Lesson 6
Los planes de futuro.
University, gap years, ambitions and dreams — the language for talking about your plans for the future, using the future and conditional. Work through the eight steps below: learn the words, read, listen, translate, then practise the photo card, role-play and writing exactly as they appear in the AQA exam.
Refresh your KS3 future words.
You met all of these in earlier years. Tap any word to hear it, and check the model sentence to see it in action. These are the building blocks — make sure they're solid before the new GCSE words.
Twenty new GCSE words.
Each card shows the word, its meaning, a model sentence and a tag: F on the AQA list (Foundation & Higher), H Higher only, útil not on AQA's list but very useful for speaking & writing. Tap to listen.
Read, then answer.
Two texts on the same topic — a Foundation text and a tougher Higher text. Read each one, then answer the questions in English underneath. They mark themselves: tap your answer and you'll see straight away if you're right.
Mis planes de futuro — Sofía
Pensando en el futuro
Listen, then answer.
Press play to hear the passage read aloud, as many times as you need, then answer the English questions. You can reveal the transcript afterwards to check what you heard.
🎧 Native-quality audio. Play it as many times as you need — just like the real exam, where each recording is played twice.
Quiero estudiar Derecho — Andrea
Mi mayor ambición — Javier
Translate both ways.
First Spanish → English (reading translation), then English → Spanish (the harder direction, tested in Paper 4). Have a go on paper, then tap to reveal the model answer and compare.
Translate into English
Translate into Spanish
Describe the photo card.
In the speaking exam you get a card with two photos from one theme. You must say at least one thing about each photo, then have a conversation on the topic. Here are two photos about future plans and the kind of questions you'll be asked.
- 1.¿Qué hay en las fotos? Describe la escena. Compulsory
- 2.¿Qué quieres hacer después de los exámenes?
- 3.¿Te gustaría ir a la universidad? ¿Por qué?
- 4.¿Cuál es tu mayor sueño para el futuro? (opinión + razón)
Describing the photos — model answer
The first question is compulsory: say at least one thing about each photo. Below are two model descriptions you can adapt to whoever is in the picture — tap the speaker to hear them.
Foto A — graduation. En la primera foto hay una ceremonia de graduación en una universidad. Una chica, que lleva toga negra y birrete con borla morada, está recibiendo su título y le da la mano a la rectora. Detrás hay más estudiantes graduados y mucho público aplaudiendo. La chica está muy contenta porque ha terminado sus estudios.
In the first photo there is a graduation ceremony at a university. A girl, wearing a black gown and a mortarboard with a purple tassel, is receiving her degree and shaking hands with the chancellor. Behind her there are more graduates and a big audience clapping. The girl is very happy because she has finished her studies.
Foto B — travelling. En la segunda foto se ve a dos chicos jóvenes en un aeropuerto, delante del panel de salidas. Llevan mochilas muy grandes y se miran sonriendo, abrazados. Parece que van a viajar juntos, quizás durante un año sabático antes de empezar la universidad o de trabajar.
In the second photo you can see two young men at an airport, in front of the departures board. They are wearing very big backpacks and are looking at each other, smiling, with an arm around one another. It looks like they are going to travel together, perhaps during a gap year before starting university or work.
Useful vocabulary & phrases
Para empezar: en la primera / segunda foto hay… (there is) · se ve a… (you can see) · una chica / unos jóvenes que…
Los planes: ir a la universidad · estudiar una carrera · tomarse un año sabático · viajar por el mundo
Las ambiciones: me gustaría ser… · mi sueño es… · independizarme · trabajar en el extranjero
Opinar (tu turno): lo más importante para mí es… · en el futuro me gustaría… · …porque…
Then the conversation
- Q2 — after your exams: Después de los exámenes, quiero ir a la universidad y, antes, tomarme un año sabático.
- Q3 — university or not: Me gustaría ir a la universidad porque quiero estudiar Medicina y ser médica.
- Q4 — your dream (this is where Higher students score): Mi mayor sueño es viajar por el mundo y, a largo plazo, tener un trabajo que me apasione.
- Higher tier: use the conditional and future — Si pudiera, viviría en el extranjero… — contrast antes (imperfect) with ahora, and justify your opinion.
The role-play.
The instructions are in English. You must answer the prompts and ask one question (the ! bullet). Try it out loud first, then reveal the model answers.
Your Spanish friend asks you about your plans and dreams for the future. Your teacher plays your friend.
Model answers & tips
Write your answer.
Two tasks in the real exam style — a Foundation ~50-word task (five bullets) and a Higher ~90-word task (three bullets). Use the sentence starters (tap to drop them into the pad) and the useful vocab, then compare with a model answer.
Mis planes de futuro
≈ 50 words · 5 bullets · 10 marksDescribe tus planes de futuro. Menciona los cinco puntos. Escribe aproximadamente 50 palabras en español.
Los planes de futuro
≈ 90 words · 3 bullets · 15 marksDescribe tus planes después de los exámenes, tu opinión sobre la universidad y tus ambiciones. Menciona los tres puntos. Escribe aproximadamente 90 palabras en español.
Foundation answers cover all the bullets with clear, accurate present-tense sentences joined by y, pero and porque, plus at least one opinion. Higher answers do all that and then reach further: more than one tense (e.g. imperfect vivía, near future voy a, conditional me gustaría), opinions with developed reasons, a wider range of connectives (aunque, sin embargo, además) and more ambitious vocabulary. The biggest single lift from Foundation to Higher is justifying opinions and using a second and third tense accurately.