Discussing volunteer activities – Sample IELTS Speaking part 2, part 3

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Discussing volunteer activities

Topic

Talk about volunteer work thuộc chủ đề lớn là Experiences/ Past events. Mở đầu bài nói, ngoài việc đề cập rõ thời gian và địa điểm trải nghiệm từ thiện đã diễn ra, thí sinh có thể khai thác thêm một số điểm liên quan đến bản thân như: Có hay dành thời gian làm việc từ thiện hay không? Tham gia trải nghiệm tình nguyện này một mình hay với một nhóm? Các nhiệm vụ chính khi tham gia tình nguyện là gì?

Next, candidates need to explain why they decided to volunteer. They can mention some skills they wish to learn and improve further from this event.

Finally, candidates should share their feelings after participating in the volunteer work. This part can be turned into a conclusion by expressing some thoughts from those who received help during this volunteer event, as well as personal feelings upon receiving compliments and positive feedback.

Example: Describe a volunteering experience you have had

Listen to the Mytour Sample Part 2 Podcast here:

I’m going to share with you today about my favorite volunteer experience, which was engrossing, unforgettable, and eye-opening.

Well, as I can clearly recall, I did not have many opportunities to engage in volunteer work when I was a student because I was too preoccupied with how to ace the test at the time.

Fortunately, I was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in a sort of start-up conference called Youth Colab Summit 2019 three years ago when I was only a sophomore. More specifically, because my university served as the event’s host partner, a few of my classmates and I were in charge of directing and receiving delegates from Asia-Pacific nations.

Because volunteers had to engage with delegates and others throughout the entire event in English to assist them, my primary reason for giving it a try was to enhance my problem-solving and English-speaking skills.

Turning to that momentous day, six representatives from Pakistan were placed under the supervision of my tiny group, 5 Little Ducks. They were visiting Vietnam for the first time, and we were playing a big part for the first time, so it was inevitable that we would run into some unforeseen issues.

The conference was a huge success, nevertheless, and many of the attendees told us that our vigor, enthusiasm, and support had motivated them. This made us incredibly happy, grateful, and proud.

Key Vocabulary

• Engrossing (adj): hấp dẫn 
• Eye-opening (adj): mở rộng tầm mắt
• Preoccupied (adj): bận tâm
• Ace the test (v): vượt qua bài kiểm tra
• Start-up conference (n): hội thảo khởi nghiệp
• Sophomore (n): sinh viên năm hai
• Delegates (n): đại biểu
• Momentous day (n): ngày trọng đại
• Representatives (n): đại diện
• Supervision (n): sự giám sát
• Inevitable (adj): không thể tránh khỏi
• Run into some unforeseen issues:  gặp phải một số vấn đề không lường trước được
• Vigor (n): sinh lực
• Enthusiasm (n): sự nhiệt tình

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Discussing volunteer work

Join us to listen to the Mytour Podcast sample Part 3:

1. Why do you believe people volunteer?

I think there might be numerous factors at play when people volunteer. Some people choose to volunteer because they care about the issue and want to take action. Some people volunteer because it teaches them a lot of things. You pick up skills like organization, patience, teamwork, and leadership.

• Organization (n): kỹ năng tổ chức
• Patience (n): sự kiên nhẫn
• Teamwork (n): kỹ năng làm việc nhóm
• Leadership (n): kỹ năng lãnh đạo

2. What actions could you take to assist if you had no funds?

Money has nothing to do with helping. Even though I might not be able to give someone money, I can contribute what I do have—like my knowledge, my experience, and the lessons I’ve learned. It is wonderful to be able to impart information, and it is undoubtedly a genuine source of joy for the recipient.

• Impart (v): truyền tài
• Recipient (n): người nhận

3. What qualities and traits are necessary for being a volunteer?

There are several desirable qualities that volunteers should possess. But I firmly feel that kindness stands out as the best. They should be thrilled when they can assist those in need and make a small contribution to a better community, to be more precise. Additionally, those who aspire to work on a volunteer basis should possess selflessness.

In actuality, volunteering does not earn people money; rather, it may require volunteers to give not only their time and energy, but occasionally also their money to help others. As a result, in order to successfully complete their jobs, volunteers should put the needs of others before their own.

• Desirable qualities (n): phẩm chất mong muốn
• Thrilled (adj): hồi hộp
• Aspire to (v): mong muốn
• Put the needs of others before sb’s own (v): đặt nhu cầu của người khác trước nhu cầu của mình

4. Do you believe people should volunteer more nowadays?

Definitely, yes. There are still a variety of frustrating issues that need to be solved in this day and age despite technological and economic advancements, which calls for more volunteers. For instance, severe floods and protracted droughts leave millions of people starving every year and destroy millions of tons of precious crops.

At the same time, millions of people are forced to flee their homes and become refugees as a result of wars and conflicts that have broken out in many areas of the world. These victims would never be able to overcome their problems, and those worrying social problems would never be addressed without those who freely give up their time and money for others.

• In this day and age: thời buổi bây giờ
• Protracted droughts (n): hạn hán kéo dài
• Starving (adj): chết đói
• Flee sb’s homes (v): chạy trốn khỏi nhà
• Refugees (n): những người tị nạn
• Break out (v): diễn ra

5. How do modern technologies support volunteers and their experiences?

Modern technology has a wide range of beneficial effects on people’s lives, and volunteers and charitable work are no exception. As an illustration, consider long-distance giving. Volunteers or those who are financially or physically disadvantaged can get money from kind contributors all around the world thanks to internet banking services made possible by big data, a creation of the fourth industrial revolution. This was never the case in the past when people hardly ever had the opportunity to transfer money to or borrow it from someone who lived far away.

• Charitable work (n): công việc từ thiện

6. Aside from personal satisfaction, what other benefits can you gain from volunteering?

• Be integrated into society: hòa nhập vào xã hội