Learning English

Have you recently moved to Ireland?

You might be interested in volunteering because it can give you a chance to improve your English, meet new people and connect with the Irish community.

There is nothing more rewarding in volunteering than being able to learn about different cultures, make friends and have lots of fun. Don’t worry if your English isn’t perfect, you can still volunteer; however you will need at least a basic level of English to start volunteering.

iVOL, the national volunteering database has volunteering opportunities for people with various levels of English. Remember, once you start volunteering, your English will quickly improve!

Things to consider

When seeking a volunteer role you should pay close attention to:

• Location of volunteering opportunity? Where is the opportunity? Can you travel there easily?
• Minimum time commitment: Some opportunities need you to commit to more than 3 months. Try to be realistic when thinking about how long you can volunteer.
• Level of English required: Are you an international student in Mayo wanting to practice your English? Look out for ‘Basic English’
• Screening details: This can be very different depending on the roles you are going for. Usually the Quick Start roles (festivals, canal clean Ups, fundraising) only have application forms and informal interviews, but if you are looking at roles where you will be working with children or vulnerable adults, the process will be more thorough and will require Garda Vetting.