Don’t let the title fool you! This is not a manual peppered with “g’day mate” and other aspects of language unique to Australia. Save that many of the stories take place in Australia, The Australian Word could as easily be titled The Universal English Language. It is an excellent guide to teaching the wonders of the English language in story and rhyme. Included are: speech, humor, the novel, names, mime, poetry, Aussie slang (ok, so there is a chapter that covers “g’day mate”), St. John, a story workshop, the short story, 19th Century Australian poetry, sound and hearing.