The value(s) of volunteering: asylum seekers’ trajectories through language work in refugee assistance

Figures & data

Table

JO:		can you tell me a bit how you came to < name of the NGO >
KO:		er I love working | I cannot help working
		< laughs >
	(1) →	as I told you I started teaching at the age of fifteen | and I always stood on my own feet | my father always loved to spend money for me | but I didn’t need his money | I just earned money myself | bought my cars | bought my every things myself
	(2) →	when I came to Austria it was like uh seven months | that I I hadn’t worked | and I was feeling ill | so I wanted to do something | I went to different places to ask for a job | they said I’m I was not allowed to work | I was only allowed to work at a hundred ten euros monthly [uhu] and nobody would give me that job
	(3) →	so er at Donauinselfest < name of a festival in Vienna > two thousand sixteen [mhm] a friend of mine who was in Austria for a longer time | he said I could work voluntarily [uhu] I said | how | he said that I could work voluntarily simply | I could go to one of < names of two NGOs > places
	(2′) →	at that time I was living in the erm | I guess | no | I was living in < name >camp | I came to this < name of NGO > branch | because I just knew this < name of NGO > branch [uhu] very well
	(4) →	I came here | and er Martin < staff-member > was there at that time [ah okay] I said I want to translate here voluntarily | he said wait a moment | I waited | and Sara < head of staff > came out [uhu] and she invited me into her office | and she said it was interesting | I said why | she said | right now we were talking in the team meeting | that we needed desperately someone to er come and | translate for us [uhu] | and you were at that | at the same time sitting outside to come and translate for us [uh < laughs >]
	(5) →	so I signed the paper which is there | er | and I started work the next day

Table

JA:	(1) →	also natürlich | das ist eine eine positive Punkt für mich | in meinem Interview [mhm]
	(2) →	äh dass ich zeigen kann dass i | äh | ich arbeite | ich helfe ein Organisation für geflüchtete Leute | dass ich mich integriere [mhm] das is sehr wichtig in Interviews | äh | äh dass man zeigen kann dass man äh (zu/so) viele | Freunde hat [okee] Freunde zum Beispiel Österreicher oder Österreicherinnen [mhm] kennen lernen
	(3) →	ähm das ist auch wichtig wenn du ehrenamtlich irgendwo arbeitest [mhm] | ähm (( )) auch zeigen kann dass | dass ich eine Bestätigung habe dass ich für einem Jahr | oder ein und halb Jahr hier gearbeitet habe [mhm] ja
JO:	(4) →	woher weißt du dass das wichtig ist | fragen die danach | oder äh | hast du das gehört
JA:		ich hab das gehört [okee] von den Beamten [mhm] offizielle Beamten | auch von dem Leute | private Leute [mhm] auf dem Straße oder (irgendwo) woanders | das ist sehr wichtig [mhm] ja
JO:	(5) →	und ähm fragen sie danach dann im Interview oder
JA:		ja die fragen auch [okee] was du arbeitest | oder was | äh wo verbringst du dein Zeit [mhm] äh | zum Beispiel die türkische Leute sind in eim Grupp [mhm] (( )) sie sind | die arbeiten miteinander | und die sprechen | die haben Sitzungen | die sind in einem Grupp | und die Afghanen sind in einem Grupp | keine Integration [mhm] ähm raus von diesem Grupp zu gehen | mit anderen Leuten zu äh arbeiten | und äh deswegen das ist sehr wichtig für die Österreich | dass solche Gruppen äh nicht | die die brauchen nicht solche Gruppen | die wollen dass die Leute äh | die da sind äh | können mit Österreicher | können mit andere Leute äh | arbeiten | wohnen | das ist eine Integration für die Österreicher [mhm] und das ist sehr wichtig von für BFA und äh diesen Beamten [mhm] ja
	(6) →	da können wir äh auch spre Sprache verbessern | da können wir besser leben | äh auch besser lernen | über den Kultur in Österreich | über den Religion | über den Frei Freizeit äh sache | über den Allgemein [mhm mhm]
	(7) →	die die können auch also die die Referenten schauen was du für Bestätigungen haben | was hast du ähm ähm gearbeitet | äh ehrenamtlich | wo bist du angemeldet in einem Sportverein | oder in einem Sprachekurs [mhm] ja
JA:	(1) →	well of course | that is a positive point for me | in my interview [uhu]
	(2) →	er that I can show that I | er | I work | I help an organisation for refugees | that I integrate myself [uhu] | that is very important in interviews | er | er that one can show that one has (too/so) many friends [okay] | friends for example to meet Austrians < masculine > or Austrians < feminine > [uhu]
	(3) →	erm it is also important when you work somewhere as a volunteer [uhu] | erm (( )) can show that | that I have a certificate that I worked here for one year | or one and a half year [uhu] yes
JO:	(4) →	from where do you know that this is important | do they ask about it | or er | have you heard about it
JA:		I have heard it [okay] | from the civil servants [uhu] official civil servants | also from the people | private people [uhu] on the street or (somewhere) somewhere else | this is very important [uhu] yes
JO:	(5) →	and erm then they ask about it in the interview right
JA:		yah they also ask you [okay] what you are working | or what | er where you pass your time [mhm] er | for example the Turkish people are in a group [uhu] | (( )) they are | they work with each other | and they talk | they have meetings | they are in a group | and the Afghans are in a group | no integration [uhu] | erm to go out of this group | er work with other people and er therefore it is very important for the Austria < Austrians? > | that such groups er not | they do not need such groups | they want that the people er | who are here er | can with Austrians | can with other people er | work | cohabit | that is an integration for the Austrians [uhu] | and that is also very important for the BFA and er this civil servant [uhu] yes
	(6) →	we can also improve our language there | we can live better there | er also learn better | about the culture in Austria | about the religion | about the free free time er thing | about the general [uhu uhu]
	(7) →	they they can also well the the caseworkers look what kind of certificates you have | what you have erm erm worked | er honorarily | where you are enrolled in a sports club | or in a language course [uhu] yes

Table

JO:		what do you envision for this year for your work | or what do you expect
KO:	(1) →	I can’t expect anything [mhm] right now I’m dangling in the air| in the middle of air and earth | because I don’t have my positive so far [mhm] I don’t know what’s going to happen
	(2) →	if I had received my positive a year ago | exactly a year ago when I started working at Stadtschulrat | now I would be a teacher | a full time teacher there [yah] with full salary
	(3) →	but I’m still there with this voluntary system | erm I can’t expect anything for my tomorrow even | without this positive thing [mhm]
	(4) →	but er if I get | or when I get my positive | the first thing I’ll do is to apply at the at the school for a job [mhm] because it’s a great thing | everyday from eight to one [yah] almost a full salary [yah] the evenings are fully free | and I can pass thirty ee tsee | ee cee tees [mhm] and start as an English teacher wi | who earns more [mhm] and that’s what I love [mhm mhm] and Stadtschulrat is in in whole Austria | I can travel to other cities to live to | I can move to other cities | and work still in Stadtschulrat | that’s a great bonus [yah yah]
	(5) →	I love to work in < name of NGO > too | but I don’t know if it’s possible | if it’s | if if | if it’s acceptable for < name of NGO > | or they accept my resume or whatever | but my resume is mostly about English teaching [mhm] so that | that’s a better opportunity to work at school [mhm mhm | so that is your plan]
	(6) →	and working at school looks more secure for me [mhm] so there’s job security there [mhm] you’re not easily out of your (( )) [mhm] but with < name of NGO > for example | when this project is finished | okay goodbye

Table

|	(rhythmic) boundary/boundary of turn constructional unit
[mhm]	intra-turn activities of the other participant
< … >	omission
< description >	a comment/description of anonymised information
(( ))	incomprehensible
(word)	inferred wording
(too/so)	alternative interpretation