A GROUP of 10 English teachers from Inner Mongolia learnt the art of the “Tim Tam Slam” during their first visit to Australia this week.
Spending a week in Mount Gambier as part of an overseas study tour, the teachers will attend daily lectures at the city’s University of South Australia campus between visits to a number of tourist hot spots.
UniSA education coordinator Deb Hosking said the enthusiastic group was eager to learn about the Australian way of life.
“Today we introduced them to Tim Tams, Lamingtons and Vegemite – they were not sure about the Vegemite,” Ms Hosking said.
“This is their first visit to Australia – they arrived on Sunday and leave next Tuesday.
“They have been visiting tourist hot spots and having lectures here about our school and the education system in general – this is also an opportunity for them to improve their English.
“After they explore Mount Gambier they will be off to Adelaide to spend a week at our Magill campus.”
Ms Hosking said the group had so far visited the Blue Lake, Lady Nelson Discovery Centre and Valley Lake wildlife park.
“They spotted a few kangaroos at the wildlife park and were really excited about that,” she said.
“They want to go shopping so we will try to make that happen and they will hopefully attend the Australia Day breakfast at the Railway Lands on Friday.
She added the tour had been a learning experience for the UniSA staff spending time with the group.
“We have been learning just as much about their school system and way of life, which is really interesting and vastly different,” Ms Hosking said.
“Their senior students are at school from 6am until 11pm, as teachers they have to be in the classroom during those hours – that’s a very long work day.”
