The fourth strategy, from Two-Way English (p60), describes how teachers must be aware of possible communication breakdown because words used in Standard Australian English do not always occur in Aboriginal English or occur with different meanings. Teachers might need to be aware of this and advised to look for cues of possible misunderstanding when they report that:

• their students don't seem to understand instructions;
• they are having difficulty communicating with Aboriginal parents or community members;
• they assume that a student has not learnt the classroom terminology;
• they want to introduce a new topic with new vocabulary;
• they see that a key concept has not been demonstrated by a student.