Ambitions

Talking about the future

This module teaches the Japanese words for ambitions, dreams and jobs. Every word comes with three things: the Japanese characters, the romaji in brackets to help you say it, and the English meaning. The romaji is your pronunciation guide - a long vowel is written out, as in shourai. You will recognise the words here, not type them. (A native speaker should review the characters before launch.)

Dreams and plans

Start with the words for what lies ahead:

Match each Japanese word to its English meaning

The Japanese word for dream

Which Japanese word means 'dream'?

• 夢 ゆめ (yume)
• 将来 しょうらい (shourai)
• 仕事 しごと (shigoto)
• 大学 だいがく (daigaku)

Jobs and professions

Now some words for real jobs people might dream of doing: - 医者 いしゃ (isha) = doctor - 先生 せんせい (sensei) = teacher - エンジニア (enjinia) = engineer - 会社員 かいしゃいん (kaishain) = office worker Say each word aloud using the romaji, and link the characters to the meaning.

Match each job to its English meaning

Spot the jobs

Select the TWO words that are names of jobs (professions).

• 医者 いしゃ (isha)
• 先生 せんせい (sensei)
• 夢 ゆめ (yume)
• 将来 しょうらい (shourai)

A hope and a job

Two words are easy to mix up: what you hope for, and the work you actually do.

Where do you study?

Which Japanese word means 'university'?

• 大学 だいがく (daigaku)
• 医者 いしゃ (isha)
• 仕事 しごと (shigoto)
• 夢 ゆめ (yume)

Fill in the Japanese

In Japanese, a dream is _____, a job is _____, a doctor is _____, a teacher is _____, and university is _____.

A path to a career

Put these steps of working towards a career into a sensible order.

• You have a dream for the future (夢 ゆめ)
• You study at university (大学 だいがく)
• You get a job (仕事 しごと)
• You become, for example, a doctor (医者 いしゃ)

Choose the right word

Three situations. Pick the Japanese word that fits each one.

• You want to talk about your DREAM for the future. Which word do you use?
• Your friend wants to become a doctor. Which word describes that job?
• Your friend wants to study for a degree. Which word names the place they would go?

Your turn: your ambition, in Japanese

Write two or three sentences IN JAPANESE about your ambition. Write in kana and kanji - the romaji in brackets is a reading aid only, and Edexcel does not credit romaji.

• Say what you want to be with 私は〜です。(わたしは〜です - I am ...)- 医者 いしゃ (isha), 先生 せんせい (sensei), 会社員 かいしゃいん (kaishain) or エンジニア (enjinia)
• Name the idea: 夢 ゆめ (yume) a dream, or 将来 しょうらい (shourai) the future
• Say you like it with 〜が好きです。(〜がすきです - I like ...)
• Mention 大学 だいがく (daigaku) or 仕事 しごと (shigoto), and end each sentence with 。

Script, romaji and meaning

To master this vocabulary, link every word to all three of its forms: the Japanese characters, the romaji so you can say it, and the English meaning. Keep the ideas that are easy to confuse clearly apart - a 夢 ゆめ (yume), a dream, versus a real 仕事 しごと (shigoto), a job - and remember that a long vowel in romaji is spelled out, as in 将来 しょうらい (shourai). Saying each word aloud and testing yourself both ways is what builds real recall.