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Volunteering abroad

The following important questions will answer something you need to know about volunteering abroad.

When is the best time to volunteer abroad？

There is no best time to volunteer abroad and most volunteer programs run all year round. The main question will be climate and volunteer numbers. Ask when the busier and quieter periods are if you would like more or less company to volunteer alongside. Summer months will be popular with students and teachers， whereas between October and May you should expect to share your experience with maturer people of all ages and the self⁃employed whose business might be slow during winter months.

Do I need experience？

Unless you would like to volunteer in a hospital， you probably wont need any experience. Many projects need help playing with the children， building new classrooms and mending rooms which are falling down， jobs where the volunteers can get stuck in for a week and can easily be taken over by another volunteer once theyve left. These are often jobs which wouldnt get done unless volunteers help.

Can I volunteer to do different things， or just one？

Most sending organizations prefer volunteers to be in the same place going to the same placement throughout their stay. However， each organization does things differently. Some organizations will allow volunteers to spend a week in a different area of work while others provide a weekly schedule where the volunteer group is taken each day to different locations. Do check you have all the visas you need before your trip if you are travelling to more than one country as you may not be able to pick up visas along the way.

What if I dont speak the language？

Its a bit of a myth that you need to speak the local language to volunteer abroad. Providing there is someone locally who speaks both English and the local language and will be settling you in and supporting you during your stay， you should have no problems. Even for teaching， knowing the language wont give you an advantage. It can even get in the way. Often children will complain they dont want to practise their own language with their teacher who endlessly repeats “hello” and “Whats your name？” They would rather learn how to say it in English！

1. What can we know about the best time to volunteer abroad？

A. It depends on whether the program is in low season.

B. Summer months are better than winter months.

C. The location of your destination matters a lot.

D. You can volunteer throughout the year as you like.

2. If you are going to volunteer in several countries， you should ________.

A. ask sending organizations to help you enter those countries

B. make sure that you already have all the visas needed

C. pick up all the visas needed one by one along the way

D. find some locals to take you across the borders

3. Where is the text probably from？

A. An academic paper. B. A scientific journal.

C. A magazine. D. A novel.

Task 2

These years， travelling abroad is becoming more and more popular with ordinary people. If you want to enjoy such a wonderful travel， your travelling abroad truly requires the most careful preparation. 1 This is a short list of some necessary things you should not forget to bring as you fly to a foreign land.

Passport. First， be sure to bring your passport along with several copies of it. Accidentally， losing your passport can be a difficult experience you should always try to avoid. You may keep digital copies of this important document for backup purposes， too. 2

Guidebook. Staying in an unfamiliar place doesnt have to be a headache with the help of a nice guidebook. This one provides you with maps and information you can use as you move from one place to another.

Extra clothes. While travelling， “lightly” is always highly recommended; never make the mistake of bringing less than what you actually need. 3 This is a safety precaution that you can do to make sure that you have something to wear just in case your luggage is unknowingly lost.

Medicines. Make it a point to take good care of your health while you are away. Bring enough medicines because some of them may not be available outside your country.

4 For example， you should get as much information as you can about the country， such as its local laws， culture， weather conditions， and more. This will allow you to fit in and make any necessary adjustments. 5 Thats because theyre very attractive to th⁃ieves. The same rule applies to devices such as cameras， smart phones， laptop computers and others.

A. Bringing cash is also a must.

B. And when going outdoors， try not to wear expensive jewels.

C. Also， try researching about the safety of the specific area you will visit.

D. Whats more， you may consider putting your extra clothes inside your carry⁃on.