Shadowing Practice: Australian Political System & Voting Explained | Learn Australian English - Learn English Speaking with Video
Elige un modo de práctica
Cada modo abre una sala de práctica a pantalla completa.
147 oraciones
Si las oraciones son demasiado cortas o largas, haz clic en Editar para ajustarlas.
1
Liz, I got a letter in the mail last week saying I had to go and vote.
2
I did not know this was mandatory.
3
I panicked.
4
I didn't even know who to vote for.
5
I walked in, got the paper, and genuinely had no idea what I was doing.
6
Jack, you just described the experience of thousands of new Australians at their very first election.
7
And the thing is, in Australia, not voting can get you fined.
8
A fine for not voting.
9
That's right.
10
A fine for not voting.
11
Australia is one of very few countries in the world where voting is compulsory, legally required.
12
And if you are applying for Australian citizenship, or if you simply want to understand the country you are living in, this episode is essential.
13
We are going to break down the entire Australian political system in plain English.
14
No jargon.
15
No confusion.
16
And we will explain the voting system that confuses almost every new voter, including Australian-born ones.
17
We will get to that in segment three.
18
So stay tuned.
19
Hi everyone, I'm Liz and welcome to Learn Australian English, the podcast where we teach you real Australian English through real Australian topics.
20
I'm Jack.
21
Today, Australian Politics and Voting.
22
Now, we know what you might be thinking.
23
Politics?
24
Really?
25
But here is the thing.
26
Understanding Australia's political system is not just about being a good citizen.
27
If you are applying for Australian citizenship, you will be tested on this.
28
And even if you are not, this knowledge will help you follow the news, understand your rights, and participate confidently in Australian life.
29
We will also teach you the vocabulary that comes with all of this.
30
So by the end of this episode, you will be able to talk about Australian politics comfortably,
31
confidently and in completely natural Australian English.
32
Let's start with the foundation.
33
What type of country is Australia politically?
34
Australia is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy.
35
Let's break those two terms down.
36
A constitutional monarchy means Australia has a monarch, currently King Charles III, as the head of state.
37
The head of state is the symbolic leader of the country.
38
However, the king does not govern Australia day to day.
39
That role belongs to elected Australian leaders.
40
The king is represented in Australia by the Governor-General at the national level and by governors in each state.
41
The Governor General has important constitutional powers, but by convention does not interfere in day-to-day politics.
42
And a parliamentary democracy means Australians elect members of Parliament, or MPs, to represent them and make laws.
43
The leader of the country is the Prime Minister, the head of the elected Now, Australia has three levels of government.
44
Federal, state and territory and local.
45
The federal government handles national issues.
46
Defence, immigration, foreign affairs and national economic policy.
47
State and territory governments handle things like hospitals, schools and roads within their borders.
48
and local councils manage your immediate area, rubbish collection, parks, local planning.
49
So when Australians say the government, it is important to know which level they mean.
50
The federal government sits in Canberra, Australia's capital city, in the Parliament House.
51
Now we get to the part that most people find genuinely fascinating.
52
How Australia actually makes its laws.
53
And there is one fact coming up that surprises almost everyone.
54
Stay with us.
55
It is worth knowing.
56
The Federal Parliament has two chambers, two houses.
57
This is called a bicameral parliament.
58
Bi means two, so two chambers.
59
The two houses are the House of Representatives and the Senate.
60
The House of Representatives is sometimes called the lower house.
61
It has 150 members, each representing a specific area, called an electorate or seat.
62
The political party that wins the most seats in the House of Representatives forms the government, and their leader becomes the Prime Minister.
63
The Senate is called the Upper House.
64
It has 76 Senators, 12 from each State and 2 from each Mainland Territory.
65
The Senate acts as a House of Review.
66
It checks and reviews laws passed by the House of Representatives.
67
This system of checks means no single group can push a law through without proper scrutiny.
68
And here is the fact I promised.
69
The leader of the country, the Prime Minister, is not directly elected by the Australian public.
70
Australians vote for their local Member of Parliament.
71
And the party that wins majority forms the government.
72
The leader of that party becomes Prime Minister.
73
So technically you vote for a party, not a Prime Minister.
74
This is a crucial distinction, and it explains why Australia can have multiple Prime Ministers in a short period.
75
If a party votes internally to change its leader, a new Prime Minister can take office without a general election.
76
Australia had six Prime Ministers in ten years at one point.
77
That is quite a ride.
78
It really was.
79
The opposition is the major party that did not win government.
80
They form the Shadow Cabinet and hold the government accountable.
81
Their leader is called the Leader of the Opposition.
82
OK?
83
We promised you the voting system that confuses almost everyone.
84
Here it is.
85
First, the big one.
86
Voting in Australia is compulsory.
87
That means it is legally required.
88
Every Australian citizen aged 18 and over must be enrolled to vote, registered on the electoral role and must attend a polling place on election day.
89
If you do not vote without a valid reason, you can be fined.
90
Compulsory voting makes Australia quite unusual.
91
Only about 20 countries in the world have it.
92
The fine for not voting is relatively small, but the principle is significant.
93
Australia believes civic participation is a shared responsibility.
94
Voting is not just a right here.
95
It is a a civic duty.
96
Elections are held on Saturdays, always a Saturday, at polling places such as local schools, community halls and town halls.
97
You take your name off the electoral roll, receive your ballot papers, go into a private polling booth, mark your vote and place it in the ballot box.
98
The process is very well organised and usually quite quick.
99
And here is a uniquely Australian election day tradition, the democracy sausage.
100
Community groups set up sausage sizzles outside polling places on election day.
101
You vote, then you buy a snag in bread.
102
It has become a beloved national tradition.
103
And there is even a website that tracks which polling places have the best sausage sizzle.
104
Only in Australia.
105
Only in Australia.
106
Now, the voting system itself.
107
Australia uses preferential voting, also called ranked choice voting.
108
Instead of just choosing one candidate, you number all the candidates in order of your preference.
109
Number one is your first choice.
110
Number two is your second choice, and so on.
111
Your vote goes to your first choice first.
112
But if your first choice candidate does not win enough votes, Your vote then transfers to your second choice.
113
This continues until one candidate has a majority.
114
This means your vote is never truly wasted.
115
Even if your favourite candidate does not win, your preference still counts.
116
The Australian Electoral Commission – or the AEC – runs all federal elections
117
and publishes guides in multiple languages to help voters understand the system.
118
Australia's major parties are the Australian Labor Party , known as Labor, and the Liberal Party,
119
which often governs in coalition with the National Party.
120
There are also minor parties, including the Australian Greens and various independent candidates.
121
One important note, the Liberal Party of Australia is actually the Conservative Party, not Liberal in the American sense.
122
In Australia, Liberal refers to economic liberalism, free market principles, not social progressivism.
123
The Labour Party is the centre-left party, historically linked to the union movement.
124
Australia's democratic values include the rule of law, meaning everyone is equal under the law,
125
freedom of speech, the right to express your opinions openly,
126
freedom of religion, the right to practise any religion or none at all, and the separation of powers.
127
The Legislature makes laws, the Executive implements them, and the Judiciary interprets them independently.
128
Before we wrap up, for anyone preparing for the Australian Citizenship Test,
129
the key facts, Australia is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy.
130
head of state is King Charles III, represented by the Governor-General.
131
The Prime Minister leads the elected government.
132
There are three levels of government.
133
The Federal Parliament has two chambers.
134
Voting is compulsory from age 18.
135
Australia uses preferential voting.
136
And Australia's core values are the rule of law, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and equality under the law.
137
The test is 20 multiple choice questions.
138
You need 15 correct, 75% to pass.
139
Five questions of these 20 questions are about Australian values, which you must get all correct to pass.
140
And for everyone else, knowing this material makes you a more informed, more confident participant in Australian life.
141
That is worth something regardless of your citizenship status.
142
Are you preparing for the Australian citizenship test?
143
Or did something in this episode surprise you?
144
Tell us in the comments.
145
And if this episode helped you, please like and subscribe.
146
Good luck with the citizenship test.
147
See you next time.
Descargar app
Todo lo que necesitas para hablar con fluidez
Pronunciación con IAEvalúa cada oración
Práctica de IPADomina cada sonido
VocabularioConstruye tu banco de palabras
Juego de vocabularioAprende mientras juegas
📺 Mismo canal
B1Renting in Australia | Learn Australian English
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B1How to Survive Australian Beaches | Learn Australian English
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B1How to Order Coffee in Australia ☕ | Learn Australian English
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B1Australian States and Territories | Learn Australian English 🐨
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
Australian Healthcare System 👩⚕️❤️🩹 | Learn Australian English
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B13
Workplace Slang to Upgrade Your Australian English Level | Learn Australian English
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B2Australian Tax System Explained | TFN, Tax Returns, Deductions & Refunds | Learn Australian English
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B1What Australian Cashiers Actually Say — Prices, Phrases & the Complete Checkout Guide
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B2Superannuation Explained - What Every Worker in Australia Must Know | Learn Australian English
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B1What NOT to Say to Your Australian Boss | Learn Australian English
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B1Australian Small Talk | Learn Australian English
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B1Understanding Australian Slang 🤔 | Learn Australian English
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B1The Australian Flag Explained 🌏 | Learn Australian English
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B1Australian Wildlife | Learn Australian English 🦘
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B1What's a 'barbie'? | Learn Australian English
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
✨ Recomendar Video
B29
13 oraciones
Labor's near record poll plunge | 9 News Australia
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B26
217 oraciones
Why People Still Don’t Understand Your English (Even If You're Fluent)
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
141 oraciones
The Bicameral Congress: Crash Course Government and Politics #2
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B28
240 oraciones
Why Australia’s Solar Is So Cheap (And Ours Isn’t)
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
321 oraciones
English Learning Podcast: New UK Prime Minister?
IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepDaily Conversation
B22
312 oraciones
Everyday Life English Conversations
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B21
269 oraciones
Why is everyone talking about an Australian 'death tax'? | The Daily Aus
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B1314 oraciones
25 Things That Only Happen in Australia | Australian Culture Shock
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
286 oraciones
Read the NEWS in English 🌐 Advanced Vocabulary and Grammar with CNN (FULL LESSON)
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
292 oraciones
Daily English Podcast: Are you an Introvert or an Extrovert?
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
272 oraciones
Can You Understand This Famous American Comedy? | Real English Practice 📺
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Esta lección de conversación de nivel B2 se basa en el vídeo “Australian Political System & Voting Explained”. Las palabras que más se repiten: Australian, Australia, voting, vote, Prime. Este vídeo tiene 147 frases y 1519 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 11:35. El hablante mantiene un ritmo constante de unas 131 palabras por minuto, cómodo para el shadowing. El 86 % de las palabras está entre las 3.000 más comunes del inglés; conviene repasar el resto antes de empezar.
Vocabulario clave de este vídeo
Las 15 palabras más avanzadas del vídeo, con su pronunciación y significado:
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| citizenship sustantivo | /ˈsɪtɪzənʃɪp/ | ciudadanía |
| elect verbo | /ɪˈlɛkt/ | elegir, esleer |
| compulsory adjetivo | /kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/ | compulsor, comisorio |
| monarchy sustantivo | /ˈmɑnɚki/ | monarquía |
| sausage sustantivo | /ˈsɔsɪd͡ʒ/ | embutido, salchicha |
| electoral adjetivo | /ɪˈlɛk.tɚ.əl/ | electoral |
| parliamentary adjetivo | /ˌpɑɹləˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/ | parlamentario |
| confidently adverbio | /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/ | confidentemente |
| preferential adjetivo | /ˈpɹɛf.ɜː(ɹ)ˌɛn.ʃəl/ | preferente, preferencial |
| sizzle verbo | /ˈsɪzəl/ | chisporrotear, chirriar |
| govern verbo | /ˈɡʌv.ən/ | gobernar |
| confuse verbo | /kənˈfjuːz/ | confundir, barahustar |
| civic adjetivo | /ˈsɪvɪk/ | cívico |
| ballot sustantivo | /ˈbælət/ | elecciones, votación |
| genuinely adverbio | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/ | auténticamente, genuinamente |
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
| Palabra | Significado |
|---|---|
| break down verbo | descomponerse, averiarse |
| come up verbo | salir a relucir |
Frases que vale la pena repetir
Frases cortas y completas del vídeo que puedes reutilizar en la conversación diaria:
- I didn't even know who to vote for.
- Let's start with the foundation.
- Let's break those two terms down.
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| Oraciones condicionales if + oración, will/would + verbo — una condición y su resultado | if you are not, this knowledge will help |
| Voz pasiva be + participio pasado — importa lo que ocurre, no quién lo hace | will be tested · is represented · is called |
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 3 contracciones y formas reducidas, como I'm, didn't. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Los sonidos de “sh” y “zh”: citizenship /ˈsɪtɪzənʃɪp/, preferential /ˈpɹɛf.ɜː(ɹ)ˌɛn.ʃəl/, rubbish /ˈɹʌbɪʃ/, publish /ˈpʌblɪʃ/, distinction /dɪˈstɪŋkʃən/
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: citizenship /ˈsɪtɪzənʃɪp/, compulsory /kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/, electoral /ɪˈlɛk.tɚ.əl/, parliamentary /ˌpɑɹləˈmɛnt(ə)ɹi/, confidently /ˈkɑnfɪdəntli/
Sonidos difíciles para hispanohablantes:
- /v/ — no es /b/: los dientes tocan el labio inferior: govern /ˈɡʌv.ən/, civic /ˈsɪvɪk/, voter /ˈvoʊtɚ/, progressivism /prəˈɡrɛsᵻvɪz(ə)m/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/
- /z/ — sonora, no /s/: citizenship /ˈsɪtɪzənʃɪp/, sizzle /ˈsɪzəl/, confuse /kənˈfjuːz/, progressivism /prəˈɡrɛsᵻvɪz(ə)m/, liberalism /ˈlɪ.b(ə.)ɹə.lɪz.əm/
- /dʒ/ — no es la “y” ni la “ch”: sausage /ˈsɔsɪd͡ʒ/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/, jargon /ˈdʒɑː.ɡən/
Cómo practicar con este vídeo
- Escucha el vídeo entero una vez sin hablar y anota las palabras que no conoces.
- Haz shadowing frase por frase a velocidad normal, repitiendo cada una hasta que tu ritmo coincida con el del hablante.
- Grábate y compara con el original, prestando atención a palabras como citizenship, elect, compulsory.
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.