nearly 30 years ago, The Simpsons arrived in Australia, causing a bloody outrage. We were offended at how they portrayed our culture, but more importantly, how badly they tried to create Australian accents. As time has gone on, the Bart v Australia episode has become a source of national pride, especially amongst Simpsons fans in Australia.
To talk about this phenomenon, I invited one of my favourite Australian linguists and co-host of Lingthusiasm, on the show, Lauren Gawne.
Lauren and I discuss the portrayal of Australian accents in media, highlighting inaccuracies in The Simpsons and noting the informality and lack of respect for authority in Australian English. We talk about things that The Simpsons actually did get right and how this is part of how Australian English is viewed outside of Australia.
We also discuss cross-cultural politeness in language and how tolerance for profanity (for example "bloody") can be a hurdle for learners of Australian English and for Australians when learning other languages. I emphasize the importance of understanding intersections between linguistics and other areas of study, while Lauren stresses the value of intrinsic motivation in language learning.
There's all that and more and it's a bloody outrage I can't write it all here!
If you would like a transcript for this episode, get access to all content and have a say in the creative process, or would just like to support the show, think about becoming a patron: patreon.com/AustraliansTeachEnglish
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