Study and Employment

Useful Vocabulary: Education

Estudiar (to study): An important verb in any academic context.
El colegio/la escuela (the school): General terms for educational establishments.
La universidad (the university): Higher education institution.
El instituto (the high school): Equivalent to secondary school.
El examen (the exam): Used for assessments.
Las asignaturas (the subjects): To talk about what you’re studying.
El maestro/La maestra (the teacher): For referencing your educators in a respectful manner.

El trabajo (the work/job): A general term that will be helpful in many contexts.
El empleado/la empleada (the employee): To refer to people who work.
El jefe/La jefa (the boss): In case you need to talk about superiors at work.
Solicitar (to apply): Helpful if you want to talk about applying for jobs or university.
Despedido (fired): To discuss unfortunate circumstances at work.
Contrato (contract): Related to employment terms and agreements.

He trabajado… (I have worked…): Remember to use the past participle when talking about jobs you’ve had.
Estoy aprendiendo… (I am learning…): Use present tense to discuss skills you’re currently acquiring.
Mi trabajo ideal sería… (My ideal job would be…): Use of the conditional tense can add sophistication to your speaking.

Quiero ser… (I want to be…): Express your career aspirations.
Voy a estudiar… (I’m going to study…): Indicate your study plans after graduation.
Espero trabajar en… (I hope to work in…): Display ambition and forward-thinking.

Practice the preterite tense for discussing past experiences in both studies and employment.
Use reflexive verbs when talking about daily routines at school or work, such as ‘me levanto temprano para ir a la universidad’ (I wake up early to go to university).
Learn to use the future simple tense to discuss work and school plans, e.g., ‘trabajaré’ (I will work).
Be comfortable with indirect object pronouns for discussing activities you learn or do at school or work.

Be sure to express your opinions about your school or job by using phrases like me gusta (I like) or no me gusta (I don’t like).
Share experiences with phrases such as he aprendido (I have learned) or he trabajado (I have worked).
Always keep the conversation interactive by asking questions about the other person’s experiences with study and employment using the phrase ¿Y tú? (And you?).