Have you done your tax return!

30th June marked the end of the financial year 2015-16 which means it is tax time. 

Although there are plenty of things you’d rather be doing than your tax return, the reality is most of us need to lodge a tax return to show how much income we have earned and how much tax we need to pay or claim back from the government.

How much do you know about the tax system in Australia?

1. What do these acronyms stand for: ATO, TFN, ABN, GST?
2. When is the deadline for lodging your tax return?
3. What documents or information do you need to prepare to help you do your tax return?
4. What are ‘deductions’? What are examples of allowable deductions you can claim?
5. How long are you required to keep your tax records for?
6. Do we all pay the same tax rate?  What were the tax rates for 2015-16? 

Use the search field on this website to find answers to your questions.

Watch this video to find out the benefits of using myTax online service. 

Volunteering connects Dominika to her community

Dominika, DL student

I'm from Poland and I live in a small country town in South Australia where I volunteer from time to time at the local golf club.  In Poland volunteering is not valued because it earns you no money.  But now I can see that what you do for free can be worth much more than money.  It is great to be able to help others, use your skills and learn new skills while supporting a local business in a small town.

I help with decorating the club for special events and with registrations for tournaments. Sometimes I also help in the kitchen where I exchange cooking experiences with other staff members.  Most importantly however, I get the chance to talk to people, improve my English and understand the way country people talk which is very quick and full of slang.

The biggest challenge for me is when I do registrations and I have to find people's names on the list.  Because they are club members and locals, they assume I should know their surnames.  I can usually remember the first name and the face but not the surname.  This however helps me understand their Aussie English.  For example there was this member that everyone called "Blue" but I had trouble finding his name on the list under Blue.  When I asked him for his surname it was nothing like the colour blue.  I found out later that in Australia people call you "Blue" when you have red hair!

Volunteering has made me understand the Australian culture and feel part of my community.  I enjoy helping people and I don't feel so homesick in Australia any more.

Talking about country, slang and blue Dominika is sharing this popular Aussie song by country singer John Williamson called "True Blue".

Following The National Volunteer Week we've had a number of responses from DL students with positive stories.  Thanks Dominika for sharing your experience with volunteering and this song.

• What is the meaning of "true blue" in the song?
• Are there any slang expressions that you learned from talking to other Australians?
• Is volunteering valued in your country of origin?  Why / why not?
• If you had the chance to volunteer, what work would you like to do?

Happy 5th Anniversary Distance Learning

National DL Sydney team in 2016

Welcome to the 5th Anniversary of Navitas DL. In July 2011 a small group of 8 teachers began teaching DL nationally. Today Navitas DL has grown to over 100 teachers based in Sydney and Perth, teaching students in NSW, Qld, SA, ACT and WA. Our original teachers reflected on how DL has quickly grown and changed. Here are some thoughts from three original teachers.

National DL Sydney team in 2016

Ross, what do you remember of your first days in DL?

Well the first few days were really interesting! We did very little teaching as we were sorting through all the paperwork. There were lots of cardboard boxes, so we occasionally found ourselves teaching sitting on boxes. We taught students by telephone but we used to get a sore arm after one hour. Also we had books and cassette tapes called "It's Over To You".

National DL Sydney team in 2011

Nadia, how did students do assessments in the old days? 

We used to play listening tapes on an old cassette recorder which we held up to the telephone. It was a bit tricky! Also we made lots of photocopies, sent assessment tasks to students by post and students posted them back. It took so long. Each student had a paper folder but after a while it became so thick.

Ross, when did you start using the Internet and Skype?
We started using Skype a few months later and I do remember saying to my manager "and what is Skype?" At first our computers were slow and didn't have a camera. I also remember the manager saying "here's a new resource called "Your Call" and it is available online.

Anthony, now students use online resources and other technologies. How do you think this helps students to learn? 
In many ways technology has improved what students get out of their lessons. In the past we used to mail the homework out. Now students can send back their work by email which allows for instant feedback from their teacher. Also by using Skype students can do special things they couldn't before, like by using the Skype chat feature teachers can send students extra website links, type words or even send audio files. We can actually use other features such as Skype share screen and Titan Pad so the student and teacher can see the same screen. It's great!

So in 5 years technology in Distance Learning has come such along way. 

• Imagine, what new technology you would like to use in an online English lesson in the future?
• How might you be learning English in 2021?

Please post your comments below; we really would like to read your ideas. 

Meet Teacher Hena

Teacher Hena

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Hena.  I was born in Iraq but grew up in Turkey so I can speak Arabic and Turkish fluently. I've been in Australia for 18 years. I have two sons, 16 and 12 and they are both very much into soccer.  My oldest son enjoys cooking so we cook a lot together.

Tell us about what you do at Navitas?
I am a Distance Learning teacher, a classroom teacher and an assessor and have been working with Navitas for 5 years.

What do you think are the benefits for classroom students who also study by distance?
The classroom is a great place for students to communicate with each other and be face to face with the teacher.  DL is a great option for those who can't make it to class. But students who study both in the classroom and by distance make the most out of the two modes of learning.  They get extra assistance with their classroom work and they can also focus on their own areas of need at their own level with the DL teacher.  Usually their English improves faster.

How is this week special for you?
This week I celebrate the Eid which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.  We usually have a feast where families and friends get together and indulge in eating delicious traditional food to celebrate the end of a hard month of restricted eating.

What message would you like to give to your students about living in Australia?
Australia is a great country.  You can be part of the Australian community without losing your own identity.  You can participate in work and in mainstream community activities with freedom and respect regardless of your background, religion or gender.

• Compare learning in class with learning by distance.  What option suits you best and why? 
• Do you agree with the statement that you can participate in the mainstream Australian community without losing your identity? Discuss.
• What Australian values do you appreciate the most? 

Share your comments below.

Better late than never - A proud AMEP grandma

Sandra & her grandchildren

My name is Sandra. I'm Italian, from Bologna, a Medieval town with the oldest University in the world.  I'm 70 years old and now (with my husband Luigi) I'm a DL student.  I think we are the only people so aged, but we must study English, having decided to live in Canberra because our only daughter and our only (for now) granddaughter live here.

At the moment however, we're waiting excitedly for the second baby!!

Writing about my experience in Australia is very helpful to calm our excitement.  I think that the many difficulties that I have to face is nothing compared to the happiness of living every day as grandparents, or 'Nonni', so it's worth the effort. 

It's very hard to learn a new language at our age. Someone said that it's a good way to keep your brain active, but I reply that my heart is suffering with the stresssssss!  Yes, everyone is very friendly and patient, but I feel embarrassed or stupid when, very often, I don't understand what they tell me.  Moreover we have to speak Italian with our 6 year old granddaughter, who is already perfectly bilingual. But we don't work, so our practice of English isn't intensive.

Luckily, we have met lots of Italo-Australian people who are very kind. Now our dear friends, who helped us to become integrated into the local community, and some warm neighbours are very curious and interested in the Italian culture (such as food, fashion, movies), so we are proud to add some little pieces to the Australian multicultural life.

Another big stroke of luck was to meet Christine, our DL teacher who is so patient and supportive when we make lots of mistakes.  Now, she's becoming a friend, because she knows our problems and our delights and she encourages us in our little steps to improve our English.

.......
While I was waiting for my blog post to be published, my second granddaughter was born.  Welcome my dear Audrey Alice!  Thank you for your red hair, like me!  This is another special gift and for that I love you much more!"

Congratulations to Sandra, Luigi and family on the safe arrival of your granddaugher and on being a good example for our more senior AMEP learners.

• Is age a barrier to learning English?  Why or why not?
• What are the challenges and rewards for the more senior migrants in Australia?
• Is it necessary for grandparents to learn English and how can they practise their English?

Why not share your views below!

Celebrating Refugee Week 19-25 June

With courage let us all combine is the theme for Refugee Week.  The theme is taken from our Australian national anthem.

It takes courage to be a refugee.
It takes courage to leave what is familiar and begin a new life.
It takes courage to speak out against injustices.

Refugee Week is an annual event to raise awareness of the issues affecting refugees and celebrate the positive contributions they make to Australian society.  

Did you know Australia was home to 35,582 refugees in 2015! 

Navitas is proudly a major sponsor of Refugee Week.  For more information on what's on and to join an event in your area visit Refugee Week website.

We have a lot of interesting English language activities on Refugee Week this week.  Please visit the Events tab on our blog.

Neesa starts her own business

Neesa, DL student

My name is Neesa and I come from Thailand.  I met my husband in Thailand and we started a relationship after he visited me many times there.  I came to Australia in 2010 and we got married in 2013.

I was very excited but also nervous at the same time because everything was new and I wasn't familiar with the language or the culture.  It took me a long time to understand the Australian accent so my husband always helped me with that and I now can understand English better than before and have become more confident and independent.

I improved English by studying English at Southbank TAFE for a year in 2011.  After school I went to work every day.  I enjoyed my studies and made lots of new friends and I also talked to many people at work.  Learning English is a never ending story for me.  I am now studying English by distance with the DL program at Navitas.

Before I came to Australia I worked as a massage therapist in Thailand for a year.  This helped me improve my English because I had a lot of English speaking customers that I had to talk to.

In Australia, I worked in a Thai Day Spa in Brisbane for 3 years before starting my own business.  As a result I gained enough experience and confidence to be able to work on my own.  I now work from my home doing Thai massage.  I am planning to grow my business in the future, recruit some staff and have my own shop.

My advice to my migrant friends is to relax and enjoy Australia and the new lifestyle.  They shouldn't worry if at first their English is not great as many new arrivals are in the same boat.

Congratulations to Neesa on improving her English and starting her own business.  We wish her all the best for the future.

• Do you find it hard to understand the Australian accent?  
• How long do you think it takes to gain confidence in English?
• What do you think about Neesa's advice to new migrants?
• If you were to start your own business, what kind of business and what steps would you need to take?