Working as a Volunteer in a Charity Shop
Overview
‘Working as a Volunteer in a Charity Shop’ is aimed primarily at learners who are already working as volunteers in charity shops or who want to find out more about working in the sector. The resource uses authentic sound recordings as a springboard for practice in all four skills within this context.
The resource is linked to ‘Voluntary work’, a resource which provides a minimum of three hours learning. Both resources were designed to complement each other and give learners a clear picture of working in this type of environment.
Note that the recordings were made in situ using a small, portable recording device to make sure the language was as authentic as possible. The quality may be ‘grainy’ in places, and there may be background noise.
Level
ESOL Entry 3 – Level 1 / SQA ESOL Intermediate 1 - Intermediate 2 in Scotland / B1 – B2 CEFR Framework
ESOL Entry 3 – Level 1 / SQA ESOL Intermediate 1 - Intermediate 2 in Scotland / B1 – B2 CEFR Framework
Learning hours and delivery context:
The resource provides a minimum of three hours of learning in a classroom or workplace context through a series of linked worksheets. It is flexible in terms of timing and differentiation. The worksheets can be grouped into units as follows:
- Unit 1: (Worksheet 1) Lead-in to the subject and pre-teaching of some key vocabulary.
- Unit 2: (Worksheets 2-4) Listening skills focussing on job roles in a charity shop. Can be delivered as a stand alone unit.
- Unit 3: (Worksheets 5 and 6) Follow-up writing practice.
- Unit 4: Worksheets 7-10 Listening skills and language analysis focussing on customer interactions. Can also be delivered as a stand alone unit.
- Unit 5: (Worksheets 11-12) Follow-up language analysis, reading and speaking activities.
The resources have been produced in two different formats:
- a self-access resource for learners with online activities
- a resource for teachers to use in the classroom with teachers’ notes and worksheets to download
The teachers’ notes include an answer key, tapescripts and suggestions on exploiting the materials, but the worksheets are self-explanatory and teachers are encouraged to adapt them to meet group/individual needs.
Teacher notes - Unit 3
Aims:
- To review the information and language covered in units 1 and 2.
- To write a note to a colleague.
Objectives:
Learners will be able to:
- Write a note to a colleague explaining a procedure.
Materials: Worksheets 5 and 6 and ‘Worksheets 5 and 6 Model answer’.
Approximate timing: 30 minutes
Suggested procedure:
In these worksheets, learners piece together what they have learned about what happens to donations and then use this information to write a note to a colleague.
Lead-in
The lead-in task provides the framework for the writing tasks.The learners should be able to complete it through a combination of common sense and the information they have taken from the listening tasks. Of course, ‘sorting’ and ‘sending for recycling’ could be simultaneous.
If they have access to computers, learners should go to online activity 1 below and follow the instructions online. Alternatively hand out the paper version: Worksheet 5 or 6
Writing
Elicit ‘first’, then’, and ‘finally’ and get the learners to describe orally in pairs what happens to donations before moving on to the writing.
The worksheets provide scope for differentiation. Worksheet 5 contains a more challenging version of the note, where learners have to supply phrases. Worksheet 6 combines the same lead-in activity with an easier version of the note. Both tasks are suitable for pair or group work (if differentiating, make sure you group learners with the same worksheet). In the easier version (worksheet 6), each underscore represents one letter. You could simplify this further by giving the learners the first letter of each word. For more confident learners you could dispense with the writing framework altogether and simply give them the instruction ‘You work in a charity shop. Your manager has asked you to write a note for Murat, a new volunteer, explaining what happens to donations’.
See the separate model answer for the note; point out that there is more than one possible answer for the more difficult version (worksheet 5).
If they have access to computers, learners should go to online activity 1 below and follow the instructions online. Alternatively hand out the paper version: Worksheet 5
If they have access to computers, learners should go to online activity 1 below and follow the instructions online. Alternatively hand out the paper version: Worksheet 6
