In this speaking workshop you will practice talking about future work and study plans in Spanish. You will use short, useful phrases to say what profession you want, to describe a plan such as applying for a promotion, and to ask another person about their goals. Each native example comes from the recordings, and you will see its English meaning before you try it. Work through the sections, then do the three speaking tasks. You can play both roles when you practice with the audio, but there is no automatic check, so use the answer notes to compare what you said.
Saying What You Want to Be
The phrase quiero ser means I want to be. You use it with a profession, and a bare profession after ser normally has no un or una in these examples. For example, the recording says «Quiero ser doctor.», which means I want to be a doctor. If you are female, you can change the ending of the profession, as in doctora. To ask another person, use the question «¿Qué quieres ser en el futuro?», which means What do you want to be in the future? A short answer can add a question back, as in «Quiero ser enfermera. ¿Y tú?», which means I want to be a nurse. And you? Notice that the profession word changes with the speaker. Practice saying each line slowly, then a little faster.
Talking About Plans and Goals
To talk about a plan, use pienso plus an infinitive, which means I plan to do something. The recording «Pienso solicitar un ascenso.» means I plan to apply for a promotion. You can also use voy a plus an infinitive for a future plan. The line «Voy a estudiar para ser ingeniero.» means I am going to study to be an engineer. To state a goal, use mi meta es plus an infinitive. The recording «Mi meta es ser gerente.» means My goal is to be a manager. In a short conversation, one person can explain a study plan, as in «Yo pienso estudiar medicina para ser doctor.», which means I plan to study medicine to be a doctor. The other person can respond with a goal, as in «¡Qué bien! Mi meta es trabajar en un hospital.», which means That's great! My goal is to work in a hospital. Listen for the verb after pienso, voy a, or mi meta es; that verb tells you the plan or goal.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Quiero ser doctor.
I want to be a doctor.
KYEH-roh sehr dohk-TOHR
Pienso solicitar un ascenso.
I plan to apply for a promotion.
PYEHN-soh soh-lee-see-TAR oon ah-SEHN-soh
Mi meta es ser gerente.
My goal is to be a manager.
mee MEH-tah ehs sehr heh-REN-teh
Voy a estudiar para ser ingeniero.
I am going to study to be an engineer.
boy ah es-too-DYAR PAH-rah sehr een-heh-NYEH-roh
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
¿Qué quieres ser en el futuro?
What do you want to be in the future?Quiero ser enfermera. ¿Y tú?
I want to be a nurse. And you?Yo pienso estudiar medicina para ser doctor.
I plan to study medicine to be a doctor.¡Qué bien! Mi meta es trabajar en un hospital.
That's great! My goal is to work in a hospital.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Exchange: Ask and Answer About Future Work
You will play both roles in a short conversation about future jobs. Use the recording lines as your model. Read role A first, then role B, then switch.
Your task: Role A says the question from «¿Qué quieres ser en el futuro?». Role B answers with the line from «Quiero ser enfermera. ¿Y tú?». Then Role A says the plan from «Yo pienso estudiar medicina para ser doctor.», and Role B answers with the goal from «¡Qué bien! Mi meta es trabajar en un hospital.». Repeat the exchange, but this time keep the same sentence patterns and change only the profession word in the answer if you can do so with a word you already know from the recordings.
Reply Comprehension: Choose the Correct Meaning
You will hear or read a native line and choose what it means in English. This checks whether you understand plans and goals, not just single words.
Your task: For each line, choose the correct English meaning. 1) «Pienso solicitar un ascenso.»: a) I plan to apply for a promotion, b) I want to be a manager. 2) «Mi meta es ser gerente.»: a) I am going to study engineering, b) My goal is to be a manager. 3) «Voy a estudiar para ser ingeniero.»: a) I am going to study to be an engineer, b) I plan to work in a hospital. 4) «¡Qué bien! Mi meta es trabajar en un hospital.»: a) That's great! My goal is to work in a hospital, b) What do you want to be in the future?
Recall and Role Swap: Say the Lines Without Looking
You will now recall the conversation lines and say them in the correct roles. Cover the text or look away from the screen.
Your task: Recall the four dialogue turns in order: ask about future work; answer about becoming a nurse and return the question; explain the medicine study plan; respond with the hospital goal. Swap who plays A and B, then repeat in the same question-before-answer order. Separately recall the promotion-plan and manager-goal phrases.
Common questions
Do I need to add un or una before a profession after ser?
No. In the recording «Quiero ser doctor.», the speaker says quiero ser doctor without un. When you state a profession after ser, you normally leave out the article. You can still change the ending for gender, such as doctora for a female doctor.
What is the difference between pienso, voy a, and mi meta es?
Pienso plus an infinitive means I plan to do something, as in «Pienso solicitar un ascenso.». Voy a plus an infinitive means I am going to do something, as in «Voy a estudiar para ser ingeniero.». Mi meta es plus an infinitive means My goal is to do something, as in «Mi meta es ser gerente.». All three are useful for talking about future work or study.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: discuss career goalsChecked September 2026
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