Volunteering at the Christmas Market
Last month, many VanWest students signed up to do some volunteering at the Christmas Market.
Volunteering provides many benefits for students. Not only that, but it’s a true test of your English skills – but don’t take it from us! Read about what each of these students thought about their experiences:
The Experience: Volunteering at the Christmas Market
“I volunteered once a week on Friday mornings at the children’s hut teaching children to make paper chains, trees, and spinners,” says Daniel, who is a career college student. “It was easy because the orientation day explained each section carefully, so we knew what to do.”
“For me, this experience helped me meet a lot of people from different countries. There were a lot of Canadians, Koreans, Japanese people, and others. We could understand more about the personality of people from each culture and make some small talk with a variety of people. And of course, the children were very cute.”
“I was in charge of the children’s craft area,” JinYoung, a college career student, says. “In there, children could make snowmen, write a letter to Santa, make snowflakes, and other things.”
“I was able to apply my communication skills and make small talk. I tried to talk with Canadians who visited. When they visited the kids’ hut they were friendlier, so I could talk to them easily. It was good to build confidence when talking. However, I realized something. In school, teachers understand Korean pronunciation, but Canadians couldn’t understand it easily. Before, I thought I spoke with the appropriate pronunciation, but they couldn’t understand what I said. I realized I still need to study.”
“I also volunteered on Friday mornings,” says another student, Kuan-Ting. “They placed me at the front, where I had to count how many people entered. I had a few chances to speak to some Canadians. It was a little different from my expectations, but I think that’s because of the time I volunteered and the job I had.”
“For me, the best part was the free entrance. I could enjoy the market for free and invite friends with the tickets they provided to volunteers. The manager, Ben, was really nice. If we had problems, he always helped. Also, he told us he can write a reference letter for us.”
Tips for Future Christmas Market Volunteers
JinYoung strongly recommends good clothing, since the event happens in winter. “Volunteers are given rain jackets, but we need to bring our own warm clothing.”
Kuanting thinks this was a good experience, but it’s more suitable for students studying general English. “It’s a little more difficult for Co-op students because of our schedule.”
Daniel says you need to have some endurance for this job. “We had to stand for about 6 hours per shift. It was a long time!”
Volunteering at the Christmas Market helped all of these students in different ways. Whatever your goals are, make sure you are always on the lookout for an experience that will help you improve and develop your skills. Whether that is volunteering, applying for jobs at these festivals, or taking seminars, don’t let any opportunity pass you by!
