Future aspirations, study and work

This topic, 'Future aspirations, study and work' (Будущие устремления, учёба и работа), is a key part of the Edexcel GCSE Russian specification. It covers vocabulary and structures for discussing your plans after school, including higher education, apprenticeships, employment, and career choices. You'll learn to describe your ideal job, talk about the skills needed, and express opinions on different professions. This topic also links to wider themes of personal identity and life in Russian-speaking countries, as you'll explore how young people in Russia approach their futures.

Mastering this topic is essential for both the speaking and writing exams, where you'll be asked to give extended answers about your ambitions. You'll need to use a range of tenses (present, past, future) and conditional structures to discuss hypothetical scenarios, such as 'If I study hard, I will become a doctor'. Additionally, you'll encounter specific vocabulary related to job sectors (e.g., медицина, IT, образование) and phrases for justifying your choices. Understanding cultural differences, such as the prestige of certain professions in Russia, can also boost your marks in the cultural component.

This topic builds on earlier work about school life and daily routines, and it naturally leads into discussions about society and global issues. By the end, you should be able to hold a conversation about your career plans, understand job advertisements in Russian, and write a formal letter of application. The skills you develop here—expressing preferences, giving reasons, and using formal register—are transferable to other GCSE topics and beyond.