BadgeIsBack

There is a 'class system' here (this topic is done to death on BE).

It is nothing but simple demographics: blue collar, white collar and education levels (but like many countries - everyone goes to Uni moreorless!).

There is old privilege in place - just like anywhere else. This upsets some people more than others - generally the people who feel they were personally blocked as a result.

Australian society, culturally, though probably is a bit less obsessed over it allthough - there tends to be more things that create common ground - day to day. I don't think I ever hear someone and think 'My God - must look him up!' Noone I think who really knows Australia should feel the need to beat up themselves, or Australians over it.

There is also a material, shallow society here, some tuned in the tabloid channels and tabloid life. Some of it is more suburban than others, some of it is just reaping the rewards. You have a choice to follow them or ignore it whilst taking and leaving the bits of that life as it suits...

cheers

troioitroi

@BadgeisBack: Thank you for your kind reply.

Pomster

For a migrant to the UK (unless they are from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, NZ, US) the OP is unbelievably fluent in written English. Most people who have learnt English as an adult make the odd mistake, so think this is a wind up post.

Dorothy

This isn't ****ing twitter!!!

rant over

Kim67

@Dorothy #ragin' #perimenapausal #olddear

ozzieeagle

Unless they are Scandinavian or Dutch perhaps.

I think It's Norway where they have a higher percentage of the population that is fluent in English than England itself. Thats migration for you though eh Could also come from India, where Anglo Indians have English as their first language, The Caribbean or a couple of the African Countries... Could even be Hong Kong.

We could play guess the OP's country and he could say Warm or Cold.

Pollyana

Or he could just treat us with disdain for being a lower class than him

Tr1boy

I'm not sure why every post of yours has to have a shot at England? We get it, you don't like Eng

I'd love you to provide the link the separates out the language demographic of Eng rather than the UK as a whole ( I'll wait) and while you're at it, see if you can find a similar comparison to fluency in Australia.

But hey, that's migrstion for you eh?

The way you talk about Eng and other countries smacks of someone that is stuck in time 25 yrs in the past? HK first language, when we're you last there?

Pollyana

I never got the impression he doesn't like England?

Tr1boy

My impression is that there seems to be a little shot in every post. Maybe I'm wrong, I was once, it was a Wed afternoon in the 70s, remember it well.

spouse of scouse

I'm an Aussie and I have no class at all, if that helps.

Pollyana

I might be wrong too - I usually am But I spent a happy afternpoon drinking with him recently and didn't get that impression!

slackbloke

The name troioitroi would suggest Vietnamese

ozzieeagle

BadgeIsBack

Agreed :the impression I get is that he is well settled in Melbourne's North but has been known to reminisce about the UK.

On the subject of fluency - I have London clients - the accent is really changing in London it seems....Estuary English has really spread the last 13 years...noticeable to the point where it is almost comical and where the Australians in my office have better diction....bizarre....

not a cheap shot - just highly noticeable (and both sad and interesting).