Volunteering and placementsHave you thought about using or developing your language skills through volunteering, through work experience or overseas placements? This can be a great way of extending your CV and keeping your language knowledge up to date at the same time. We've suggested some ways you could get started below. 2012 Games
The Mayor is also planning to recruit an army of City Volunteers to welcome and help visitors - and detailed plans will be announced in 2010. Register your interest on the London 2012 website - applications will open from 2010 - or visit our 2012 Games minisite for more ideas. Volunteering in the communityLondon's residents speak over 300 languages and come from over 90 national communities. Organisations that support the community like Passage Day Centre in Victoria often need volunteers with languages - could your skills make a difference? Peter used his Arabic, Turkish and French presenting on hospital radio. It could give you the opportunity to practise your English too. RLN London's Service Finder lists organisations that offer placements. You can find out more about volunteering opportunities in London on the following websites too: Community Service Volunteers Work experienceBusinesses in your local area or in Central London may need language skills in the course of their work - even a smattering can be a big help in reading an email or dealing with overseas customers. Why not try approaching exporters, retailers, tourist attractions, restaurants and other types of business to see if they'd take you on a work placement during school, college or university? You can get more information and advice from the National Council for Work Experience. Working and volunteering abroadMany charities operate worldwide to provide assistance to people in need, often working in countries where English is rarely spoken. Language skills and cultural knowledge can be an invaluable asset. VSO is one such charity which relies on volunteers to carry out its work. Gapyear.com also provides information about international volunteering and placements, including advice on using your languages. Some language training companies run programmes where you can volunteer and learn languages at the same time. Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is another great way to learn while you earn. You'll usually need a qualification, but once you've got that under your belt, there's no shortage of teaching opportunities across the world. Try Tefl.com for further advice as well as a jobs database. |
Teams from over 200 countries are expected to take part in the 2012 Games, and thousands of overseas visitors will join them. London needs 70,000 volunteers for the 2012 Games - and it's worth thinking about language skills and cultural knowledge as a great asset to make competitors and spectators feel welcome. You could find yourself working in media operations, at the event venues or interpreting for visiting competitors - the possibilities are almost limitless.