Recommended Courses for the Volunteer Abroad
Taking various preparatory courses can be an important part of your preparation and something you ideally should consider and plan some time before travelling. Some volunteer projects actually include certain courses as compulsory parts of your commitment to the volunteer project. Whether they are or not, however, the important point is that you will learn new skills from them, probably make new like-minded friends, and hopefully ahve a great time learning too, knowing that they will benefit you on your volunteer trip abroad. The courses we discuss here are mainly language preparation courses and other miscellaneous courses such as basic first aid courses, but you may consider that other courses too may be relevant to your trip.
Language courses - Learning languages before you travel
If you are travelling abroad, and especially if you are volunteering in remote areas and planning on spending some time in foreign climes, then you should think about taking some basic language courses related to your destination. We have a more detailed volunteer guide on languages which explains how learning the native langauge of any country you are visiting before you travel can be of enormous benefit to you. How you choose to learn the language depends on what suits you of course and the amount of time you have. you could choose an online course, a CD or DVD based course or a regular evening class.
First Aid courses
If you are planning a lengthy volunteer experience and will be working in locations with sporadic access to good healthcare then you might wish to consider taking part in a first aid course. This is an incredibly useful skill to have and will not only benefit you on your trip, but also long afterwards. The best place to learn first aid is with the St John Ambulance in the UK.
Other types of course
Do be aware that,depending on the volunteer experience you choose, you may be required to take other types of preparatory course, be it practical or a general one to preare you for what is ahead. For example if you are planning on teaching English during your trip then you are probably going to have to take part in a TEFL course (for those that do not know TEFL stands for 'teaching English as a Foreign Language'). We have a separate volunteer guide on TEFL courses as there are different lengths and types. You should be advised of which courses you need to do by the organisation you are undertaking the volunteer project with.
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