Future Plans (Leaving Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Future plans - Planes para el futuro
When discussing your aspirations and goals in Spanish, you'll need specific vocabulary and structures to express your intentions clearly. This topic is essential for oral and written exams, as it allows you to demonstrate various tenses and sophisticated expressions.
Core vocabulary
Understanding the key terms for discussing future plans will help you express your ambitions and goals effectively in Spanish.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| los planes para el futuro | future plans |
| el objetivo / la meta | goal |
| el sueño | dream |
| la ambición | ambition |
| el proyecto | project |
| la carrera profesional | career |
| la educación de tercer nivel | third-level education |
| el año sabático | gap year |
| viajar por el mundo | to travel the world |
| aprender un idioma | to learn a language |
| mudarse | to move (house/country) |
| conseguir un empleo | to get a job |
| comprar una casa | to buy a house |
| ahorrar dinero | to save money |
| el futuro a corto plazo | short-term future |
| el futuro a largo plazo | long-term future |
| los retos | challenges |
| las oportunidades | opportunities |
Model sentences using the vocabulary
These example sentences demonstrate how to use future plans vocabulary with appropriate grammar structures. Notice the use of conditional tense (me gustaría) and future tense (voy a) for expressing intentions.
Worked Example: Expressing Future Wishes
En el futuro me gustaría estudiar en la universidad. (In the future I would like to study at university.)
Grammar breakdown:
- me gustaría (conditional) expresses polite wishes or preferences
- This is more polite than using quiero (I want)
- Uno de mis sueños es viajar por el mundo. (One of my dreams is to travel the world.)
- Grammar note: Use "es" + infinitive to express what something consists of.
- Pienso tomarme un año sabático para trabajar y ahorrar dinero. (I plan to take a gap year to work and save money.)
- Grammar note: "Pienso" + infinitive expresses concrete plans.
Critical Grammar Point: When expressing desired characteristics, always use the subjunctive mood: "Quiero conseguir un trabajo que me apasione" (I want to get a job that I am passionate about). The que me apasione uses subjunctive after "que" because it expresses a desired characteristic that may not exist yet.
Useful expressions and idioms
These high-value phrases will make your Spanish sound more natural and sophisticated when discussing future plans.
High-Impact Expressions for Exams
These expressions demonstrate advanced vocabulary knowledge and will impress examiners when used appropriately in your responses.
- Tenerlo todo planificado - To have everything planned out
- This expression shows organisation and forward-thinking.
- Cruzar los dedos - To keep your fingers crossed
- This idiom expresses hope that plans will work out successfully.
Sample writing piece
Here's a model paragraph demonstrating how to combine vocabulary, expressions and different tenses when writing about future plans:
Worked Example: Complete Future Plans Essay
Spanish: Mis planes para el futuro son variados. Primero, quiero terminar mis estudios y entrar en la universidad para estudiar ingeniería. Tenerlo todo planificado me da tranquilidad, aunque sé que las cosas pueden cambiar. También quiero viajar y conocer otros países, lo que me ayudará a mejorar mi español y aprender sobre otras culturas. Después de graduarme, espero conseguir un empleo estable y ahorrar para comprar una casa. Por ahora, sólo puedo cruzar los dedos y trabajar duro para que mis sueños se hagan realidad.
English: My plans for the future are varied. First, I want to finish my studies and enter university to study engineering. Having everything planned out gives me peace of mind, although I know things can change. I also want to travel and visit other countries, which will help me improve my Spanish and learn about other cultures. After graduating, I hope to get a stable job and save to buy a house. For now, I can only keep my fingers crossed and work hard to make my dreams come true.
What makes this effective:
- Uses various tenses (present, conditional, future)
- Includes time expressions (primero, después de, a largo plazo)
- Incorporates both high-value expressions for maximum impact
- Shows variety between concrete plans and tentative aspirations
Key Points to Remember:
- Use me gustaría + infinitive to express polite future wishes
- Include the expressions tenerlo todo planificado and cruzar los dedos to demonstrate sophisticated vocabulary
- Combine concrete plans (quiero, voy a) with more tentative aspirations (me gustaría, espero) for variety
- Use connecting words like primero, después de, también and por ahora to create flowing, well-structured responses.