AUSTRALIAN Culture and Language Help!

[majestic_ginny]

Thank you all! It really helped in plotting about the school. But my co-author kinda thinks that making Natasha stay in Australia will be hard. That's because we have little/absolutely no idea about how Australians behave. As I'll start writing from when they are still in Australia, I'd have to give a lot of dialogues said by the students and teachers, and I think you guys speak in a different way than us. Like, do you guys say 'dude' and 'man' a lot? My co-author thinks that they should live in America, as we know a lot more about the culture and behaviour about the students. Now I am really confused! What should I do, make them live in Australia or America? If you guys can help me further, regarding the speaches and all, then I might as well let them be in Australia, therfore not changing my storyline. Otherwise it better be in America. What do you say? Care to help me out? It'll be a whole lotta help!

Thanks,
-Nadia

[ms. leading]

I don't think you should worry too much about our behaviour, as were pretty much the same as any other western society. You don't have to change dialigue to suit us. Just have your characters speaking the same as anyone else. It's not like you have to portray accents. hope that helps.

[Azhure]

The only difference in the British and Australian language is really the slang, and not everyone uses that over here anyway. Maybe use a bit of the slang posted earlier in this thread, but you don't really need to worry about it. And feel free to post more questions in this thread, that's what it's here for.

Also, if you really want to set your story in Australia, just get an Australian beta. They would be able to help heaps!

~~Azhure~~

[Black-Sand]

G'day

you might have them all but im a sheala that writes the way she speak...just with bad gramma! and i have a strong Aussie accent

Sheala-Girl or Pretty girl (im just girl!)

me not my...me parents, me book, me computer etc

footy not football....

snage-sausage

spagboil-spagetty bolinase (sorry for spelling)...sounds grose dun it?

dun it- doesnt it

loc's-locals

cozie-swimming costume

ya instead of you

basicly the Aussie language is a slazy language, we shorten things alot! so yeah just shorten it and if your not sure its Aussie just drop me a line cause i'll ansa ya!

An Sydney is crowded and...sorry if it sounds like im insulting any fellow Aussie's...but everyones really bussy and they dont stop to have a chat like they do in towns like Branxton where everyone is friendly and stops to talk!

Hope i helped!!! sorry if i didnt...

...xXxBack-SandxXx...

[majestic_ginny]

Thanks, people! It's helping, and If I've got any probs then I'll drop ya a PM! -Nadia

[majestic_ginny]

Hey, will your spells be of Latin origin? I think it should be, but what do you guys think?
-Nadia.

[cirelondiel]

Australians would use the same spells as British wizards, I suppose, since we speak English too

There might be some different spells in 'traditional' magic, which Aboriginal wizards could practice. But generally, I would say spells would be the same as in Britain.

-- Chelsea

[majestic_ginny]

Thanks... Okay, should the Australian school have houses? If it does, then how many? What should the names of the houses be?

[Azhure]

It's really up to you. Most Aussie schools have houses. As to the amount... there's no strict rule about it. My school has six, some have four, some two, some nine. Depends on how big the school is, I suppose.

~~Azhure~~

[cirelondiel]

Most of the schools I've been to have had four houses - the colours are normally blue, green, red, and gold (I never knew why they didn't call it YELLOW), and they often have names appropriate to the area - important historical figures, or names from the environment etc.

That was in my three primary schools of 200-400 or so students each, and my high school of about 1500. One of the primary schools has recently changed to a three-house system, though, due to low numbers, so it can vary, as Azhure said.

An Australian school would probably have fewer students than Hogwarts, but since Jo says there's 1000 at Hogwarts but the evidence suggests there's only about 240, it's hard to guess how many might be in Australia. I suppose it depends on how long they attend the school, as well! So really... this whole paragraph doesn't help.

I think it would be interesting for you to use a different number of houses than Hogwarts. Maybe seven, because it's quirky and it's the most powerful magical number. But then you have to assume that there are enough students to make that many good-sized houses...

Of course, the founders of an Aussie school would probably have been educated in Britain, so I imagine they would follow Hogwarts tradition in many aspects.

I hope that terribly rambly post helps you, at least a bit!

-- Chelsea