Volunteering (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Volunteering
Volunteering is an important way to help others and contribute to your community. In French, understanding how to talk about volunteer work involves learning specific vocabulary and grammar structures that allow you to express ongoing activities and describe helping others.
Useful vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| aider | to help, aid |
| les animaux (mpl) | animals, pets |
| autre | other |
| la catastrophe | catastrophe, disaster |
| comprendre | to understand |
| la difficulté | difficulty |
| dormir | to sleep |
| menacer | to threaten |
| protéger | to protect |
| la rue | street, road |
| l'association (f) | organisation, charity |
| la lutte | fight, struggle |
| offrir | to offer |
| s'occuper de | to look after, take care of |
| le soutien | support |
| le bénévolat | volunteering |
| faire du bénévolat | to volunteer |
Pay special attention to the gender markers (m/f) in the vocabulary table, as these will help you use the correct articles and adjectives when forming sentences about volunteering.
Grammar focus: expressing ongoing volunteer work
When talking about volunteer activities you started in the past and continue doing now, French uses a specific structure with "depuis" (since/for) followed by the present tense, not the past tense as you might expect in English.
Structure: depuis + present tense
Pattern: Je + present tense verb + depuis + time period
This structure emphasises that the activity began in the past but continues in the present moment. This is a key difference from English, where we might use present perfect tense.
Grammar in Action: Using "depuis" with Present Tense
Present tense with depuis:
- Je travaille dans l'association depuis deux ans. (I have been working at the organisation for two years.)
- Elle aide les animaux depuis trois mois. (She has been helping animals for three months.)
- Nous nous occupons des enfants depuis le matin. (We have been looking after the children since this morning.)
Past tense for completed actions:
- J'ai travaillé hier au centre pour animaux. (I worked yesterday at the animal centre.)
- Elle a aidé les personnes âgées la semaine dernière. (She helped elderly people last week.)
Pronunciation tips
Key Pronunciation Guidelines:
- depuis: pronounced "duh-PWEE" - the 's' at the end is silent
- association: pronounced "ah-so-see-ah-see-ON" - stress on the final syllable
- bénévolat: pronounced "bay-nay-vo-LAH" - the final 't' is silent
Translation exercises
Translation Practice: Volunteering Contexts
French to English:
- Je travaille depuis trois ans dans une association qui aide les pauvres.
- Nous protégeons les animaux depuis notre arrivée ici.
English to French: 3. I have been helping elderly people for two months. 4. They have been working at the animal shelter since January.
Answers:
- I have been working for three years in an organisation that helps poor people.
- We have been protecting animals since our arrival here.
- J'aide les personnes âgées depuis deux mois.
- Ils travaillent au refuge pour animaux depuis janvier.
Common volunteer activities to discuss
Understanding various volunteer activities helps you speak more confidently about this topic. You might volunteer by helping at animal shelters, supporting elderly people, working with children, participating in environmental protection, or assisting with community events.
When describing your volunteer experiences, remember to use the present tense with "depuis" if you're still doing the activity, or past tense if it's completed. This distinction is crucial for clear communication about your ongoing commitment to helping others.
Critical Grammar Point: The choice between present tense + depuis (ongoing) and past tense (completed) completely changes the meaning of your sentence. Make sure to match your tense choice with whether the volunteer work is still continuing or has finished.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use "depuis + present tense" to describe volunteer work you're still doing
- Learn vocabulary related to helping others and community support
- Practice distinguishing between ongoing actions (present + depuis) and completed actions (past tense)
- Volunteer work vocabulary is useful for speaking exams and writing tasks
- Remember that many volunteer-related nouns are feminine (l'association, la difficulté, la catastrophe)