Studying and My Future - Vocabulary and Talking About Plans

Talking about your future

Thematic Context 5 is all about studying and the future - school, university, careers and ambitions. You will learn the key vocabulary (with its article, so you know the gender) and, most usefully, how to talk about your plans using the near future: the verb *ir* (to go) plus *a* plus an infinitive. Get that pattern and you can say what you are going to do about almost anything.

Words for school and the future

Learn each noun WITH its article - that is how you remember whether it is masculine or feminine.

Match the Spanish to the English

What deberes means in Spanish

Your Spanish exchange partner says they have lots of "deberes" tonight. What do they have to do?

• Homework
• Sport training
• A part-time job
• An exam

The near future: ir a + infinitive

To say what you are going to do, use the present tense of *ir* (to go), then *a*, then an infinitive. It works just like English "I am going to...". - voy a estudiar - I am going to study\n- vas a trabajar - you are going to work\n- va a viajar - he / she is going to travel\n- vamos a decidir - we are going to decide\n\nThis is the everyday way to talk about your plans at Foundation level.

Complete the plans

To say what you are going to do, use the verb _____ plus "a" plus an infinitive. So "I am going to study" is "_____ a estudiar". A polite way to say "I would like" is "me _____" [Higher]. School is "el _____", and the future is "el _____".

Which one is the near future?

Which sentence uses the near future (ir a + infinitive) to talk about a plan?

• Voy a estudiar Medicina (I am going to study medicine)
• Estudio Medicina (I study medicine)
• Estudié Medicina (I studied medicine)
• Estudiaba Medicina (I used to study medicine)

Three ways to look ahead

The near future is all you need at Foundation, but at Higher you can also use the simple future and the conditional. Here is how they compare.

Match each phrase to its meaning

Which talk about the future?

Select the TWO sentences that talk about a future plan.

• Voy a viajar a España (I am going to travel to Spain)
• Voy a buscar un trabajo (I am going to look for a job)
• Ayer hice mis deberes (Yesterday I did my homework)
• Ahora como una manzana (Now I am eating an apple)

Build the sentence

Put the words in order to make "Voy a estudiar en la universidad" (I am going to study at university).

• Voy
• a
• estudiar
• en la
• universidad

Quiero and voy a, back to back

Plans need two patterns. quiero says what you want, and voy a says what you are going to do - both followed straight by a plain verb: - Quiero estudiar en la universidad = "I want to study at university". quiero is followed straight by estudiar, with no extra word between them. - Voy a trabajar porque quiero una carrera = "I am going to work because I want a career". voy a plus a plain verb is how Spanish says "going to". porque then joins the reason, which is what lifts the mark.

voy a is followed straight by a plain verb

voy a is followed straight by a plain verb. Which of these says "I am going to work because I want a career"?

• Voy a trabajar porque quiero una carrera
• Voy trabajar porque quiero una carrera
• Voy a trabajar
• Quiero estudiar en la universidad

Say it in Spanish

Three situations. Choose the Spanish that correctly talks about a future plan.

• You want to say "I am going to work". Which is correct?
• A friend asks about your plans after school. Which reply talks about the future?
• Which sentence correctly uses ir a + infinitive for "we are going to travel"?

Te toca a ti (Your turn)

Write a few sentences in Spanish about your future plans. Use the near future (ir a + infinitive) at least twice, and include some of the vocabulary from this module.

• Use "voy a" + an infinitive at least twice (for example voy a estudiar, voy a trabajar)
• Mention school, university or a career using words like el instituto, la universidad or el trabajo
• Say one thing you would like to do - "me gustaría..." earns extra credit [Higher]
• Check your accents and that each noun has the right article (el, la, los, las)

Reach for ir a plus infinitive

Two things push a Spanish answer up. First, the near future (ir a + infinitive) is your reliable tool for any plan - use it confidently and often, and you can talk about the future all day. Second, small details win marks: get your accents right (el futuro, la universidad, me gustaría) and always give each noun its article so the gender is clear. If you can also drop in a future or conditional form - "me gustaría...", "estudiaré..." [Higher] - you show real range. Plan it, spell it, gender it.