A2.14: University degree

Título universitario

This lesson explores the Spanish university system, from the Universidad de Salamanca to degrees like "grado" and "máster." Learn useful past tense expressions such as "ayer," "de repente," and "el mes pasado" to talk about educational experiences.

Listening & reading materials

Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.

A2.14.1 Lectura

¿Cómo funciona el sistema universitario en España?

How does the university system work in Spain?


A2.14.2 Cultura

La Universidad de Salamanca: la más antigua de España

The University of Salamanca: the oldest in Spain


Vocabulary (17)

 Aprobar (to pass) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Aprobar

Show

To pass Show

 Suspender (to fail) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Suspender

Show

To fail Show

 Graduarse (to graduate) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Graduarse

Show

To graduate Show

 Los ahorros: The savings (Spanish)

Los ahorros

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The savings Show

 El curso: The course (Spanish)

El curso

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The course Show

 La habilidad: The skill (Spanish)

La habilidad

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The skill Show

 Las prácticas: internships (Spanish)

Las prácticas

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Internships Show

 El becario: The intern (Spanish)

El becario

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The intern Show

 Ganar experiencia en: Gain experience in (Spanish)

Ganar experiencia en

Show

Gain experience in Show

 Académico: academic (Spanish)

Académico

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Academic Show

 La academia: The academy (Spanish)

La academia

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The academy Show

 Pagar la matricula: to pay the tuition (Spanish)

Pagar la matricula

Show

To pay the tuition Show

 El máster: The master's (Spanish)

El máster

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The master's Show

 El grado: The degree (Spanish)

El grado

Show

The degree Show

 El licenciado: The graduate (Spanish)

El licenciado

Show

The graduate Show

 Desarrollar (to develop) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Desarrollar

Show

To develop Show

 El título de grado: the degree (Spanish)

El título de grado

Show

The degree Show

Exercises

These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.

Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence

Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.

1

Aprobar


To pass

2

El máster


The master's

3

Desarrollar


To develop

4

Pagar la matricula


To pay the tuition

5

El licenciado


The graduate

Ejercicio 2: Conversation exercise

Instrucción:

  1. When did you graduate high school (and university)? (When did you graduate high school (and university)?)
  2. What internships did you do while studying? (What internships did you do while studying? )
  3. What are your educational plans? (What are your educational plans?)

Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes

Example phrases:

Me gradué de la escuela secundaria en 2019. Todavía estoy estudiando en la universidad ahora.

I graduated from high school in 2019. I am still studying at university now.

Me gradué del instituto en 2012 y de la universidad en 2016.

I graduated high school in 2012 and university in 2016.

Trabajé en una oficina durante dos meses. Aprendí sobre ordenadores.

I worked in an office for two months. I learned about computers.

Hice unas prácticas de verano en un colegio. Ayudé al profesor.

I did a summer internship at a school. I helped the teacher.

No estudié antes, pero ahora quiero aprender. Voy a tomar clases nocturnas.

I didn’t study before, but now I want to learn. I will take evening classes.

Asistiré a algunos cursos para poder asumir más responsabilidades en el trabajo.

I will attend some courses so that I can take more responsibility at work.

...

Exercise 3: Dialogue Cards

Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.

Exercise 4: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ayer ___ para aprobar el examen de titulación universitaria.

(Yesterday ___ to pass the university graduation exam.)

2. Durante las clases, ___ muchos documentos académicos para entender mejor el contenido.

(During classes, ___ many academic documents to better understand the content.)

3. El mes pasado ___ a la universidad para inscribirme en el máster.

(Last month ___ to the university to enroll in the master's program.)

4. Muchas veces ___ a la biblioteca para mejorar mis habilidades de estudio.

(Many times ___ to the library to improve my study skills.)

Exercise 5: My University Experience

Instruction:

Durante muchos años, yo (Estudiar - Pretérito imperfecto) en la universidad para obtener un título de grado. Muchas veces (Leer - Pretérito imperfecto) libros en la biblioteca porque quería ganar experiencia en mi campo. El mes pasado, mis compañeros y yo (Venir - Pretérito perfecto) venido a la academia para preparar el máster. Ayer, mi amiga me llamó y me dijo que ella también (Estudiar - Pretérito imperfecto) allí antes de graduarse. Anteriormente, nosotros (Leer - Pretérito imperfecto) mucho sobre las prácticas profesionales indispensables para aprobar los cursos.


For many years, I studied at the university to earn a degree. Many times I read books in the library because I wanted to gain experience in my field. Last month, my classmates and I have come to the academy to prepare for the master's. Yesterday, my friend called me and told me that she also studied there before graduating. Previously, we read a lot about the professional internships essential to pass the courses.

Verb Tables

Estudiar - Study

Pretérito imperfecto

  • yo estudiaba
  • tú estudiabas
  • él/ella/usted estudiaba
  • nosotros/nosotras estudiábamos
  • vosotros/vosotras estudiabais
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes estudiaban

Leer - Read

Pretérito imperfecto

  • yo leía
  • tú leías
  • él/ella/usted leía
  • nosotros/nosotras leíamos
  • vosotros/vosotras leíais
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes leían

Venir - Come

Pretérito perfecto

  • yo he venido
  • tú has venido
  • él/ella/usted ha venido
  • nosotros/nosotras hemos venido
  • vosotros/vosotras habéis venido
  • ellos/ellas/ustedes han venido

Exercise 6: Expresiones con los tiempos del pasado: "Ayer", "De repente" , "El mes pasado" , etc...

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Grammar: Expressions with the past tenses: "Ayer", "De repente", "El mes pasado", etc...

Show translation Show answers

Completé, tuvimos, Empezamos, soñaba, parecían, entró, prestaba, escribí

1. Entrar:
: De repente ... un profesor desconocido.
(Suddenly, an unknown teacher entered.)
2. Empezar (nosotros):
: ... las prácticas hace tres semanas.
(We started the placements three weeks ago.)
3. Soñar (ella):
: Muchas veces ... con estudiar en el extranjero.
(I often dreamed of studying abroad.)
4. Tener (nosotros):
: Ayer ... clase de literatura española.
(Yesterday we had a Spanish literature class.)
5. Prestar:
: Durante años, él ... libros en la biblioteca del colegio.
(For years, he used to lend books in the school library.)
6. Parecer:
: Al principio del curso, todos ... nerviosos.
(At the beginning of the course, everyone seemed nervous.)
7. Completar (yo):
: ... el curso el mes pasado.
(I completed the course last month.)
8. Escribir (yo):
: Ayer ... una carta para pedir la matrícula
(Yesterday I wrote a letter to apply for enrolment)

Grammar

It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!

A2.14.3 Gramática

Expresiones con los tiempos del pasado: "Ayer", "De repente" , "El mes pasado" , etc...

Expressions with the past tenses: "Ayer", "De repente", "El mes pasado", etc...


Verb conjugation tables for this lesson

Estudiar to study

Pretérito imperfecto

Spanish English
(yo) estudiaba I used to study
(tú) estudiabas You were studying
(él/ella) estudiaba he studied
(nosotros/nosotras) estudiábamos we studied
(vosotros/vosotras) estudiabais You were studying
(ellos/ellas) estudiaban they studied

Exercises and examples phrases

Leer to read

Pretérito imperfecto

Spanish English
(yo) leía I was reading
(tú) leías You were reading
(él/ella) leía he/she was reading
(nosotros/nosotras) leíamos we were reading
(vosotros/vosotras) leíais You were reading
(ellos/ellas) leían they read

Exercises and examples phrases

Venir to come

Pretérito perfecto

Spanish English
(yo) he venido I have come
(tú) has venido You have come
(él/ella) ha venido he/she has come
(nosotros/nosotras) hemos venido We have come
(vosotros/vosotras) habéis venido You have come
(ellos/ellas) han venido they have come

Exercises and examples phrases

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Understanding the Spanish University System

This lesson focuses on the structure and function of the university system in Spain, with an emphasis on useful vocabulary and expressions related to higher education and past time references.

Key Topics Covered

  • Overview of Spanish Universities: Learn how the university system works and get familiar with institutions like the Universidad de Salamanca, the oldest university in Spain.
  • Past Time Expressions: Master common time expressions used to describe past actions such as "Ayer" (yesterday), "De repente" (suddenly), and "El mes pasado" (last month).
  • Practical Dialogue Practice: Engage with realistic conversations about university admissions, degree programs, and student life to enhance comprehension and speaking skills.

Useful Vocabulary and Expressions

  • Grados – degrees
  • Me1ster – master's degree
  • Licenciatura – undergraduate degree (equivalent to a bachelor's degree)
  • Admisiones – admissions
  • Oferta de tedtulos – range of degrees offered
  • Biblioteca – library
  • Especialidad – specialty or major

Focus on Past Tense Verbs and Expressions

The lesson emphasizes using past tenses correctly through examples and exercises. Here are some example sentences illustrating past tense usage with time markers:

  • Ayer estudie9 para aprobar el examen de titulacif3n universitaria. (Yesterday I studied to pass the university degree exam.)
  • Durante las clases, leed muchos documentos acade9micos para entender mejor el contenido. (During classes, I read many academic documents to better understand the content.)
  • El mes pasado vine a la universidad para inscribirme en el me1ster. (Last month I came to the university to enroll in the master's program.)
  • Muchas veces veneda a la biblioteca para mejorar mis habilidades de estudio. (Many times I used to come to the library to improve my study skills.)

Important Notes on Language Differences

Unlike English, which relies heavily on auxiliary verbs to express past tenses, Spanish uses specific verb conjugations for different past forms. For example, "Ayer estudie9" (I studied yesterday) uses the preterite tense indicating a completed action, whereas "Muchas veces veneda" (I used to come many times) uses the imperfect tense to describe habitual past actions.

Additionally, certain Spanish nouns such as "grado" (degree) or "me1ster" may differ from exact English equivalents but align closely with academic terms. For instance, "licenciatura" corresponds roughly to a bachelor's degree, though historically it varied by country.

Helpful Phrases

  • Que9 tedtulos universitarios ofrece la universidad? – What university degrees does the university offer?
  • Estoy interesado en estudiar aqued. – I am interested in studying here.
  • Durante mi estancia aqued, puedo ayudarte con cualquier duda. – During my stay here, I can help you with any questions.
  • Al final, recomiendo visitar la pe1gina web para me1s detalles. – In the end, I recommend visiting the website for more details.

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