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E10 G - Volunteer skills and responsibilities

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E10 G - Volunteer skills and responsibilities

Mini-description: Match useful skills and responsibilities to fictional volunteer tasks. Give simple reasons for your choices.

Level: English as a first foreign language, Grade 10, Baden-Württemberg, G-level.

Course route: English first → understand → respond → analyse → communicate → feedback → revise → transfer.

Important: All profiles, applications and volunteer tasks in this course are fictional.

Einleitung

Look at the photo first. What can you see? What may the volunteers need to do their work well?

Use one starter:

Starter	Example
I can see ...	I can see people working together.
They may need to be ...	They may need to be reliable.
They probably have to ...	They probably have to follow instructions.

A skill is something you can do or a useful personal quality. A responsibility is something you have to do or remember in a role.

I-can goals

At the end, you can say:

I can understand the main idea of short texts and videos about volunteering.
I can match skills to simple volunteer tasks.
I can explain responsibilities with have to, must and must not.
I can give a reason with because.
I can ask for help when I am not sure.
I can write a short, structured volunteer application.
I can check my own text and improve it after feedback.

What do you already know?

Think for one minute. Then compare with a partner.

Volunteer task	One possible skill	One possible responsibility
help at a food bank	organised	check items carefully
help in a park	active	use tools safely
help at a reading club	patient	listen to others

Do not translate every word. First use the photo, the situation and words you already know.

Media start: See the task before you name the skill

Quick task: Choose two words that fit the photo: careful – organised – patient – reliable – creative – active. Say: I choose ... because ...

Quick task: What are two possible responsibilities? Use: They have to ...

Quick task: What may be more important here: patience or physical strength? Give one simple reason.

Listening and Viewing

Viewing 1 – gist: Watch once. Do not stop the video. Choose the best idea: A volunteer agency helps people find ways to volunteer / sells products / organises holidays.

Viewing 2 – details: Watch again. Pause when necessary. Note two things an agency can help with.

Viewing 3 – language: Listen for the words volunteer, organisation and opportunity. You do not need to understand every sentence.

Help: First listen for known words. Then use the pictures. Then listen again.

A second voice and a different context

This VOA Learning English video shows a community context in which volunteers support English learners.

First viewing: Who helps whom? Give a short answer.

Second viewing: Listen for one task and one useful skill.

Third viewing: Compare your answer with a partner. If your answers are different, listen again.

Listening rule: Understanding the main idea is enough on the first round. You do not have to produce all language you can understand.

Reading: Five fictional volunteer tasks

Read the five short notices. All organisations and names below are fictional.

Task	Short notice
A – Green Park Team	Help collect litter and put light garden waste into bags. Work with a small team. Follow safety instructions. Ask before using a tool.
B – Happy Paws Shelter	Prepare bowls, refill water and help keep animal areas clean. Stay calm around animals. Follow the supervisor's instructions.
C – City Food Box	Sort cans and packets. Check labels and put items into the correct boxes. Tell the team leader if an item is damaged.
D – Page Pals Reading Club	Help prepare books and simple games. Listen to young readers and encourage them. Be patient and friendly.
E – Neighbourhood Fun Day	Welcome visitors, show them where activities are and help prepare materials. Give clear information and ask the coordinator if you are unsure.

Reading task 1: Find one action word in each notice.

Reading task 2: Match one useful skill to each task.

Reading task 3: Underline one responsibility in each notice.

Context vocabulary

English	Simple help	Useful sentence
reliable	people can depend on you	I am reliable and I arrive on time.
patient	you can stay calm and give people time	A reading helper should be patient.
organised	you keep things in the right order	I am organised, so I can sort items.
careful	you notice details and avoid mistakes	I am careful with labels.
friendly	kind and open when speaking to people	A welcome helper should be friendly.
team player	you work well with other people	I am a good team player.
follow instructions	do what the supervisor explains	Volunteers have to follow instructions.
report a problem	tell the right person about a problem	You have to report a damaged item.
safety	actions that help prevent harm	Safety comes first.
private information	information that is not for everyone	Do not share private information.

Pronunciation

Say the words slowly. Then say the whole sentence.

Word	Stress help	Practice sentence
volunteer	vol-un-TEER	I want to volunteer.
reliable	re-LI-a-ble	I am reliable.
responsibility	re-spon-si-BI-li-ty	This is my responsibility.
organised	OR-ga-nised	I am organised.

Goal: Speak so that others can understand you. A perfect accent is not the goal.

Partner check: Did you hear the important word clearly? If not, ask: Can you say that again, please?

Skills or responsibilities?

A volunteer can be active, careful and a good team player. These are skills or qualities.

A volunteer may have to follow instructions, use equipment safely and report a problem. These are responsibilities.

Simple test:

Ask yourself	If yes, it is often ...
Is it something I can do well or a quality I have?	a skill
Is it something the role expects me to do?	a responsibility

Analyse: Which person fits which task?

Meet four fictional students.

Profile	Information
Mia	I am patient and friendly. I like books. I can explain simple things clearly.
Jay	I am active and reliable. I like working outside. I can work well in a team.
Noor	I am organised and careful. I like sorting things and checking details.
Ben	I am friendly and calm. I can give clear directions. I like helping at events.

Match each student to one task from A–E. More than one answer can be possible if you give a good reason.

Use: I think ... fits ... because ...

Example: I think Noor fits City Food Box because Noor is organised and careful.

Functional grammar

Can for skills

Use can for an ability.

I can work in a team.

She can explain things clearly.

Word order: person + can + verb.

Have to for responsibilities

Use have to when the role requires something.

Volunteers have to arrive on time.

You have to follow the supervisor's instructions.

Must and must not for important rules

You must use equipment safely.

You must not share private information.

Important: must not means that something is not allowed.

Because for reasons

I choose the reading club because I am patient.

This task fits Jay because he likes working outside.

Keep the reason short and clear.

Speaking: Ask, answer, clarify

Work with a partner.

Student A chooses a fictional task. Student B asks questions.

Function	Useful English
ask	What do I have to do?
ask about a skill	Do I need to be organised?
ask again	Can you say that again, please?
check	Do you mean I have to arrive at nine?
give a reason	I think this task fits me because ...
say you are unsure	I am not sure. I will ask the coordinator.

Speaking goal: Communicate safely and clearly. Asking again is a good communication skill.

Writing: A short fictional application

Write 70–100 words. Use only fictional information.

Model structure:

Part	Sentence help
greeting	Dear Volunteer Coordinator,
reason	I am interested in the ... volunteer task.
skills	I am ... and ... . I can ...
link to task	These skills are useful because ...
availability	I can help on ...
question	Could you tell me more about ...?
ending	Kind regards, Alex

Do not copy the model word for word. Keep your own ideas and your own text.

Mediation: Pass on the key information

Your German-speaking classmate asks what the fictional Green Park Team expects.

Read the English notice again. Give two key points in simple German. Do not translate the whole notice.

Then return to English and say one sentence: The most important rule is ... because ...

Help ladder

Use only as much help as you need.

Level	Help
1	Look at the picture and find known words.
2	Use the vocabulary table.
3	Use a sentence starter.
4	Ask a partner: What does this mean in this task?
5	Ask the teacher for one example, then try again yourself.

Feedback and revision

Give feedback on one short speaking answer or one application.

Check	Yes / not yet
The task is clear.
At least two skills are named.
At least one responsibility is correct.
There is a reason with because.
The message is easy to understand.
The writer or speaker used their own words.

Use one feedback sentence: I understand your main idea.

One strong point is ...

Please check ...

You could add one reason.

Then revise your work. Change at least one thing after feedback.

Error analysis

Find the problem. Then improve the sentence.

Not yet	Better	Focus
I can to work in a team.	I can work in a team.	can + verb
I must to be on time.	I must be on time.	must + verb
I am organise.	I am organised.	adjective
I choose it because I patient.	I choose it because I am patient.	be + adjective
He can good explain.	He can explain things well.	verb + adverb

Accuracy target 1: can + verb.

Accuracy target 2: have to + verb.

Accuracy target 3: be + adjective.

Accuracy target 4: because + complete reason.

Work on one target at a time.

Transfer: New fictional task

New task: Tree Day Helper

You help prepare small trees, carry light materials and work with a team. You have to follow safety instructions and ask before using tools.

Choose:

two useful skills;
two responsibilities;
one reason why a fictional student fits the role.

Use: A Tree Day Helper should be ...

They have to ...

... fits the role because ...

Safe and responsible learning

All applications and profiles in this course are fictional.

Recordings are optional. If you make a speaking recording, keep it private or inside the agreed classroom space. Do not upload another person's voice or image without permission.

Do not send personal data, classmates' work or private recordings to external AI tools.

If you use AI for support, check important information and sources. Keep your own ideas and your own wording. AI output can be wrong.

Respect people as individuals. Do not use cultural stereotypes when you describe a fictional volunteer.

Can-do check

Mark what you can do now.

I can ...	yes	almost	not yet
understand the main idea of a short volunteer notice	□	□	□
tell a skill from a responsibility	□	□	□
use can + verb	□	□	□
use have to or must for a responsibility	□	□	□
give a reason with because	□	□	□
ask for clarification	□	□	□
write a short fictional application	□	□	□
improve my work after feedback	□	□	□

If you marked almost or not yet, return to the matching section and try one short task again.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which word describes a useful volunteer skill? (reliable) (!arrival) (!rule) (!shift)

Which sentence shows a responsibility? (Volunteers have to follow instructions.) (!Volunteers are friendly.) (!Volunteers are patient.) (!Volunteers are creative.)

Which form is correct after can? (can help) (!can to help) (!can helps) (!can helping)

Which sentence gives a clear reason? (I choose the task because I am organised.) (!I choose because task organised.) (!Because organised I task.) (!I choosing the task organised.)

What should you do if an instruction is not clear? (Ask the coordinator.) (!Guess and continue.) (!Ignore the instruction.) (!Leave without telling anyone.)

Which skill fits sorting food items especially well? (careful) (!noisy) (!late) (!careless)

Which responsibility fits a park clean-up task? (Use tools safely.) (!Share private information.) (!Ignore safety rules.) (!Take tools home.)

Which sentence is correct? (I must be on time.) (!I must to be on time.) (!I must being on time.) (!I must am on time.)

Which phrase is useful when you did not understand? (Can you say that again, please?) (!I will guess the rule.) (!I do not need instructions.) (!Never speak again.)

What is a good first step when watching a difficult English video? (Listen for the main idea.) (!Translate every word immediately.) (!Stop after one unknown word.) (!Write every sentence exactly.)

Memory

reliable	people can depend on you
patient	you can stay calm and give time
organised	you keep things in order
careful	you notice details
team player	you work well with others
follow instructions	do what the supervisor explains
report a problem	tell the right person
private information	information that is not for everyone

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Volunteer task
careful	sorting food
patient	helping at a reading club
active	cleaning a park
friendly	welcoming visitors
calm	helping around animals

Kreuzworträtsel

reliable	Which adjective means that people can depend on you?
patient	Which adjective means that you can stay calm and give others time?
organised	Which adjective means that you keep things in order?
safety	What is important when volunteers use tools?
teamwork	What do we call working well together?
privacy	What protects information that is not for everyone?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Volunteer photo talk: Choose one Commons picture in this course. Say three simple English sentences about the task and one useful skill.
Skill cards: Make six small cards with one skill on each card. Add one short example sentence.
Responsibility signs: Design three simple English signs for a fictional volunteer room, for example a safety or information rule.
Mini dialogue: Write and perform a six-line dialogue in which a volunteer asks for clarification.

Standard

Task match: Match the four fictional student profiles to suitable volunteer tasks and give one reason for each choice.
Volunteer email: Write a 70–100 word fictional application. Use two skills, one responsibility and one question.
Listening notes: Watch one embedded video again and make a small note table with main idea, one task and one useful skill.
Peer feedback: Exchange a fictional application with a partner, use the feedback checklist and revise at least two details.

Schwer

New volunteer role: Invent a safe fictional volunteer task for teenagers. Write a short role notice with three tasks, three useful skills and three responsibilities.
Compare roles: Compare two fictional volunteer tasks. Explain which skills overlap and which responsibilities are different.
Volunteer interview: Create and perform a short fictional interview between a coordinator and an applicant. Include clarification and reasons.
Transfer project: Design a one-page volunteer information poster in English for a fictional school project. Add tasks, skills, responsibilities, safety information and contact placeholders.

Lernkontrolle

Match and justify: Read a new fictional role description. Choose two suitable skills and justify each choice with evidence from the text.
Responsibility check: Separate five new statements into skills and responsibilities. Explain two decisions in simple English.
Problem solving: A fictional volunteer does not understand a safety instruction. Write what the volunteer should say and what they should do next.
Profile decision: Compare two fictional applicants for one task. Explain which skills each person brings. Do not rank the people overall; focus on task evidence.
Language transfer: Rewrite four short sentences so that abilities use can and role requirements use have to or must.
Revision task: Improve a short fictional application after receiving three feedback notes. Mark what you changed and why.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, you should show that you can:

understand the main idea of a short volunteer text or video;
identify relevant skills and responsibilities;
connect evidence from a task to a simple reason;
use can, have to, must and because mostly correctly;
ask for clarification in a safe and polite way;
write a short structured fictional application;
use feedback to revise your own work;
respect privacy and use only fictional personal information in course products.

OERs zum Thema

Wikipedia background in German:

Further open learning background: Ehrenamt, Freiwilligenarbeit, Englisch, Bewerbung, Kommunikation, Medienkompetenz

Media and source notes

The images used in this course come from Wikimedia Commons. Check the individual file page for author and licence information before reusing an image outside the wiki context.

Verknüpfte Lernbereiche

E10 G - Volunteer skills and responsibilities

Folgekurs

Continue with a task that raises the productive demand only a little:

E10 G - Applying for a volunteer role

There you can practise a longer fictional application, a short interview and clearer reasons for your choices.

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