Shadowing Practice: #92 Asking for donations (Med) | SBS Learn English - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Well, if you ask me, learning English helps me to help others.
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SVS acknowledges the traditional custodians of country and their connections and continuous care for the skies,
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lands and waterways throughout Australia.
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Hi, my name is Josipa.
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And I made a promise to my friend that I'd help her raise money for a charity that supports homeless families.
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A charity is a group that helps people in need.
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So, I signed up to do a charity run of 10 kilometers because I really believe in what this charity does.
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A charity run is organized by a charity to raise money.
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People who take part in the run ask their friends
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and family to give money to the charity
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because they're taking part in it and are likely to be very exhausted by the experience and even feel some pain.
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It's like I'm suffering for this charity so please give money to them.
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Now, I am not a runner.
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I am more of a sit -down -and -read -a -book kind of person.
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So I will be exhausted.
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And my feet?
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My feet are likely to hurt.
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But that's not the part I'm worried about.
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The hard part?
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Asking people for money.
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Like, how do you even say it?
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Hey, would you like to give me money?
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Nope.
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That feels weird.
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Too direct.
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Too uncomfortable.
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It is difficult to ask people to donate.
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That is, to give something like money, clothes, food or time to help others.
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So, I started thinking.
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There must be a better way to ask.
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a more polite way, a more English way.
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And there is.
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Alan and Claire showed me in this dialogue that there are some polite and friendly ways to ask for a donation,
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without sounding pushy or awkward.
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A donation is whatever you give to a charity.
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You don't get anything for it.
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You give because you want to help.
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Now let's listen to Alan and Claire at work.
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Hey Claire, do you have a minute?
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Sure, what's up?
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I'm running a charity cake stall this Friday to raise money for a children's hospital.
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It's part of the community fundraiser I've joined.
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Would you be open to making a small donation?
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Oh, that sounds lovely, Alan.
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But I've already donated to another charity appeal this week.
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Sorry.
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Totally understand.
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No pressure at all.
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But if you've got a coin or two to spare, it'll go straight to a good cause.
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Every bit counts, and hey, I'll save you the best cupcake.
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All right.
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You got me.
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I can't say no to a cupcake.
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Alan is organizing a charity cake stall.
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That's when people bake cakes and muffins, sell them and give the money to a charity.
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Alan is really altruistic.
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That means he helps others just to do something good, not to get anything back.
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To be completely honest, I'm not sure I'm doing my charity because I'm altruistic.
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I want to help, yes, but the real reason is it makes me feel good about myself.
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And that's okay, right?
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Doing good and feeling good can go together.
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Now, let's do some good for our English and learn the phrases from the dialogue.
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Let's listen again to how Alan asked Claire for a donation.
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I'm running a charity cake stall this Friday to raise money for a children's hospital.
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It's part of a community fundraiser I've joined.
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Would you be open to making a small donation?
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Before asking for money, Alan explained what the fundraiser was for by saying…
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I'm running a charity cake stall this Friday to raise money for a children's hospital.
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If you're running something, it means you're organising it, looking after it
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or making sure it happens alan is running a charity cake stall
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but you can run other things too for example
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if you are running a business that means you are managing or owning it alan then said
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it's part of a community fundraiser i've joined a fundraiser is an event or activity that helps collect money to help others.
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And a community fundraiser is when people in a neighbourhood,
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school or local group work together to raise money for something important.
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After saying what the money is for, the reason for the fundraiser, Alan asked Claire.
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Would you be open to making a small donation?
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This is a polite way, not to direct or pushy, to ask someone if they are willing to give a little money to help.
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Would you be open to?
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Is the same as saying, are you okay with?
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Or would you say yes to?
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And making a small donations means giving a small amount to help.
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For example, I often make a small donation by giving away clothes that I don't need.
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I hope that my donations make life a little easier for someone in need.
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Now let's hear a few more ways in which we can ask for donations.
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I've got a little fundraiser going.
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Any chance you'd like to help?
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Would you be happy to support this cause?
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Any help you can give would mean a lot.
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Claire initially said she couldn't donate to Alan's charity.
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She said...
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I've already donated to another charity appeal this week.
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Sorry.
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A charity appeal is when a charity asks people to give money or help.
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They may ask for people's donation in a letter, online, on TV, on the radio,
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or like Alan did, in person.
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It's called an appeal because the charity is asking for support.
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Alan then said...
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Totally understand.
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No pressure at all.
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But if you've got a coin or two to spare, it'll go straight to a good cause.
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Every bit counts, and hey, I'll save you the best cupcake.
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Notice how Alan showed that he understood Claire's response, but then he tried one more time.
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But if you've got a coin or two to spare, it'll go straight to a good cause.
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That's another good phrase we could use when asking for donations.
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When we ask someone for a coin or two, we are asking for a small amount of money.
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We also often use the phrase a gold coin donation.
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This means that you don't have to give a large amount like a $5 or $10 note.
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And to spare means extra.
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So if you have some money to spare, that means that you can give,
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donate a little without causing any problems.
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Alan said the money he is raising will go straight to a good cause.
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A good cause is a project or group that helps people or animals who need support, like a charity or community group.
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For me, running 10 kilometers will be hard, but I believe it will be worth it to support a good cause.
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Alan also said, Every bit counts.
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This means that even a small amount is helpful.
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You could also say, A little help goes a long way.
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Or if you want to sound more formal, you could say We appreciate any support you can give.
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You know what?
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After hearing all the great examples Alan and Claire shared in this episode, I feel ready to help my friend make a difference.
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So, why don't you listen to their dialogue one more time
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while I make some phone calls to ask for donations for my friends.
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Charity Appeal.
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Hey Claire, do you have a minute?
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Sure, what's up?
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I'm running a charity cake stall this Friday to raise money for a children's hospital.
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It's part of the community fundraiser I've joined.
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Would you be open to making a small donation?
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Oh, that sounds lovely, Alan.
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But I've already donated to another charity appeal this week.
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Sorry.
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Totally understand.
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No pressure at all.
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But if you've got a coin or two to spare, it'll go straight to a good cause.
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Every bit counts and hey, I'll save you the best cupcake.
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Alright, you got me.
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I can't say no to a cupcake.
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Hello.
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Hello.
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Hi.
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We are from SBS.
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Learn English.
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I'm Josipha, nice to meet you.
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So I got up early,
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got in my car and now I'm at Immigrant Women's Speak Out organization in a company of Sunila Kotwal,
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who is executive officer and works with other women who dedicate all their time to help other women.
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Hello Sunila, how are you?
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I'm good, thank you.
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Why are your services so important for women who need help?
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Okay, Immigrant Women's Pickout Association of New South Wales,
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that's our proper name, has been working to support women experiencing domestic family and sexual violence.
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Our services exist because we are a specialized service for migrant and refugee women.
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Unfortunately, mainstream services don't always work for migrant women, especially for those on temporary visas.
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Many of the women who come to us have never asked for help before.
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Some didn't even know that they could.
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They've come from places where services are limited and women are silent.
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So when they come through our doors, we know that it has taken them a lot to get there.
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And what kind of help do you give to women who are leaving family violence or have no safe place to live?
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Years ago, when women were visiting us to seek support, they begged to sleep at our office, just to stay safe.
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That's when we knew that we had to do more.
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So we opened our own crisis accommodation in 2016, a shelter specifically for migrant women on temporary visas.
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We now run two crisis accommodations, accommodating 12 single women at any time.
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Each woman can stay for up to six months while we support them through every step of rebuilding their lives.
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We provide culturally appropriate support from a caseworker, a counselor.
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We provide them groceries, food vouchers, transport cards and emotional support.
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We run programs to improve their mental and physical health, such as self -care, gardening, self -defense and more.
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We help women find jobs, help them write resumes, prepare for interviews and accompany them to the interviews.
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We also offer practical skills building in areas like baking, sewing and alteration to help women earn an income,
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regardless of their English level.
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You also help them with English, don't you?
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We do.
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We run English conversation classes
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and we also run basic computer classes where we get them email addresses
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and help them understand what the government emails are asking from them.
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Can you tell us how can someone in a very practical, concrete way help your organization?
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What can we do?
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There are two key ways to support us, financially and practically.
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Financial donations, both one time and ongoing, are essential to keep our services running.
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On the practical side, we welcome volunteers to help run our programs.
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That might mean teaching English, basic computer skills, helping in our garden,
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or helping us organize one of our five annual women's picnics.
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And if one wants to join you, try to become a volunteer in your organization where they can find information.
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We have a website, www .speakout .org .au.
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All the information about the volunteers is available there.
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Thank you Sunila for this interview.
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Thank you.
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Any help you can give would mean a lot.
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If you've got a coin or two to spare, it'll go straight to a good cause.
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If you'd like to practice your speaking skills, and I really recommend it, listen to our bonus episode.
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It's short, fun, and great for speaking practice.
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Practicing out loud really helped me.
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It gave me confidence to speak to people in English.
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You can also check out our socials, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more tips and fun language learning videos.
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Just search for SBS Learn English.
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I'm Josipa.
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Thank you for learning English with me today.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Asking for donations”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: charity, alan, donation, English, fundraiser. This video has 196 sentences and 1954 words to shadow. The speech runs for 15:51. The speaker talks at a steady 123 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 81% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| donation noun | /doʊˈneɪʃən/ | A voluntary gift or contribution for a specific cause. |
| fundraiser noun | /ˈfʌnd.ɹeɪ.zɚ/ | An event undertaken to get money by voluntary contributions for a particular activity or cause. |
| coin noun | /ˈkoɪ̯n/ | A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle. |
| spare adjective | /spɛɚ/ | Being more than what is necessary, or what must be used or reserved; not wanted, or not used; superfluous. |
| stall noun | /stɔːl/ | A compartment for a single animal in a stable or cattle shed. |
| donate verb | /ˈdoʊˌneɪt/ | To make a donation; to give away something of value to support or contribute towards a cause or for the benefit of another. |
| cupcake noun | /ˈkʌpkeɪk/ | A small cake baked in a usually paper container shaped like a cup, often with icing on top. |
| migrant noun | /ˈmaɪɡɹənt/ | A migratory animal, in particular a migratory bird. |
| polite adjective | /pəˈlaɪt/ | Well-mannered, civilized. |
| organize verb | /ˈɔɹɡənaɪz/ | To arrange in working order. |
| volunteer noun | /ˌvɑlənˈtɪɹ/ | One who enters into, or offers themselves for, any service of their own free will, especially when done without pay. |
| dialogue noun | /ˈdaɪəˌlɑɡ/ | A conversation or other form of discourse between two or more individuals. |
| phrase noun | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | A short written or spoken expression. |
| altruistic adjective | /ˌæl.tɹuˈɪs.tɪk/ | Regardful of others; beneficent; unselfish |
| pushy adjective | /ˈpʊʃ.i/ | Overly assertive, bold, or determined; aggressively ambitious. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| check out verb | To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.). |
| come through verb | To come into a room or other space through a door or passageway. |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
| give away verb | To make a gift of (something). |
| go together verb | To be in a relationship. |
| sit down verb | To assume a sitting position from a standing position. |
| speak out verb | To assert or promote one's opinion; to make one's thoughts known. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Hey, would you like to give me money?
- Would you be open to making a small donation?
- Would you be open to?
- Is the same as saying, are you okay with?
- Any chance you'd like to help?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've joined · I've already donated · have never asked |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | People who take · women who dedicate · women who need |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the best |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may ask · might mean |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 51 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, I've, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: donation /doʊˈneɪʃən/, pushy /ˈpʊʃ.i/, accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, alteration /ɔl.tɚˈeɪ.ʃən/, specialize /ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz/
- Long words — get the stress right: altruistic /ˌæl.tɹuˈɪs.tɪk/, accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/, alteration /ɔl.tɚˈeɪ.ʃən/, accompany /əˈkʌm.pə.ni/, accommodate /əˈkɑməˌdeɪt/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like donation, fundraiser, coin.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.