Listening practice - applying for university
Here is some useful vocabulary to help you talk about applying to university:
| amplio/a | broad, extensive |
| ampliar | to broaden, to extend |
| la perspectiva | prospects, outlook |
| alcanzar | to reach |
| conseguir | to get, to achieve |
| dejar | to leave |
| mejorar | to improve |
| perder una clase | to miss a class |
| tomar un año libre/sabático | to take a year off/gap year |
| amplio/a |
| broad, extensive |
| ampliar |
| to broaden, to extend |
| la perspectiva |
| prospects, outlook |
| alcanzar |
| to reach |
| conseguir |
| to get, to achieve |
| dejar |
| to leave |
| mejorar |
| to improve |
| perder una clase |
| to miss a class |
| tomar un año libre/sabático |
| to take a year off/gap year |
Listen to these young people discussing the advantages and disadvantages of going to university and, for each one, pick the summary which best sums up their ideas.
Choose from this list.
| A | It costs too much. |
| B | It's a good way of improving your prospects. |
| C | It's the only way of entering some professions. |
| D | It's a good way of broadening the mind. |
| E | The studies are too academic for some - there are other possibilities. |
| F | It's a good way of learning how to become independent. |
| G | There's no point going to university when you could be working. |
| A |
| It costs too much. |
| B |
| It's a good way of improving your prospects. |
| C |
| It's the only way of entering some professions. |
| D |
| It's a good way of broadening the mind. |
| E |
| The studies are too academic for some - there are other possibilities. |
| F |
| It's a good way of learning how to become independent. |
| G |
| There's no point going to university when you could be working. |
Question
B - The speaker said: 'Acabas con un título y es una buena manera de mejorar tus perspectivas.' (You end up with a degree and it's a good way of improving your prospects.)
Question
A - The speaker said: 'Me gustaría ir a la universidad a estudiar, pero la verdad es que cuesta demasiado. No quiero empezar mi vida laboral debiendo miles de euros.' (I'd like to go to university to study but the truth is that it costs too much. I don't want to begin my working life owing thousands of euros.)
Question
G - The speaker said: '¿Por qué ir a la universidad y pasar tres años estudiando cuando podrías estar trabajando en el mundo real?' (Why go to university and spend three years studying when you could be working in the real world?)
Question
D - The speaker said: 'No solo terminas la carrera con un título, sino también es una manera de ampliar tus horizontes y tu forma de pensar.'(Not only do you end your course with a degree, but it's also a way of broadening your horizons and your way of thinking.)
Question
E - The speaker said: 'Los estudios universitarios son demasiado académicos para mí. Preferiría hacer un aprendizaje.' (University studies are too academic for me. I would prefer to do an apprenticeship.)
