Do Australians understand US English?
OK, I'll be honest... most do. After decades of exposure from film and TV, many Australians have a good understanding of many (though not all) US terms and references.
However, if they see these in texts aimed for Australia, they'll get it but they certainly won't be happy with it.
However, there is one particular section of the Australian public that doesn't necessarily understand US English – people who immigrated to Australia from non-English-speaking countries before the 1980s. And we're talking about a large number of Australians here.
What's unique about this group of people is that an overwhelming majority of them arrived in Australia with absolutely no knowledge of English. They first encountered English wholescale in Australia, and so Australian English, their additional language, is usually the only form of English they understand.
This becomes very important when targeting older Australians, whether it be in marketing or surveys. This is then an area where localising text for Australia becomes an accessibility issue.
To get maximum results from your text and copy for Australia, it must speak in the way of its target audience.
Photo: migrants from Italy arriving in Australia in the 1960s (Australian National Maritime Museum)
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