Language lessons in Sydney

There’s a reason why Sydney is the most visited city in Australia. Renowned for a wealth of attractions like the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Royal Botanic Gardens, the city attracts people from all over the world. 

Sydney is the biggest city in Australia, with an estimated population of 5.361 million. According to the 2021 census, almost half the city’s residents were born overseas and about 30% speak a language other than English at home. Among the wide variety of languages spoken in the city, Chinese is the most commonly used, followed by Thai, Indonesian, Spanish and Korean.

As you can imagine, being able to communicate proficiently in more than one language in such a multicultural city would be a great advantage. Not only would it allow you to make friends within the many immigrant communities, but it would also expand your job opportunities in the area and change the way you experience the city overall. 

Where to study foreign languages in Sydney

The city of Sydney library has 11 branches around the city where you can find many resources to improve your language skills such as magazines, DVDs, CDs, and books both for children and adults in many languages like Chinese, Russian, German, French, Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese and Italian. You will also find extensive online collections in many languages, and the best thing is if you don’t find books in your target language, the library can request them from other Australian libraries.

If you don’t like going to libraries, another great option to study languages in the city is to enrol on a university course. The University of Sydney, one of the best in Australia, has a School of Languages and Cultures that offers more than fifteen excellent language programs that include Arabic Languages and Cultures, Chinese Studies, Indian Subcontinental Studies and many more. It’s a great opportunity for those wanting to become multilingual and get a certification at the same time.

Language exchange groups in Sydney

Are you looking for a group of people to help you take your language skills to the next level? If so, you might want to check some of the language exchange groups in the city.
 
One of the biggest language groups in the area is The Sydney International Culture Meetup. They hold events once a month at the Shark Hotel, located at 127 Liverpool St, where you can meet people from all over the world while you practise your target language and teach English to others. When you arrive at their events, you’ll be welcomed by the host, Erica, who will make sure you feel comfortable and quickly introduce you to others. If you’re new, don’t worry! They’ll be many other people in the same situation! The price of the event is $10 per person if you book it online and $30 if you want to buy it at the bar, so you had better buy your ticket before going and save money!

Another great language exchange you can’t miss is OH Yeah! English & International Language Exchange. They hold events every Tuesday at 6pm also at the Shark Hotel, and their main goal is to help people connect, improve their conversational skills, gain confidence and learn about other cultures. This is a great option if you’re looking to practise your target language weekly and it’s also much cheaper, as the entrance fee is only $2.50.

Cultural institutions and events in Sydney

As you might know, there are many events in Sydney that celebrate the diverse communities that live in the city. If you’re looking to immerse yourself in Thai culture, then you should attend the Thailand Grand Festival. This annual event, organized by the Royal Thai consulate, will take place in May at Belmore Park, located at Hay St. It showcases the very best Thai culture has to offer in the city, like a grand drum procession that features traditional dances and costumes, Muay Thai demonstrations, authentic Thai food and live performances by Thai artists. In addition to that, there will be many kids’ activities like face painting and plaster painting and many games with special prizes, making it a great option for families in the area that want to delight in the wonderful Thai culture
 

Another great way to get to know other cultures is through their art. Fortunately, the Biennale of Sydney will allow you to do just that. As one of the leading international contemporary art events in the world, the Biennale exhibits the creations of the best artists across the globe. It’s the perfect chance to be exposed to thought-provoking and cultivating art pieces that will surprise you and transport you to many parts of the world. The event is completely free and it will be held at 10 Hickson Rd from April to June.

Language jobs in Sydney

Learning a language is one of the smartest things to do if you want to get better job opportunities. This is especially true if you are looking for a job in a multicultural city like Sydney, where many multinational companies like IBM, Accenture and Amazon are constantly looking for bilingual applicants for many well-paid job positions like Product Manager, Sales Operation Leader and Software Development Engineer.

Whatever it is you do, becoming multilingual will allow you to build professional relationships with immigrant communities in the area, and by doing so, advance your career. In Sydney, there are big Asian communities, so consider learning Chinese, Thai or Korean to become more employable and expand your opportunities.

Get started now!!!

As you can tell, learning languages will bring nothing but benefits to your life! So what are you waiting for? Start learning today at Listen & Learn, the best place to learn in Sydney. It doesn’t matter if you’re a complete beginner or an advanced learner, just take one of our free level tests and one of our excellent teachers will create a completely personalized lesson that suits all of your needs. Then, just send us a quick enquiry so one of our team members can get in touch as fast as possible and answer any question you might have.