Spanish · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 7 of 12
Education and learning
Educación y aprendizaje
Talk about school and studies in Spanish, express regrets with debería haber and ojalá hubiera, and use como si + subjunctive.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Talk about the Spanish school system and choosing what to study
- Express regrets: debería haber estudiado, me habría gustado
- Wish the past had been different: ojalá me lo hubiera dicho
- Describe how someone behaves with como si + subjunctive
Listen
Rosa Medina meets Alberto Campos, her son Nicolás's tutor, at a secondary school in Albacete. Nicolás is in his last year of compulsory education. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Alberto
Buenos días, señora Medina. Gracias por venir. Quería hablar con usted sobre Nicolás y lo que va a hacer el año que viene.
Good morning, Mrs Medina. Thank you for coming. I wanted to talk to you about Nicolás and what he's going to do next year.
Rosa
Sí, dígame. Estoy un poco preocupada, porque ha suspendido tres asignaturas.
Yes, go ahead. I'm a bit worried, because he's failed three subjects.
Alberto
Lo sé, pero no se preocupe. Nicolás es muy inteligente; lo que pasa es que en clase es como si no le interesara nada. En cambio, en el taller de tecnología es otra persona.
I know, but don't worry. Nicolás is very bright; the thing is, in class it's as if nothing interested him. In the technology workshop, on the other hand, he's a different person.
Rosa
Es verdad. En casa se pasa horas arreglando ordenadores. Mi marido y yo siempre habíamos pensado que haría el bachillerato e iría a la universidad.
That's true. At home he spends hours fixing computers. My husband and I had always thought he would do the bachillerato and go to university.
Alberto
Esa es una opción, claro. Pero yo le recomendaría que pensara también en la Formación Profesional. Aquí en Albacete hay un ciclo de informática muy bueno, con prácticas en empresas.
That's one option, of course. But I'd recommend that he also think about vocational training. Here in Albacete there's a very good IT course, with work placements in companies.
Rosa
¿La FP? No sé… Cuando yo estudiaba, la FP era para los que no querían estudiar.
Vocational training? I don't know… When I was at school, vocational training was for people who didn't want to study.
Alberto
Eso era antes. Hoy en día muchas empresas buscan técnicos con FP. Y además, después de un ciclo superior se puede ir a la universidad.
That was in the past. Nowadays a lot of companies are looking for technicians with vocational qualifications. And besides, after a higher-level course you can go to university.
Rosa
No lo sabía. La verdad es que yo debería haber elegido algo más práctico. Dejé los estudios a los dieciocho años y siempre me he arrepentido.
I didn't know that. The truth is, I should have chosen something more practical. I gave up studying at eighteen and I've always regretted it.
Alberto
Le entiendo. Nunca es tarde para aprender. Pero lo importante ahora es Nicolás. ¿Ha hablado usted con él?
I understand. It's never too late to learn. But what matters now is Nicolás. Have you talked to him?
Rosa
Sí, anoche. Me dijo que le encantaría estudiar informática, pero que tenía miedo de que su padre se enfadara. ¡Ojalá me lo hubiera dicho antes!
Yes, last night. He told me he'd love to study IT, but that he was afraid his father would be angry. If only he'd told me before!
Alberto
Pues entonces, ¿por qué no vienen los tres la semana que viene? Si quiere, les explico las dos opciones a usted y a su marido.
Well then, why don't the three of you come next week? If you like, I'll explain both options to you and your husband.
Rosa
Me parece muy bien. Me habría gustado tener un tutor como usted a los dieciséis años.
That sounds very good. I would have liked to have a tutor like you when I was sixteen.
Understand
Regrets: debería haber estudiado
To say what you should have done (and didn't), use or + past participle: (I should have chosen something more practical). For things you shouldn't have done, add : (I shouldn't have left it).
+ infinitive means “I would have liked to…”. + pluperfect subjunctive is a wish about the past: (If only he'd told me before!).
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| I should have studied more. | |
| I should have chosen something else. | |
| You shouldn't have given it up. | |
| I would have liked to go to university. | |
| If only he'd told me before! | |
| I've always regretted not doing it. |
Como si + subjunctive
(as if) is always followed by the subjunctive: the imperfect subjunctive for something happening at the same time, and the pluperfect subjunctive for something before. (In class it's as if nothing interested him). (She spoke to me as if nothing had happened).
- Actúa como si no le interesara nada.He acts as if nothing interested him.
- Habla como si lo supiera todo.He talks as if he knew everything.
- Me saludó como si no hubiera pasado nada.She said hello to me as if nothing had happened.
School in Spain
Education is compulsory from 6 to 16. After primary school, students do four years of (). At 16 they choose between two years of , the usual route to university, and (), vocational training. FP has two-year courses () at a middle level () and a higher level (), with work placements ().
You (pass) or (fail) a subject () or an exam.
| Stage | Age |
|---|---|
| 6–12 | |
| 12–16 | |
| or | 16–18 |
| or | from 18 |
More in the grammar: All si clauses: si hubiera sabido, lo habría hecho · The imperfect subjunctive: hablara, tuviera, fuera
New words
- suspenderto fail (an exam, a subject) · the opposite is (o → ue):
- la asignatura(school) subject · feminine
- como sias if · + imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive
- el tallerworkshop; garage (for repairs) · masculine
- arreglarto fix, to repair
- el bachilleratothe last two years of secondary school (16–18), before university · masculine
- la Formación Profesional (FP)vocational training · feminine
- el ciclo(vocational) course · masculine; : higher-level course
- la informáticaIT, computing · feminine
- las prácticaswork placement, internship · feminine plural
- elegirto choose · e → i: , ; preterite
- dejar los estudiosto give up studying, to drop out
- arrepentirse deto regret · e → ie:
- Nunca es tarde para…It's never too late to…
Practise
1.Complete: “Yo … elegido algo más práctico.” (I should have)
2.Complete with the imperfect subjunctive of : “In class it's as if nothing interested him.”
In class it's as if nothing interested him.
3.Complete with the pluperfect subjunctive of : “If only he'd told me before!”
If only he'd told me before!
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I would have liked to go to university.
5.Match the Spanish with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.Complete: “Me saludó como si no … nada.” (as if nothing had happened)
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Debería haber estudiado más.
I should have studied more.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.