Key points about future education and employment
Use the Used to describle what someone is going to do in the near future, eg I am going to watch, he is going to arrive. Formed with the present tense of 'ir' (to go), followed by 'a' and the infinitive. to say what you are going to do or what is going to happen.
The Used to talk about actions that will take place in the future. is used to describe what will happen and is less common than the immediate future.
The Describes what someone would, should or could do or what could happen in the future. describes what someone would do or what would happen in the future.
Video - Future education and employment
Watch the video of Denia discussing future plans with her friends.
Denia uses the immediate future tense and the conditional to find out what her friends want to do in the future
Hoy he invitado a algunos amigos que van a hablar sobre sus planes para el futuro. Todos tenemos cosas que queremos conseguir para el futuro y siempre es increíble compartirlas con amigos. ¡Vamos!
Concha: Pues otra vez estoy aquí… Ya estoy aquí. Soy Concha.
Camarero: Buenos días, aquí tenéis.
Amigas: ¡Muchas gracias!
Camarero: ¡Que aproveche!
Amigas: ¡Gracias!
Concha: Hoy vamos a hablar de nuestro futuro.
Amigas: Muy bien, vale, genial.
¿Qué vas a hacer cuando termines tus estudios?
Amiga 1: Me gustaría estudiar en la universidad, pero antes tengo que esforzarme para los exámenes.
¿Qué planes tienes para las vacaciones de verano? ¿Con quién vas?
Amiga 2: Pues vamos a ir de viaje al Norte. Vamos a pasar unas vacaciones tranquilas en la naturaleza.
Amiga 1: Me gustaría viajar a Roma y después hacer un curso de idiomas.
¿Vas a hacer un curso de formación profesional?
Amiga 2: Voy a hacer un curso de formación profesional. Creo que es importante para mi futuro.
Amiga 1: No, no creo que vaya a hacer un curso de formación todavía.
¿Qué ambiciones tienes para el futuro? ¿Por qué?
Amiga 2: Voy a estudiar para ser profesora. Voy a seguir la tradición familiar. Mi familia va a estar muy orgullosa de mí.
Amiga 1: Creo que quiero seguir estudiando un poco más para descubrir que quiero hacer en un futuro.
¿Quieres seguir estudiando en el futuro?
Amiga 2: Me gustaría seguir estudiando.
Translation
Today I have invited some of my friends to talk about their future plans. We all have things we would like to achieve in the future and it’s always great to share them with friends. Let 's go!
Concha: Here I am again… I’m Concha.
Waiter: Good morning, here you go.
Friends: Thanks so much!
Waiter: Enjoy!
Friends: Thanks!
Concha: Today we are going to speak about the future.
Friends: Great, alright, fantastic.
What are you going to do when you finish studying?
Friend 1: I would like to study at university, but I have to work hard for my exams first.
What are your plans for the summer vacation? Who will join you?
Friend 2: We are going on a trip up North. We will spend some relaxing holidays in nature.
Friend 1: I would like to travel to Rome and then do a language course.
Are you going to do an apprenticeship after your studies?
Friend 2: I am going to do an apprenticeship. I think it is important for my future.
Friend 1: No, I do not think I will do an apprenticeship yet.
What are your ambitions for the future? Why?
Friend 2: I am going to study to become a teacher. I’m going to follow the family tradition. My family will be proud of me.
Friend 1: I think I want to study a bit more so I can figure out what I want to do in the future.
Do you want to continue studying in the future?
Friend 2: I’d like to continue studying.
Vocabulary - Talking about future education
Useful verbs for talking about apprenticeships and university studies include:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to support |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to learn |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to leave |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to start |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to improve |
Other useful vocabulary includes:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again., Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | apprenticeship |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | career |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | studies |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | working |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | an opportunity |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | degree |
Grammar - How to use and form the future tenses in Spanish
There are two main The verb formation that describes the time at which the action occurred, eg past, present or future. for talking about the future:
The immediate future is used to say what you are going to do or what is going to happen.
The simple future tense is used to say what will happen and is less common than the immediate future.
The immediate future tense
The immediate future tense is the most common way of talking about future plans.
It is formed with the A verb that describes an action that is happening now or that happens regularly, eg I eat breakfast. of ir (to go), followed by a and the Form of the verb that has not been conjugated. Usually translated with 'to' in English, eg to play..
For example:
Voy a hacer mis deberes. - I’m going to do my homework.
Va a hacer un aprendizaje el año próximo. - He’s going to do an apprenticeship next year.
Voy a aprender español. - I’m going to learn Spanish.
Vamos a estudiar esta noche. - We are going to study this evening
¿Qué vas a hacer cuando termines tus estudios? - What are you going to do when you finish studying?
Click on Show more to see the conjugation of the verb ir - to go.
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | I am going |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | you (singular informal) are going |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | he/she/it/you (singular formal) is going |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | we are going |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | you (plural informal) are going |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | they/you (plural formal) are going |
The simple future tense
The simple future tense is used to say what will happen.
For example:
Iré a la universidad en el futuro. - I will go to university in the future.
Repasaremos mucho para preparar para nuestros exámenes. - We will revise a lot for our exams.
To form the simple future tense, add the correct ending to the Form of the verb that has not been conjugated. Usually translated with 'to' in English, eg to play. of the verb. The endings are the same for ar, er and ir verbs:
| ar verbs | er verbs | ir verbs |
|---|---|---|
| estudiar - to study | aprender - to learn | escribir - to write |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - I will study | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - I will learn | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - I will write |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you (singular) will study | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you (singular) will learn | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you (singular) will write |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - he/she/you (formal singular) will study | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - he/she/ you (formal singular) will learn | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - he/she/ you (formal singular) will write |
For example:
Mañana estudiaré las matemáticas. - Tomorrow, I will study maths.
Mi madre me apoyará. - My mother will support me.
¿Irás a la universidad? - Will you go to university?
Some verbs have an irregular form. Common irregular verbs include:
| infinitive | stem | English |
|---|---|---|
| tener | tendr | to have |
| hacer | har | to do, make |
| poder | podr | to be able to |
| poner | pondr | to put |
For example:
El año próximo tendré más deberes. - Next year I will have more homework.
En el futuro hará un trabajo interesante. - In the future he/she will do an interesting job.
The future tenses - Mini quiz
Fill in the gap in the following sentences with the correct word:
______ estudiar mucho.
I’m going to study a lot.
Voy a.
To form the immediate future tense you need the conjugated form of ir, voy (I’m going) followed by a then the verb in the infinitive, estudiar.
En setiembre _______ la psicología.
In September she’s going to do psychology.
Va a hacer
To form the immediate future tense you need the conjugated form of ir, va (she is going) followed by a then the verb in the infinitive, hacer.
Find out more about using the future tenses in the Future tenses in Spanish guide.
Listening practice
Click or tap on the purple Start button to listen to five young people discussing the advantages and disadvantages of university. For each one pick the summary which best sums up their ideas, choosing from the options given.
Vocabulary - Employment and different professions
Useful nouns for professions include:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | lawyer |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | waiter |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | scientist |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | cook |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | nurse |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | engineer |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | police, police officer |
Other useful vocabulary includes:
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | support, backing | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | reinforcement, recovery, revision |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | cookery, kitchen | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to revise |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | employee | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | higher |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | job | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | full-time |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | Compulsory Secondary Education | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | part-time |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | work experience | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to work |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | programming | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | work, job |
All Foundation Tier vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.
Did you know?
All 12-16 year olds in Spain complete the Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (or ESO), which translates as Compulsory Secondary Education. ESO is also the name of the qualification received when a student completes it - a bit like GCSEs in England.
Grammar - How to form and use the conditional tense
The conditional tense is used to describe what someone would do or what would happen in the future.
It can also be used to express ambitions and intentions, eg I would like to play football, we would like to find a job.
For example:
Mi colegio ideal tendría una piscina. - My ideal school would have a swimming pool.
¿Que harías? - What would you do?
Con más tiempo yo terminaría mis deberes. - With more time, I would finish my homework.
The most common Word used to describe an action, state of being or an occurrence. in the conditional tense is me gustaría (I would like). This can be used to say what you would like to do in the future.
For example:
Me gustaría aprender el portugués. - I would like to learn Portuguese.
The conditional tense is formed by adding the conditional endings to the Form of the verb that has not been conjugated. Usually translated with 'to' in English, eg to play.. The endings are the same for ar, er and ir verbs.
| ar verbs | er verbs | ir verbs |
|---|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - to study | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - to learn | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - to live |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - I would study | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - I would learn | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - I would live |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you (informal singular) would study | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you (informal singular) would learn | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you (informal singular) would live |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - he/she/is/you (formal singular) would study | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - he/she/is/you (formal singular) would learn | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - he/she/is/you (formal singular) would live |
Some verbs have an irregular form. The irregular verbs are the same in the conditional tense as they are in the future tense.
Common irregular conditional stems include:
| Spanish infinitive | Stem | English |
|---|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | tendr | to have |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | har | to do, make |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | podr | to be able to |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | pondr | to put |
Other conditionals
Hay (there is/are) becomes habría (there would be).
For example:
En mi insituto ideal habría una piscina. - In my ideal school, there would be a swimming pool.
The conditional of the verb deber is used to mean 'should'.
For example:
Debería repasar más. - I should revise more.
The conditional tense - Mini quiz
Complete the following sentences:
_______ estudiar el francés.
I would like to study French.
Me gustaría
Me gustaría means ‘I would like’ and is used before an infinitive verb to say what someone would like to do.
En mi instituto ideal _____ un teatro.
In my ideal school there would be a theatre.
habría.
Habría, meaning ‘there would be’ is the conditional tense of hay (there is/there are).
Find out more about using the conditional tense in the Conditional tense in Spanish guide.
Reading practice
Read the information from the leaflet about Academia Villa Bonita in Seville and answer the questions below.
Academia Villabonita, Calle Mayor, 28
No te quedes en el sofá. ¡Mejora tu formación académica!
Tenemos cursos a tiempo completo y a tiempo parcial.
Ejemplos de nuestros cursos:
| Escuela de Comercio y Informática | Escuela de Hostelería y Turismo | Escuela de Idiomas |
|---|---|---|
| Curso de comercio | Certificado superior en cocina | Inglés - nivel superior |
| Curso de programación – nivel básico | Curso de recepcionista de hotel | Inglés - nivel básico |
| Curso de programación – nivel superior | Certificado profesional de servicio de restaurante | Español para extranjeros - ¡aprende español en España! |
Otros cursos
Cursos de fotografía - a todos los niveles desde principiantes hasta profesionales
Cursos en marketing
Cursos de apoyo y recuperación para la ESO y el Bachillerato - ¡recupera tus exámenes!
Experiencia laboral en empresas.
Buscar Academia Villa Bonita en el internet.
Why would the Academia Villa Bonita be ideal for these young people? Mention two things for each person.
Amira
Amira wants to be a programmer, but she has no previous experience. She has a young child so would ideally like a part-time course and she'd prefer a course with a possibility of getting some practical experience.
Amira
There is a course in basic programming - curso de programación básico.
There are part-time courses - cursos a tiempo parcial.
They offer work experience in companies - experiencia laboral en empresas.
(Any 2 of these 3 answers.)
Diego
Diego has some experience as a chef but would like to get some formal qualifications. At the same time, he failed some of his exams at school and would like to resit some of them.
Diego
There is a higher certificate in cookery - certificado superior en cocina.
Support and revision courses are available for students who want to re-sit their exams - cursos de apoyo y recuperación por ESO y Bachillerato - ¡repite tus exámenes!
Lucy
Lucy is English and has come to Spain to live with her parents. She is keen on photography and would like to get some sort of qualification in it. She would also like to learn some Spanish.
Lucy
There are photography courses at all levels from beginners to professionals - cursos de fotografía - a todos los niveles desde principiantes hasta profesionales.
There are Spanish courses for foreigners, inviting you to learn Spanish in Spain - Español para extranjeros - ¡aprende español en España!
Vocabulary sheet
Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful vocabulary to use when discussing future education and employment.
Higher Tier - Vocabulary - Employment
Higher Tier verbs include:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to improve |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to change |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | to get, to achieve |
Useful Higher Tier nouns includes
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | commerce, trade, business | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | musician |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | carer | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | level |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | doctor | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | hairdresser |
All Foundation and Higher Tier vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.
Higher Tier - Grammar - Simple future tense
The plural forms of the simple future tense are needed at Higher Tier only.
The simple future tense is formed by adding the conditional endings to the infinitive. The endings are the same for ar, er and ir verbs.
| ar verbs | er verbs | ir verbs |
|---|---|---|
| estudiar - to study | aprender - to learn | escribir - to write |
| estudiaremos - we will study | aprenderemos - we will learn | escribiremos - we will write |
| estudiaréis - you plural will study | aprenderéis - you plural will learn | escribiréis - you plural will write |
| estudiarán - they/you formal plural will study | aprenderán - they/ you formal plural will learn | escribirán - they/you formal plural will write |
Higher Tier - The simple future tense - Mini quiz
Fill in the gap with the correct word:
En el future ________ un nuevo idioma.
In the future we will learn a new language.
aprenderemos
To form the simple future tense (will…) you need the infinitive of the verb, to learn, aprender and then you add the correct ending. For ‘we’ the correct ending for an -er verb is -emos, aprenderemos.
Find out more about using the future tenses in the Future tenses in Spanish guide.
Higher Tier - Grammar - The conditional tense
The plural forms of the conditional tense are only needed at Higher Tier.
The conditional tense is formed by adding the conditional endings to the infinitive. The endings are the same for ar, er and -ir verbs.
| ar verbs | er verbs | ir verbs |
|---|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - to study | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - to learn | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - to live |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - we would study | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - we would learn | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - we would live |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you (informal plural) would study | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you (informal plural) would learn | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - you (informal plural) would live |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - they/you (formal plural) would study | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - they/you (formal plural) would learn | Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. - they/you (formal plural) would live |
Higher Tier - Vocabulary sheet
Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful Higher Tier vocabulary to use when discussing future education and employment.
Now you have revised the important vocabulary and key grammar points for discussing future education and employment why not have a look at the Talking about life at school in Spanish guide?
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