English B1 vocabulary for work and education, for Spanish speakers: job applications, office life, meetings, employment conditions, university, exams, and training. 250 words with Spanish translations, example sentences, and grammar notes in Spanish.
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| Palabra | Traducción | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|
| career The series of jobs a person does during their working life. | la carrera profesional | He hopes to have a long career in education. Espera tener una larga carrera profesional en la educación. |
| CV A document that lists your studies, skills and work history. | el currículum | Please send your CV and a covering letter by Friday. Por favor, envía tu currículum y una carta de presentación antes del viernes. |
| application A formal written request for a job or a place on a course. | la solicitud | I sent my application for the job last week. Envié mi solicitud para el puesto la semana pasada. |
| applicant A person who asks officially for a job or a place. Sinónimos: candidate | el solicitante | There were over fifty applicants for the position. Hubo más de cincuenta solicitantes para el puesto. |
| candidate A person who tries to get a job or pass a selection process. Sinónimos: applicant | el candidato | The best candidate will get a second interview. El mejor candidato tendrá una segunda entrevista. |
| interview A formal meeting where someone asks you questions to decide about a job. | la entrevista | I have an interview at nine o'clock on Monday morning. Tengo una entrevista a las nueve el lunes por la mañana. |
| interviewer The person who asks the questions in an interview. | el entrevistador | The interviewer asked me why I wanted the job. El entrevistador me preguntó por qué quería el puesto. |
| vacancy A job that is available for someone to do. Sinónimos: opening | la vacante | The school has a vacancy for a maths teacher. El colegio tiene una vacante de profesor de matemáticas. |
| qualification An official certificate or skill that shows you can do something. | el título, la cualificación | You need a teaching qualification to work here. Necesitas un título de profesor para trabajar aquí. |
| employer The person or company that you work for. | el empleador, la empresa | My employer pays for my training courses. Mi empleador me paga los cursos de formación. |
| employee A person who works for a company or another person. Sinónimos: worker | el empleado | Each employee gets twenty-five days of holiday a year. Cada empleado tiene veinticinco días de vacaciones al año. |
| covering letter A letter you send with your CV when you want a job. | la carta de presentación | In your covering letter, explain why you want this job. En tu carta de presentación, explica por qué quieres este puesto. |
| reference (for a job) A letter about your work and character, written by a previous boss. | la referencia | My old boss wrote me an excellent reference. Mi antiguo jefe me escribió una referencia excelente. |
| recruitment The process of finding new people to work for a company. Sinónimos: hiring | la contratación | The company has stopped recruitment until next year. La empresa ha parado la contratación hasta el año que viene. |
| skill An ability to do something well, often learned with practice. Sinónimos: ability | la habilidad | Speaking languages is a very useful skill in tourism. Hablar idiomas es una habilidad muy útil en el turismo. |
| strength Something you are good at; a strong point. Sinónimos: strong point | el punto fuerte | In interviews, they always ask about your strengths and weaknesses. En las entrevistas siempre preguntan por tus puntos fuertes y débiles. |
| weakness Something you are not good at; a weak point. Sinónimos: weak point | el punto débil | My main weakness is that I find it hard to say no. Mi principal punto débil es que me cuesta decir que no. |
| form A paper or page with spaces where you write information. | el formulario | You have to complete this form before the interview. Tienes que rellenar este formulario antes de la entrevista. |
| position (job)formal A job in a company or organization. Sinónimos: post, role | el puesto | She has applied for a position at the local hospital. Ha solicitado un puesto en el hospital de su zona. |
| work experience The jobs you have done before, or a short time working to learn. | la experiencia laboral | He did two weeks of work experience at a garage. Hizo dos semanas de prácticas en un taller mecánico. |
| job advert A public notice that says a company is looking for workers. Sinónimos: job ad | el anuncio de empleo | I saw the job advert in the local newspaper. Vi el anuncio de empleo en el periódico local. |
| bossinformal The person who tells you what to do at work. Sinónimos: manager | el jefe | My boss lets us leave early on Fridays. Mi jefe nos deja salir pronto los viernes. |
| manager A person whose job is to organize other people's work. Sinónimos: boss | el gerente, el responsable | If you have a problem, talk to your manager first. Si tienes un problema, habla primero con tu responsable. |
| co-worker A person who works with you in the same place. Sinónimos: colleague | el compañero de trabajo | My co-workers organized a party for my birthday. Mis compañeros de trabajo organizaron una fiesta por mi cumpleaños. |
| staff All the people who work for a company or organization. | el personal, la plantilla | The staff at this hotel are very helpful. El personal de este hotel es muy servicial. |
| department A part of a company, school or organization with one job area. Sinónimos: division, section | el departamento | She works in the sales department. Trabaja en el departamento de ventas. |
| team A group of people who work together. | el equipo | Our team meets every Monday to plan the week. Nuestro equipo se reúne todos los lunes para planificar la semana. |
| teamwork Working well together with other people as a group. | el trabajo en equipo | Good teamwork makes difficult projects easier. Un buen trabajo en equipo hace más fáciles los proyectos difíciles. |
| workplace The place where people work, such as an office or factory. | el lugar de trabajo | Smoking is not allowed in the workplace. No está permitido fumar en el lugar de trabajo. |
| to earn a living To get the money you need to live by working. | ganarse la vida | He earns a living by giving private maths lessons. Se gana la vida dando clases particulares de matemáticas. |
| reception The desk near the entrance of a building where visitors go first. | la recepción | Please wait at reception until someone comes to get you. Por favor, espera en recepción hasta que alguien venga a buscarte. |
| receptionist A person who welcomes visitors and answers the phone at reception. | el recepcionista | The receptionist will tell you where the meeting room is. El recepcionista te dirá dónde está la sala de reuniones. |
| to copy To write or make something exactly the same as the original. | copiar | Copy the new words into your notebook, please. Copia las palabras nuevas en tu cuaderno, por favor. |
| to note down To write something quickly so you can remember it later. Sinónimos: to write down | anotar, tomar nota de | I noted down the date of the exam so I wouldn't forget it. Anoté la fecha del examen para que no se me olvidara. |
| to look through To read or examine something quickly, often to check it. | revisar, hojear | She looked through her notes again before the interview. Revisó sus apuntes otra vez antes de la entrevista. |
| to sign To write your name on a document to make it official. | firmar | Read the contract carefully before you sign it. Lee el contrato con atención antes de firmarlo. |
| to complete To finish all of something, like a course or a form. Sinónimos: to finish | completar, terminar | You must complete all the modules to get the diploma. Tienes que completar todos los módulos para obtener el diploma. |
| carefully With a lot of attention; taking care. | con cuidado, atentamente | Listen carefully, because I will only explain this once. Escuchad con atención, porque solo lo voy a explicar una vez. |
| to hand out To give one thing to each person in a group. Sinónimos: to give out | repartir | The teacher handed out the exam papers at nine o'clock exactly. El profesor repartió los exámenes a las nueve en punto. |
| break (rest) A short time when you stop working or studying to rest. Sinónimos: rest, pause | el descanso, la pausa | We have a short break at eleven o'clock. Tenemos un descanso corto a las once. |
| monthly Happening or done once every month. | mensual, mensualmente | We have a monthly meeting to review the team's progress. Tenemos una reunión mensual para revisar los avances del equipo. |
| clearly In a way that is easy to hear, see or understand. | claramente, con claridad | Try to speak clearly during your presentation. Intenta hablar con claridad durante tu presentación. |
| to lead To be in charge of a group and show them what to do. | dirigir, liderar | She has led the design team for five years. Lleva cinco años dirigiendo el equipo de diseño. |
| equipment The things you need to do a job or an activity. | el equipamiento, el equipo (material) | All the equipment in the office is quite new. Todo el equipamiento de la oficina es bastante nuevo. |
| uniform Special clothes that everyone in a job or school wears. | el uniforme | Do you have to wear a uniform at work? ¿Tienes que llevar uniforme en el trabajo? |
| meeting room A room in an office where people meet to talk about work. | la sala de reuniones | The meeting room is free from two to four. La sala de reuniones está libre de dos a cuatro. |
| meeting A time when people come together to talk about something. | la reunión | We're having a meeting to talk about the new timetable. Vamos a tener una reunión para hablar del nuevo horario. |
| agenda A list of things to talk about in a meeting. Sinónimos: schedule, program | el orden del día | The first item on the agenda is the summer courses. El primer punto del orden del día son los cursos de verano. |
| minutes (of a meeting) The official written record of what people said in a meeting. | el acta (de una reunión) | Sara took the minutes at yesterday's meeting. Sara redactó el acta en la reunión de ayer. |
| presentation A talk that gives information about something to a group. Sinónimos: talk | la presentación | I have to give a presentation to the whole department. Tengo que hacer una presentación delante de todo el departamento. |
| spreadsheet A computer document with rows and columns used for numbers and calculations. | la hoja de cálculo | I keep all the sales figures in a spreadsheet on my computer. Guardo todas las cifras de ventas en una hoja de cálculo en mi ordenador. |
| schedule A plan that shows when things must happen or be finished. Sinónimos: plan, timetable | el programa, el calendario (de trabajo) | We are behind schedule with the project. Vamos con retraso con el proyecto. |
| task A piece of work that someone has to do. Sinónimos: job, duty | la tarea | My first task every morning is to answer emails. Mi primera tarea cada mañana es responder correos. |
| contract A legal written agreement between a worker and an employer. | el contrato | She signed a two-year contract with the school. Firmó un contrato de dos años con el colegio. |
| wage The money a worker is paid, usually every week or hour. Sinónimos: pay, salary | el sueldo, el salario | The weekly wage for this job is quite low. El sueldo semanal de este trabajo es bastante bajo. |
| pay rise An increase in the money you are paid for your job. | la subida de sueldo | I'm going to ask my boss for a pay rise. Voy a pedirle a mi jefe una subida de sueldo. |
| working hours The hours of the day when you have to work. | el horario laboral | My working hours are from nine to five. Mi horario laboral es de nueve a cinco. |
| pension Money paid regularly to someone who has stopped working because of age. | la pensión (de jubilación) | My grandfather receives a small pension from the state. Mi abuelo recibe una pequeña pensión del Estado. |
| retirement The time of life after you stop working because of your age. | la jubilación | Since his retirement, he has had more time for his hobbies. Desde su jubilación, ha tenido más tiempo para sus aficiones. |
| bonus Extra money that a company gives workers, often for good results. | la prima, la paga extra | Everyone got a bonus at the end of the year. Todos recibieron una prima a final de año. |
| perkinformal Something extra and nice you get from your job, besides money. Sinónimos: benefit, advantage | el beneficio extra, la ventaja (de un trabajo) | Free lunches are one of the perks of this job. Las comidas gratis son una de las ventajas de este trabajo. |
| sick leave Time you are allowed away from work because you are ill. | la baja por enfermedad | He has been on sick leave since March. Está de baja por enfermedad desde marzo. |
| maternity leave Time a mother is allowed away from work after having a baby. | la baja por maternidad | She is on maternity leave until October. Está de baja por maternidad hasta octubre. |
| day off A day when you do not have to go to work. | el día libre | I'm taking a day off next Friday to study. Me voy a coger un día libre el viernes que viene para estudiar. |
| unemployment The situation when people do not have jobs. | el desempleo, el paro | Unemployment among young people is still high. El desempleo entre los jóvenes sigue siendo alto. |
| to fire To make someone leave their job, usually because they did something wrong. Sinónimos: to sack | despedir | He was fired for arriving late every day. Lo despidieron por llegar tarde todos los días. |
| to sackinformal To make someone lose their job. Sinónimos: to fire | despedir, echar (del trabajo) | If you keep making mistakes, they will sack you. Si sigues cometiendo errores, te despedirán. |
| to quitinformal To leave your job or stop doing something. Sinónimos: to leave | dejar (el trabajo) | She quit her job to travel around the world. Dejó su trabajo para viajar por el mundo. |
| to retire To stop working because you have reached a certain age. | jubilarse | My father is going to retire next year. Mi padre se va a jubilar el año que viene. |
| to promote To give someone a more important job in the same company. | ascender | She has been promoted to office manager. La han ascendido a responsable de oficina. |
| to employ To pay someone to work for you. Sinónimos: to take on | emplear, contratar | The factory employs about two hundred people. La fábrica emplea a unas doscientas personas. |
| to take on (staff) To give someone a job. Sinónimos: to employ | contratar (personal) | The hotel takes on extra staff every summer. El hotel contrata personal extra todos los veranos. |
| full-time For all the normal working hours of the week. | a jornada completa | She is looking for a full-time job in a school. Está buscando un trabajo a jornada completa en un colegio. |
| part-time For only part of the normal working hours. | a tiempo parcial | He works part-time while he studies at university. Trabaja a tiempo parcial mientras estudia en la universidad. |
| permanent Lasting for a long time or for ever; not temporary. | fijo, permanente | After six months, she got a permanent contract. Después de seis meses, consiguió un contrato fijo. |
| self-employed Working for yourself, not for a company. | autónomo | He has been self-employed since he left the company. Es autónomo desde que dejó la empresa. |
| freelance Working independently for different companies, not as an employee. Sinónimos: self-employed, independent | freelance, por cuenta propia | She does freelance work for several magazines. Hace trabajos freelance para varias revistas. |
| payslip A piece of paper that shows how much money you earn and pay. | la nómina | Check your payslip to see how much tax you pay. Revisa tu nómina para ver cuántos impuestos pagas. |
| income tax Money you must pay to the government from what you earn. | el impuesto sobre la renta | Income tax is taken directly from my wages. El impuesto sobre la renta se descuenta directamente de mi sueldo. |
| redundancy The loss of a job because the company no longer needs that position. Sinónimos: layoff, dismissal | el despido (por cierre o recortes) | There were a lot of redundancies when the two banks joined. Hubo muchos despidos cuando los dos bancos se unieron. |
| workload The amount of work a person has to do. | la carga de trabajo | My workload has increased a lot this term. Mi carga de trabajo ha aumentado mucho este trimestre. |
| duty Something you must do as part of your job. Sinónimos: task | el deber, la función | One of my duties is to open the shop in the morning. Una de mis funciones es abrir la tienda por la mañana. |
| employment The situation of having a paid job; work. | el empleo | The new hospital will create employment in the area. El nuevo hospital creará empleo en la zona. |
| annual leave The paid holiday days you receive from your job each year. | las vacaciones anuales (pagadas) | How many days of annual leave do you get a year? ¿Cuántos días de vacaciones anuales te dan al año? |
| to take time off To spend time away from work or study, with permission. | tomarse tiempo libre | He took two weeks off to prepare for his final exams. Se tomó dos semanas libres para preparar los exámenes finales. |
| flexitime A system that lets workers choose when they start and finish work. | el horario flexible | We have flexitime, so I can start between eight and ten. Tenemos horario flexible, así que puedo empezar entre las ocho y las diez. |
| to work from home To do your job from your house instead of the office. | trabajar desde casa | I'm allowed to work from home twice a week. Me permiten trabajar desde casa dos veces por semana. |
| trade union An organization of workers that protects their rights at work. Sinónimos: union | el sindicato | The trade union has asked for better working conditions. El sindicato ha pedido mejores condiciones laborales. |
| strike (at work) A time when workers stop working to protest about pay or conditions. | la huelga | The bus drivers are on strike because of their low pay. Los conductores de autobús están en huelga por su sueldo bajo. |
| health and safety Rules that protect people from accidents and illness at work. | la salud y seguridad (laboral) | Every new worker must do a health and safety course. Todos los trabajadores nuevos deben hacer un curso de salud y seguridad laboral. |
| job offer When a company says it wants to give you a job. | la oferta de empleo | If the interview goes well, you might get a job offer. Si la entrevista va bien, puede que recibas una oferta de empleo. |
| trial period A time at the start of a job to see if you are right for it. | el periodo de prueba | New employees have a three-month trial period. Los empleados nuevos tienen un periodo de prueba de tres meses. |
| referee (for a job) A person who agrees to describe your work and character to employers. | la persona de referencia | You should choose a referee who knows your work well. Debes elegir una persona de referencia que conozca bien tu trabajo. |
| job hunting The activity of looking for a job. | la búsqueda de empleo | Job hunting can be tiring, so don't give up. Buscar trabajo puede ser agotador, así que no te rindas. |
| to volunteer To work without pay because you want to help. | hacer voluntariado | She volunteers at a school for adults two evenings a week. Hace voluntariado en una escuela para adultos dos tardes por semana. |
| well-paid Giving you a good amount of money for your work. | bien pagado | Nursing is not a well-paid job, but it is very rewarding. La enfermería no es un trabajo bien pagado, pero es muy gratificante. |
| accountant A person whose job is to keep and check money records. | el contable | The accountant checks all the company's payments. El contable revisa todos los pagos de la empresa. |
| lawyer A person whose job is to advise people about the law. | el abogado | You should talk to a lawyer before signing the contract. Deberías hablar con un abogado antes de firmar el contrato. |
| engineer A person who designs or builds machines, roads or bridges. | el ingeniero | My sister is an engineer who designs bridges. Mi hermana es ingeniera y diseña puentes. |
| architect A person who designs buildings. | el arquitecto | The architect showed us the plans for the new school. El arquitecto nos enseñó los planos del nuevo colegio. |
| electrician A person whose job is to repair electrical things. | el electricista | We need an electrician to fix the lights in the office. Necesitamos un electricista que arregle las luces de la oficina. |
| plumber A person who repairs water pipes and bathrooms. | el fontanero | The plumber is coming tomorrow to repair the pipes. El fontanero viene mañana a arreglar las tuberías. |
| independent Able to do things alone, without help from other people. | independiente | University students have to be more independent than school pupils. Los estudiantes universitarios tienen que ser más independientes que los alumnos de colegio. |
| mechanic A person who repairs cars and machines. | el mecánico | The mechanic said the car would be ready on Friday. El mecánico dijo que el coche estaría listo el viernes. |
| organized Able to plan your time and things well. | organizado | You need to be organized to work and study at the same time. Hay que ser organizado para trabajar y estudiar a la vez. |
| firefighter A person whose job is to stop fires. | el bombero | Firefighters have to be strong and calm. Los bomberos tienen que ser fuertes y tranquilos. |
| police officer A member of the police. | el agente de policía | A police officer asked me some questions about the accident. Un agente de policía me hizo algunas preguntas sobre el accidente. |
| to motivate To make someone want to work hard or do something. | motivar | Good teachers know how to motivate their students. Los buenos profesores saben motivar a sus alumnos. |
| civil servant A person who works for the government. | el funcionario | My uncle is a civil servant and works for the government. Mi tío es funcionario y trabaja para el Estado. |
| to specialize To study or work mainly in one particular subject or area. | especializarse | After his degree, he wants to specialize in children's medicine. Después del grado, quiere especializarse en medicina infantil. |
| translator A person who changes written texts from one language to another. | el traductor | She works as a translator for a publishing company. Trabaja como traductora para una editorial. |
| interpreter A person who changes spoken words into another language. | el intérprete | An interpreter repeats what people say in another language. Un intérprete repite en otro idioma lo que dice la gente. |
| to qualify To pass the exams and training you need to do a particular job. | obtener el título (de); habilitarse (como) | It takes at least five years to qualify as a doctor. Se necesitan al menos cinco años para obtener el título de médico. |
| to register To put your name on an official list for a course or service. Sinónimos: to sign up | matricularse, inscribirse | You can register for the evening course until the end of September. Puedes matricularte en el curso de tarde hasta finales de septiembre. |
| qualified Having the official training or certificates needed for a job. Sinónimos: trained, certified | titulado, cualificado | The school only employs qualified teachers with experience. El colegio solo contrata a profesores titulados con experiencia. |
| cleaner A person whose job is to clean offices or houses. | el limpiador, la limpiadora | The cleaners come to the office when everyone has left. El personal de limpieza viene a la oficina cuando ya se han ido todos. |
| skilled Having the ability and training to do something well. | especializado, hábil | Skilled workers usually earn more than people without training. Los trabajadores especializados suelen ganar más que la gente sin formación. |
| flexible Able to change easily when the situation changes. Sinónimos: adaptable | flexible | My timetable is flexible, so I can study in the mornings. Mi horario es flexible, así que puedo estudiar por las mañanas. |
| to succeed To do well and get the result you wanted. | tener éxito, triunfar | If you keep working hard, you will succeed in your career. Si sigues trabajando duro, tendrás éxito en tu carrera profesional. |
| to reach To arrive at a level, place or goal after some effort. Sinónimos: to achieve | alcanzar, llegar a | She reached an advanced level of English in only two years. Alcanzó un nivel avanzado de inglés en solo dos años. |
| builder A person who builds or repairs houses. | el albañil, el constructor | The builders are still working on the new sports hall. Los albañiles todavía están trabajando en el nuevo pabellón de deportes. |
| head teacher The teacher who leads and manages a school. | el director (de colegio) | The head teacher wants to see you in her office. La directora quiere verte en su despacho. |
| lecturer A person who teaches at a university. | el profesor universitario | Our lecturer explains difficult ideas very clearly. Nuestro profesor de universidad explica muy claramente las ideas difíciles. |
| professor A university teacher of the highest level. | el catedrático | She became a professor after twenty years at the university. Se convirtió en catedrática después de veinte años en la universidad. |
| tutor A teacher who works with one student or a small group. | el tutor, el profesor particular | My tutor helps me when I have problems with my essays. Mi tutor me ayuda cuando tengo problemas con mis trabajos. |
| to behave To act in a particular way, especially politely. | portarse, comportarse | The children always behave well when the head teacher is in the classroom. Los niños siempre se portan bien cuando la directora está en el aula. |
| primary school A school for children from about five to eleven years old. | el colegio de primaria | My daughter started primary school when she was five. Mi hija empezó el colegio de primaria a los cinco años. |
| secondary school A school for students from about eleven to sixteen or eighteen. | el instituto | Students in England go to secondary school at eleven. En Inglaterra, los alumnos van al instituto a los once años. |
| to punish To make someone suffer because they have done something wrong. | castigar | The school punishes students who cheat in exams. El colegio castiga a los alumnos que copian en los exámenes. |
| state school A school paid for by the government that is free to attend. | el colegio público | Most children in Britain go to state schools. La mayoría de los niños en Gran Bretaña van a colegios públicos. |
| private school A school that parents pay for their children to attend. | el colegio privado | He went to an expensive private school in London. Fue a un colegio privado caro de Londres. |
| academic Connected with education, studying and school subjects. | académico | Her academic results were good enough to get a scholarship. Sus resultados académicos fueron lo bastante buenos para conseguir una beca. |
| pupil A child who goes to school. Sinónimos: student | el alumno | There are thirty pupils in each class at my school. Hay treinta alumnos en cada clase de mi colegio. |
| classroom A room in a school where lessons happen. | el aula, la clase | Please turn off your phones before entering the classroom. Por favor, apagad los móviles antes de entrar en el aula. |
| fair Treating everyone equally and in a right way. | justo | The test wasn't fair because we hadn't studied that unit yet. El examen no fue justo porque todavía no habíamos estudiado ese tema. |
| clever Quick at learning and understanding things. Sinónimos: intelligent, smart | listo, inteligente | He's clever, but he doesn't make any effort in class. Es listo, pero no se esfuerza nada en clase. |
| term One of the three parts of the school year in Britain. | el trimestre (escolar) | The autumn term ends just before Christmas. El primer trimestre termina justo antes de Navidad. |
| practical Connected with doing real things, not only ideas or theory. | práctico | The course is very practical, so you learn by doing real tasks. El curso es muy práctico, así que aprendes haciendo tareas reales. |
| subject (at school) An area you study at school, like maths or history. | la asignatura | My favorite subject at school was history. Mi asignatura favorita en el colegio era la historia. |
| curriculum All the subjects that are taught at a school. Sinónimos: syllabus, program | el plan de estudios | Languages are an important part of the school curriculum. Los idiomas son una parte importante del plan de estudios. |
| course A set of lessons about one subject. | el curso | She's doing a course in computing at the local college. Está haciendo un curso de informática en la escuela de formación de su zona. |
| bachelor's degree The qualification you get after finishing university, usually after three years. | el grado (universitario) | She has a bachelor's degree in economics from Manchester. Tiene un grado en Económicas por la Universidad de Manchester. |
| master's degree A higher university qualification that you study for after your first degree. | el máster | He's saving money to do a master's degree next year. Está ahorrando dinero para hacer un máster el año que viene. |
| graduation The ceremony when you officially finish university or school. | la graduación | Her whole family came to her graduation ceremony. Toda su familia vino a su ceremonia de graduación. |
| campus The land and buildings of a university. | el campus | Most first-year students live on campus. La mayoría de los estudiantes de primer año viven en el campus. |
| seminar A class at university where a small group discusses a subject. | el seminario | In seminars, students discuss ideas in small groups. En los seminarios, los estudiantes debaten ideas en grupos pequeños. |
| to drop out To leave school or university before finishing your studies. Sinónimos: quit, leave | dejar los estudios, abandonar | He dropped out of university after failing his first-year exams. Dejó la universidad después de suspender los exámenes de primero. |
| gap year A year between school and university when you travel or work. | el año sabático (antes de la universidad) | She took a gap year to travel before starting university. Se tomó un año sabático para viajar antes de empezar la universidad. |
| educational Teaching you something useful; connected with education. | educativo | The visit to the museum was fun and educational at the same time. La visita al museo fue divertida y educativa a la vez. |
| to participate To take part in an activity with other people. Sinónimos: to take part | participar | Students who participate in class usually get better marks. Los alumnos que participan en clase suelen sacar mejores notas. |
| school report A written document from school about a student's work and behavior. | el boletín de notas | His school report says he must talk less in class. Su boletín de notas dice que debe hablar menos en clase. |
| detention A punishment where a student stays at school after classes. | el castigo (quedarse después de clase) | He got a detention for arriving late three times. Le castigaron a quedarse después de clase por llegar tarde tres veces. |
| bullying Hurting or frightening a weaker person again and again. | el acoso escolar | The school has clear rules against bullying. El colegio tiene normas claras contra el acoso escolar. |
| strict Making sure that people follow rules and behave correctly. | estricto | Our maths teacher is strict but fair. Nuestro profesor de matemáticas es estricto pero justo. |
| to sit an exam To do an official exam or test. Sinónimos: to take an exam | presentarse a un examen | The students will sit their final exams at the end of May. Los alumnos se presentarán a los exámenes finales a finales de mayo. |
| school holidays The weeks when schools are closed and children do not study. | las vacaciones escolares | The children get bored during the long school holidays. Los niños se aburren durante las largas vacaciones escolares. |
| tuition fees The money students pay to study at a university. | las tasas de matrícula | University tuition fees in England are very high. Las tasas de matrícula universitarias en Inglaterra son muy altas. |
| student loan Money you borrow to pay for university and return later. | el préstamo de estudios | Many graduates spend years paying back their student loans. Muchos titulados pasan años devolviendo su préstamo de estudios. |
| to make a mistake To do or say something wrong without wanting to. | cometer un error, equivocarse | Don't be afraid of making mistakes when you speak English. No tengas miedo de cometer errores cuando hables inglés. |
| module One part of a university course, often lasting one term. | el módulo, la asignatura (universitaria) | This term I'm taking a module on modern history. Este trimestre estoy cursando un módulo de historia moderna. |
| coursework Work students do during the course that counts towards the final result. | los trabajos de curso | Half of the final mark comes from coursework, not exams. La mitad de la nota final viene de los trabajos de curso, no de los exámenes. |
| distance learning Studying from home using the internet or post, not in classes. | la formación a distancia | Thanks to distance learning, she studies while working full-time. Gracias a la formación a distancia, estudia mientras trabaja a jornada completa. |
| compulsory Something you must do because of a rule or law. | obligatorio | School is compulsory until the age of sixteen. La escolarización es obligatoria hasta los dieciséis años. |
| optional Something you can choose to do or not do. | optativo, opcional | German is optional at our school, but French is compulsory. El alemán es optativo en nuestro colegio, pero el francés es obligatorio. |
| mark (in an exam) A number or letter that shows how well you did. Sinónimos: grade | la nota | I got a good mark in my English exam. Saqué buena nota en el examen de inglés. |
| to pass (an exam) To be successful in an exam or test. | aprobar | If you study every day, you will pass the exam easily. Si estudias todos los días, aprobarás el examen fácilmente. |
| to fail (an exam) To not pass an exam or test. | suspender | He failed his driving test twice before passing it. Suspendió el examen de conducir dos veces antes de aprobarlo. |
| to revise To study something again before an exam. Sinónimos: review, study | repasar | I'm revising for my history exam next week. Estoy repasando para el examen de historia de la semana que viene. |
| revision The work of studying again what you have learned before an exam. | el repaso | You should start your revision at least two weeks before the exams. Deberías empezar el repaso al menos dos semanas antes de los exámenes. |
| to cheat To do something dishonest to get a better result. | copiar (en un examen) | A student was caught cheating in the final exam. Pillaron a un alumno copiando en el examen final. |
| to memorize To learn something so you can remember it exactly. | memorizar | You don't have to memorize every word, just the important ones. No tienes que memorizar todas las palabras, solo las importantes. |
| by heart From memory, without reading. | de memoria | We had to learn the poem by heart. Tuvimos que aprendernos el poema de memoria. |
| mock exam A practice exam you do before the real one. | el examen de prueba, el simulacro de examen | We do mock exams in January to prepare for the real ones. Hacemos exámenes de prueba en enero para prepararnos para los de verdad. |
| to resit To take an exam again after failing it. | recuperar, volver a presentarse a (un examen) | Students who fail in June can resit the exam in September. Los alumnos que suspenden en junio pueden recuperar el examen en septiembre. |
| certificate An official paper that shows you have finished a course. | el certificado | At the end of the course, you receive a certificate. Al final del curso, recibes un certificado. |
| diploma A qualification from a college for finishing a course of study. | el diploma, el título de formación | He has a diploma in hotel management from a college in Dublin. Tiene un diploma en gestión hotelera de una escuela de Dublín. |
| essay A short piece of writing about one subject, done for study. | la redacción, el trabajo escrito | We have to write an essay about the causes of the war. Tenemos que escribir una redacción sobre las causas de la guerra. |
| dissertation A long piece of writing done at the end of a university degree. | el trabajo de fin de grado | She's writing her dissertation on children's language learning. Está escribiendo su trabajo de fin de grado sobre el aprendizaje de idiomas en niños. |
| to mark To read students' work and give it a mark. | corregir, puntuar (exámenes o trabajos) | Our teacher spent the whole weekend marking our essays. Nuestra profesora pasó todo el fin de semana corrigiendo nuestras redacciones. |
| textbook A book used for studying a subject at school. | el libro de texto | Open your textbooks at page forty-two. Abrid el libro de texto por la página cuarenta y dos. |
| to take notes To write down the important things you hear or read. | tomar apuntes | I always take notes during lectures and read them later. Siempre tomo apuntes en las clases magistrales y los leo después. |
| project A piece of work where you study something and present it. | el trabajo, el proyecto | We're doing a project on recycling in our science class. Estamos haciendo un trabajo sobre el reciclaje en la clase de ciencias. |
| to hand in To give finished work to a teacher or boss. Sinónimos: submit, turn in | entregar (un trabajo) | You must hand in your homework by Friday at the latest. Tenéis que entregar los deberes el viernes como muy tarde. |
| to catch up To reach the same level as others after being behind. | ponerse al día | She missed two weeks of school and now has to catch up. Faltó dos semanas al colegio y ahora tiene que ponerse al día. |
| to write down To write something on paper so you can remember it. Sinónimos: to note down | apuntar, anotar | Write down the new words so you don't forget them. Apunta las palabras nuevas para que no se te olviden. |
| to underline To draw a line under a word or sentence. | subrayar | Underline the verbs in the text before you translate it. Subraya los verbos del texto antes de traducirlo. |
| to highlight To mark words with a bright color so you see them easily. Sinónimos: emphasize, stress | marcar con fluorescente, resaltar | I highlight the most important ideas in yellow. Marco con fluorescente amarillo las ideas más importantes. |
| spelling The way a word is written with letters. | la ortografía | English spelling is difficult because words don't sound as they are written. La ortografía inglesa es difícil porque las palabras no suenan como se escriben. |
| pronunciation The way you say the sounds of a language. | la pronunciación | Listening to podcasts has improved my pronunciation a lot. Escuchar pódcast ha mejorado mucho mi pronunciación. |
| fluent Able to speak a language easily and well. | con fluidez (en un idioma) | After two years in Leeds, she is fluent in English. Después de dos años en Leeds, habla inglés con fluidez. |
| bilingual Able to speak two languages very well. | bilingüe | Their children are bilingual because they speak Spanish at home. Sus hijos son bilingües porque hablan español en casa. |
| mother tongue The first language you learn as a child. Sinónimos: first language | la lengua materna | You learn a foreign language differently from your mother tongue. Una lengua extranjera se aprende de forma distinta a la lengua materna. |
| to make progress To get better at something over time. Sinónimos: advance, improve | avanzar, progresar | You are making real progress with your English. Estás progresando de verdad con tu inglés. |
| to pay attention To watch and listen carefully. | prestar atención | Pay attention to the spelling of these words. Prestad atención a la ortografía de estas palabras. |
| to concentrate To think very carefully about what you are doing. Sinónimos: focus | concentrarse | I can't concentrate when people are talking around me. No puedo concentrarme cuando la gente habla a mi alrededor. |
| result The final mark or information you get after an exam or test. | el resultado | The exam results come out at the beginning of July. Los resultados de los exámenes salen a principios de julio. |
| beginner A person who is starting to learn something. Sinónimos: novice, starter | el principiante | This course is for beginners, so you don't need any experience. Este curso es para principiantes, así que no necesitas experiencia. |
| advanced At a high level; not for beginners. | avanzado | She's moved up to the advanced class after only one year. Ha subido a la clase de nivel avanzado después de solo un año. |
| level How good someone is at something, from beginner to advanced. | el nivel | You have to do a test so they can check your level. Tienes que hacer una prueba para que comprueben tu nivel. |
| training The process of learning the skills you need for a job. | la formación | All new staff receive two weeks of training. Todo el personal nuevo recibe dos semanas de formación. |
| apprenticeship A period when you learn a job by working with a skilled person. Sinónimos: traineeship | la formación de aprendiz, el contrato de aprendizaje | He's doing an apprenticeship with a local electrician. Está haciendo una formación de aprendiz con un electricista de su zona. |
| trainee A person who is learning how to do a job. | el aprendiz, la persona en formación | She joined the company as a trainee and now manages a team. Entró en la empresa como aprendiz y ahora dirige un equipo. |
| work placement A period of work in a company as part of a course. Sinónimos: internship | las prácticas (laborales) | The course includes a three-month work placement in a company. El curso incluye unas prácticas de tres meses en una empresa. |
| workshop A meeting where people learn about something by doing practical activities. | el taller (curso práctico) | I went to a workshop on writing a good CV. Fui a un taller sobre cómo escribir un buen currículum. |
| to develop To grow or make something better over time. Sinónimos: grow, evolve | desarrollar | This job will help you develop new skills. Este trabajo te ayudará a desarrollar nuevas habilidades. |
| to gain To get something useful, like experience or skills. Sinónimos: obtain, acquire | adquirir, ganar (experiencia) | Working abroad is a great way to gain experience. Trabajar en el extranjero es una buena manera de adquirir experiencia. |
| email A message sent from one computer or phone to another. | el correo electrónico | I'll send you an email with all the details this afternoon. Te enviaré un correo electrónico con todos los detalles esta tarde. |
| to reply To answer someone in words or writing. Sinónimos: to answer | responder, contestar | She still hasn't replied to my email from Monday. Todavía no ha respondido a mi correo del lunes. |
| to forward To send a message you received to another person. | reenviar | Can you forward me the message from the head office? ¿Me puedes reenviar el mensaje de la oficina central? |
| attachment A file that you send with an email. | el archivo adjunto | I can't open the attachment you sent me yesterday. No puedo abrir el archivo adjunto que me enviaste ayer. |
| inbox The place where you receive emails. | la bandeja de entrada | My inbox is full of messages I haven't read yet. Tengo la bandeja de entrada llena de mensajes que aún no he leído. |
| to call back To phone someone again who phoned you before. | devolver la llamada | He's in a meeting; he'll call you back in an hour. Está en una reunión; te devolverá la llamada dentro de una hora. |
| to put through To connect a caller to another person on the phone. | pasar (una llamada) | One moment, please. I'll put you through to the right department. Un momento, por favor. Le paso con el departamento correcto. |
| to hang up To end a phone call. | colgar (el teléfono) | Don't hang up! I need to tell you one more thing. ¡No cuelgues! Tengo que decirte una cosa más. |
| extension (phone) A phone number inside a company, connected to one desk. | la extensión (de teléfono) | You can reach me on extension two four five. Puede localizarme en la extensión doscientos cuarenta y cinco. |
| to discuss To talk about something with other people. | hablar de, tratar (un tema) | We'll discuss the new timetable at tomorrow's meeting. Hablaremos del nuevo horario en la reunión de mañana. |
| to interrupt To stop someone while they are speaking or working. | interrumpir | Sorry to interrupt, but there's a call for you. Siento interrumpir, pero tienes una llamada. |
| announcement Important information told officially to a group of people. | el anuncio, el aviso | The head teacher made an announcement about the new timetable. La directora hizo un anuncio sobre el nuevo horario. |
| to informformal To officially tell someone about something. | informar | Please inform the office if you change your address. Por favor, informa a la oficina si cambias de dirección. |
| to arrange To make plans for something to happen. | organizar, concertar | I've arranged a meeting with the new clients for Thursday. He concertado una reunión con los clientes nuevos para el jueves. |
| to postpone To change something to a later time or date. Sinónimos: to put off | aplazar | The exam has been postponed until next month. El examen se ha aplazado hasta el mes que viene. |
| video call A phone call where you can see the other person. | la videollamada | We have a video call with the Madrid office every Friday. Tenemos una videollamada con la oficina de Madrid todos los viernes. |
| to meet a deadline To finish work before the time limit. | cumplir un plazo | We worked all weekend to meet the deadline. Trabajamos todo el fin de semana para cumplir el plazo. |
| on time At the correct time; not late. Sinónimos: punctual | puntual, a tiempo | Please make sure you arrive on time for the meeting. Por favor, asegúrate de llegar puntual a la reunión. |
| in advance Before something happens; earlier than needed. Sinónimos: beforehand, ahead | con antelación | You should book the meeting room two days in advance. Deberías reservar la sala de reuniones con dos días de antelación. |
| urgent Needing action or an answer immediately. | urgente | This is urgent, so please answer as soon as possible. Esto es urgente, así que responde lo antes posible. |
| punctual Arriving at the agreed time; never late. | puntual | Try to be punctual, because the boss hates waiting. Intenta ser puntual, porque el jefe odia esperar. |
| to solve To find an answer to a problem. | resolver, solucionar | We solved the problem by changing the plan. Resolvimos el problema cambiando el plan. |
| to organize To plan and prepare something so it works well. | organizar | Who is organizing the training day this year? ¿Quién organiza la jornada de formación este año? |
| priority The most important thing that you must do first. | la prioridad | Finishing the report is our main priority this week. Terminar el informe es nuestra principal prioridad esta semana. |
| night shift The working hours during the night. | el turno de noche | Nurses on the night shift finish at seven in the morning. Las enfermeras del turno de noche terminan a las siete de la mañana. |
| notice period The time you must keep working after saying you will leave. | el plazo de preaviso | My contract says I have a one-month notice period. Mi contrato dice que tengo un mes de preaviso. |
| job security Knowing that you will not easily lose your job. | la estabilidad laboral | People often choose the public sector because of its job security. La gente suele elegir el sector público por su estabilidad laboral. |
| unemployed Without a job. | desempleado, en paro | He has been unemployed since the factory closed. Está en paro desde que cerró la fábrica. |
| hard-working Always making a big effort at work or school. | trabajador | She is the most hard-working person in the department. Es la persona más trabajadora del departamento. |
| experienced Having done something many times before; skilled from practice. | con experiencia | We need someone experienced in customer service. Necesitamos a alguien con experiencia en atención al cliente. |
| motivated Wanting very much to do something well. | motivado | Students learn faster when they feel motivated. Los alumnos aprenden más rápido cuando se sienten motivados. |
| ambitious Wanting very much to be successful. Sinónimos: driven, determined | ambicioso | He's very ambitious and wants to be a manager before thirty. Es muy ambicioso y quiere ser gerente antes de los treinta. |
| sociable Friendly and enjoying being with other people. Sinónimos: friendly, outgoing | sociable | You have to be sociable to work in a hotel. Tienes que ser sociable para trabajar en un hotel. |
| demanding Needing a lot of time, effort or attention. | exigente | Teaching is a demanding job, but I love it. La enseñanza es un trabajo exigente, pero me encanta. |
| rewarding Making you feel happy because you do something useful. Sinónimos: satisfying, fulfilling | gratificante | Working with children is tiring but very rewarding. Trabajar con niños es cansado pero muy gratificante. |
| challenging Difficult in an interesting way that tests your ability. Sinónimos: demanding, tough | difícil pero estimulante, con retos | I wanted a more challenging job, so I changed departments. Quería un trabajo con más retos, así que cambié de departamento. |
| repetitive Done many times in the same way, so it becomes boring. | repetitivo, monótono | The work in the factory was repetitive and boring. El trabajo en la fábrica era repetitivo y aburrido. |
| enthusiastic Showing a lot of interest and excitement about something. | entusiasta | The new teacher is very enthusiastic about her subject. La nueva profesora está muy entusiasmada con su asignatura. |
| to make an effort To try hard to do something. Sinónimos: try hard | esforzarse | If you make an effort, your English will improve quickly. Si te esfuerzas, tu inglés mejorará rápido. |
| responsible Having the duty to take care of something or someone. | responsable | She is responsible for training the new employees. Es responsable de formar a los empleados nuevos. |
| to accept To say yes to an offer or invitation. | aceptar | She accepted the job offer without thinking twice. Aceptó la oferta de empleo sin pensárselo dos veces. |
| to reject To say no to something or someone. Sinónimos: to turn down | rechazar | They rejected my application because I didn't have enough experience. Rechazaron mi solicitud porque no tenía suficiente experiencia. |
| dress code The rules about what you can wear at work. | las normas de vestimenta | Our office has a relaxed dress code, so nobody wears a suit. Nuestra oficina tiene unas normas de vestimenta informales, así que nadie lleva traje. |
| first impression The opinion someone forms when they meet you for the first time. | la primera impresión | You only get one chance to make a good first impression. Solo tienes una oportunidad de causar una buena primera impresión. |
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