Why is "Adding un/une before a job after être or devenir (Je suis un médecin)" a common mistake in Future career plans and ambitions?

Why it happens: English always uses 'a' ('I am a doctor'), so beginners translate word-for-word. How to avoid it: Drop the article after être/devenir: *Je suis médecin*, *Je veux devenir ingénieur*. Only add un/une if you describe the job with an adjective: *C'est un bon médecin*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4

Why is "Using the masculine job form for a woman (Ma sœur est infirmier)" a common mistake in Future career plans and ambitions?

Why it happens: Learners learn one form of the noun and forget jobs agree with the person. How to avoid it: Match the job to the person and apply the pattern: *infirmier → infirmière*, *coiffeur → coiffeuse*, *acteur → actrice*. For a woman, say *Ma sœur est infirmière*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), agreement

Why is "Conjugating the second verb instead of leaving it as an infinitive (Je veux je deviens)" a common mistake in Future career plans and ambitions?

Why it happens: Beginners feel both verbs should 'agree' with the subject. How to avoid it: After vouloir, voudrais, espérer and aller, the second verb stays in the infinitive: *Je veux devenir*, *Je vais étudier*, *J'espère réussir*. Only the first verb conjugates. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Giving an ambition with no reason (just 'Je veux être professeur')" a common mistake in Future career plans and ambitions?

Why it happens: Candidates answer the literal question without developing it. How to avoid it: Always add *parce que* (or *car*) and a reason: *Je veux être professeur parce que j'aime aider les jeunes*. A reason is what lifts the answer into a higher band. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), development

Why is "Dropping accents on verbs like espérer / j'espère and on intéressant" a common mistake in Future career plans and ambitions?

Why it happens: English has no accents, so learners treat them as optional. How to avoid it: Treat accents as part of the spelling. Learn high-frequency words by heart: *j'espère* (two é), *intéressant*, *médecin*, *métier*. Check every accent in written answers. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Inserting de or à before the infinitive (Je veux de travailler)" a common mistake in Future career plans and ambitions?

Why it happens: Learners over-apply patterns from other verbs that do need a preposition. How to avoid it: Vouloir, voudrais, espérer and aller take the infinitive directly — no de or à: *Je veux travailler*, *J'espère réussir*, *Je vais aller*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Topic Area 4 - The World of WorkCambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Future career plans and ambitions

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Future career plans and ambitions in French — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

Learn the jobs vocabulary, future-tense verb frames and opinion phrases you need to talk about what you want to be and why. A beginner-friendly toolkit of reusable sentences for the World of Work theme in Paper 3 Speaking and Paper 4 Writing.

At a glance

Job names have a masculine and a feminine form in French: un professeur / une professeure (a teacher), un infirmier / une infirmière (a nurse). You usually choose the form that matches the person.
Never use un / une before a job after the verb être (to be): say Je suis médecin (I am a doctor), not Je suis un médecin.
The easiest way to talk about the future is aller (to go) + an infinitive — the futur proche (near future): Je vais travailler (I am going to work).
Use vouloir (to want) + infinitive for ambitions: Je veux devenir ingénieur (I want to become an engineer).
Use espérer (to hope) + infinitive for hopes: J'espère aller à l'université (I hope to go to university).
Always add a reason with parce que (because) or car (because/for): Je veux être vétérinaire parce que j'adore les animaux (I want to be a vet because I love animals).
Learn one strong question→answer frame — Que veux-tu faire dans la vie ? (What do you want to do in life?) — so you can both ask and answer in the Speaking test.
Beginners lose marks by adding un/une after être, forgetting the feminine job ending, and giving no reason — fix these three and your answers jump up a level.

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 syllabus (2025-2027).

Name a range of common jobs in French in both masculine and feminine forms.
Talk about future plans using the futur proche (aller + infinitive).
Express ambitions and hopes with vouloir + infinitive and espérer + infinitive.
State the rule that no article is used before a job after être, devenir and similar verbs.
Give opinions about future careers and justify them with parce que / car and a reason.
Use reusable question→answer frames to discuss career plans in Speaking and Writing.
Recognise and produce key World of Work vocabulary in Listening and Reading texts.

Jobs vocabulary — masculine and feminine forms

Most job names change ending to match a man or a woman; learn the common patterns.

When you talk about a career, you first need the name of the job (le métier — the job/trade). In French, most job names have a masculine form and a feminine form. You normally use the form that matches the person you are talking about: a man is un infirmier (a male nurse), a woman is une infirmière (a female nurse).

Here are the highest-frequency jobs for the exam, with a plain-English pronunciation hint:

French (masculine / feminine)	Pronunciation	English
un professeur / une professeure	pro-feh-SUR	a teacher
un médecin	mayd-SAN	a doctor (same for both)
un infirmier / une infirmière	an-feer-MYAY / an-feer-MYAIR	a nurse
un avocat / une avocate	a-vo-KA / a-vo-KAT	a lawyer
un ingénieur / une ingénieure	an-zhay-NYUR	an engineer
un vétérinaire	vay-tay-ree-NAIR	a vet (same for both)
un dentiste / une dentiste	don-TEEST	a dentist
un coiffeur / une coiffeuse	kwa-FUR / kwa-FUZ	a hairdresser
un boulanger / une boulangère	boo-lon-ZHAY / boo-lon-ZHAIR	a baker
un cuisinier / une cuisinière	kwee-zee-NYAY / kwee-zee-NYAIR	a cook/chef
un acteur / une actrice	ak-TUR / ak-TREES	an actor / actress
un pilote	pee-LOT	a pilot (same for both)
un policier / une policière	po-lee-SYAY / po-lee-SYAIR	a police officer
un journaliste / une journaliste	zhoor-na-LEEST	a journalist

The common feminine patterns. Once you spot the pattern, you can form most feminine jobs yourself:

-er → -ère: boulanger → boulangère (baker), infirmier → infirmière (nurse).
-eur → -euse: coiffeur → coiffeuse (hairdresser), vendeur → vendeuse (shop assistant).
-teur → -trice: acteur → actrice (actor/actress).
add -e: avocat → avocate (lawyer), étudiant → étudiante (student).
no change: jobs ending in -e or -iste are the same: un/une dentiste, un/une journaliste.

Worked mini-example. A girl wants to say she would like to be a baker. The feminine of boulanger follows the -er → -ère rule, so she says Je voudrais être boulangère (I would like to be a baker). A boy would say Je voudrais être boulanger.

Most jobs have a masculine and feminine form; match it to the person.
Patterns: -er → -ère, -eur → -euse, -teur → -trice, or just add -e.
Jobs ending in -e or -iste don't change: un/une dentiste, un/une journaliste.
médecin, vétérinaire, pilote are commonly used unchanged for both.

The golden rule — no un/une before a job after être

After être, devenir and similar verbs, drop the article: Je suis médecin, not Je suis un médecin.

After être and devenir, French drops un/une before the name of a job.

This is one of the most useful rules in the whole topic, and it surprises almost every English speaker. In English we say "I am a teacher". In French, after the verb être (to be), you leave out un / une:

✓ Je suis professeur. (I am a teacher.)
✗ Je suis un professeur. ← the un is wrong here.

The same rule applies after devenir (to become) and after the future and ambition verbs:

Je veux devenir médecin. (I want to become a doctor.)
Je vais être ingénieur. (I am going to be an engineer.)
Elle voudrait être avocate. (She would like to be a lawyer.)

When DO you use un/une, then? You bring the article back as soon as you describe the job with an adjective:

C'est un bon professeur. (He/She is a good teacher.) — here you need un because of bon (good).
Elle est une avocate célèbre. (She is a famous lawyer.) — célèbre (famous) makes you add une.

Worked mini-example. Say "My mother is a nurse." Use être, drop the article, and match the feminine job: Ma mère est infirmière. (My mother is a nurse.) If you then add an adjective, the article returns: Ma mère est une bonne infirmière. (My mother is a good nurse.)

After être and devenir, drop un/une before a job: Je suis professeur.
Je veux devenir médecin, Je vais être ingénieur — no article either.
Bring the article back when you describe the job: C'est un bon professeur.
This rule alone fixes one of the most common beginner errors in Speaking and Writing.

Talking about the future — aller + infinitive (futur proche)

Use the present of aller plus a verb in the infinitive to say what you are going to do.

The simplest, most reliable way to talk about the future at this level is the futur proche (near future). You don't need the full future tense — you just take the verb aller (to go) in the present, and add a second verb in the infinitive (its dictionary form, e.g. travailler — to work).

The formula is: subject + aller (present) + infinitive.

First, the present tense of aller:

French	Pronunciation	English
je vais	zhuh vay	I go / I am going
tu vas	tew va	you go (informal)
il / elle va	eel / ell va	he / she goes
nous allons	noo-za-LON	we go
vous allez	voo-za-LAY	you go (formal/plural)
ils / elles vont	eel / ell von	they go

Now add an infinitive to express the future:

Je vais travailler dans un hôpital. (I am going to work in a hospital.)
Je vais étudier les sciences. (I am going to study science.)
Après l'école, je vais aller à l'université. (After school, I am going to go to university.)
Mon frère va devenir mécanicien. (My brother is going to become a mechanic.)

Useful time phrases to add precision:

French	English
l'année prochaine	next year
après mes examens	after my exams
dans le futur / à l'avenir	in the future
plus tard	later
quand je serai grand(e)	when I grow up

Worked mini-example. Build "Next year I am going to study French." Start with the time phrase, then aller + infinitive: L'année prochaine, je vais étudier le français. The verb étudier (to study) stays in the infinitive — only aller changes to match "I" (vais).

Futur proche = aller (present) + infinitive: Je vais travailler.
Only aller changes; the second verb stays as an infinitive.
je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont.
Add time phrases: l'année prochaine, après mes examens, plus tard.

Ambitions and hopes — vouloir, espérer and voudrais

Use vouloir + infinitive for what you want, espérer + infinitive for hopes, and voudrais to sound polite.

Once you can say what you are going to do, add the language of ambition (l'ambition) and hope (l'espoir). These verbs are also followed directly by an infinitive.

1. vouloir (to want) + infinitive — strong ambition.

French	Pronunciation	English
je veux	zhuh vuh	I want
tu veux	tew vuh	you want
il / elle veut	eel / ell vuh	he / she wants
nous voulons	noo voo-LON	we want
vous voulez	voo voo-LAY	you want
ils / elles veulent	eel / ell vuhl	they want

Je veux devenir ingénieur. (I want to become an engineer.)
Je veux voyager et travailler à l'étranger. (I want to travel and work abroad.)

2. je voudrais (I would like) — the polite, softer version. Voudrais is a special, very useful form of vouloir. It sounds more polite and less blunt — perfect for the Speaking exam:

Je voudrais être vétérinaire. (I would like to be a vet.)
Je voudrais travailler avec les enfants. (I would like to work with children.)

3. espérer (to hope) + infinitive — hopes and wishes. Note the accents: espérer has two accents aigus (é), and the present forms keep them:

J'espère réussir mes examens. (I hope to pass my exams.)
J'espère aller à l'université. (I hope to go to university.)
Nous espérons trouver un bon travail. (We hope to find a good job.)

4. avoir l'intention de + infinitive (to intend to) — a useful upgrade.

J'ai l'intention de faire des études de médecine. (I intend to study medicine.)

Worked mini-example. Combine a hope and an ambition in one sentence: J'espère réussir mes examens parce que je veux devenir avocat. (I hope to pass my exams because I want to become a lawyer.) Notice both espérer and vouloir are followed by an infinitive (réussir, devenir), and there is no article before avocat after devenir.

vouloir + infinitive = strong want: Je veux devenir ingénieur.
je voudrais + infinitive = polite 'I would like': Je voudrais être vétérinaire.
espérer + infinitive = hope; keep the accents: J'espère aller à l'université.
These verbs are all followed directly by an infinitive — the second verb never changes.

Giving opinions and reasons — parce que and car

Always justify your ambition with parce que (because) plus a reason; it lifts your mark.

Examiners reward answers that go beyond a bare fact. The single most powerful upgrade is to add a reason to every ambition. The two key joining words are:

parce que (because) — the everyday word; becomes parce qu' before a vowel (parce qu'il).
car (because / for) — slightly more formal, great for writing.

Opinion starters to launch your reason:

French	English
j'aime / j'adore	I like / I love
je préfère	I prefer
ça m'intéresse	it interests me
c'est passionnant	it's exciting
c'est utile	it's useful
je suis fort(e) en...	I'm good at...
j'ai toujours rêvé de...	I've always dreamed of...

Putting it together:

Je veux être médecin parce que j'adore aider les gens. (I want to be a doctor because I love helping people.)
Je voudrais devenir professeur car j'aime travailler avec les jeunes. (I would like to become a teacher because I like working with young people.)
Je vais étudier les langues parce que je suis fort en français. (I'm going to study languages because I'm good at French.)
Je ne veux pas travailler dans un bureau parce que c'est ennuyeux. (I don't want to work in an office because it's boring.)

Reason vocabulary (the bit after parce que):

French	English
aider les gens	to help people
gagner beaucoup d'argent	to earn a lot of money
voyager	to travel
c'est bien payé	it's well paid
c'est créatif	it's creative
j'aime le contact avec les gens	I like contact with people

Worked mini-example. Turn a flat statement into a high-scoring one. Flat: Je veux être coiffeuse. (I want to be a hairdresser.) Upgraded with a reason: Je veux être coiffeuse parce que c'est créatif et j'aime le contact avec les gens. (I want to be a hairdresser because it's creative and I like contact with people.)

Always add a reason with parce que (becomes parce qu' before a vowel) or car.
Launch the reason with an opinion: j'adore, je préfère, ça m'intéresse, c'est utile.
Useful reasons: aider les gens, voyager, c'est bien payé, c'est créatif.
A reason instantly lifts your answer from basic to a higher band.

Question→answer frames for Speaking and Writing

Learn paired questions and answers so you can both ask and respond fluently.

In Paper 3 Speaking you must understand the question and respond, and you may also need to ask questions in the role-play. The fastest way to prepare is to learn matched pairs: the question and a ready-made answer frame. Memorise these and just slot in your own details.

Question	English	Answer frame
Que veux-tu faire dans la vie ?	What do you want to do in life?	Je veux devenir ___ parce que ___.
Quel métier veux-tu faire ?	What job do you want to do?	Je voudrais être ___.
Pourquoi ?	Why?	Parce que ___ / Car ___.
Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire après l'école ?	What are you going to do after school?	Je vais ___ (aller à l'université / chercher un travail).
Quels sont tes projets d'avenir ?	What are your future plans?	J'espère ___ et je vais ___.
Où veux-tu travailler ?	Where do you want to work?	Je veux travailler dans/à ___.
Veux-tu travailler à l'étranger ?	Do you want to work abroad?	Oui, je veux travailler à l'étranger / Non, je préfère rester ici.

A model spoken answer (put it all together):

Plus tard, je voudrais devenir médecin parce que j'adore aider les gens. D'abord, je vais aller à l'université pour étudier la médecine. J'espère travailler dans un grand hôpital. C'est un métier difficile mais passionnant.

(Later, I would like to become a doctor because I love helping people. First, I am going to go to university to study medicine. I hope to work in a big hospital. It's a difficult but exciting job.)

Notice the high-value features in that answer:

je voudrais devenir médecin — polite ambition verb, no article after devenir.
parce que j'adore aider les gens — a reason.
je vais aller — futur proche.
J'espère travailler — hope verb + infinitive.
difficile mais passionnant — an opinion with a connector (mais).

Worked mini-example. Answer Pourquoi veux-tu être professeur ? (Why do you want to be a teacher?) Use the Parce que ___ frame and a reason: Parce que j'aime expliquer les choses et je veux aider les jeunes. (Because I like explaining things and I want to help young people.)

Learn matched question→answer pairs so you can both ask and respond.
Core question: Que veux-tu faire dans la vie ? → Je veux devenir ___ parce que ___.
A strong answer combines an ambition verb + futur proche + reason + opinion.
Use Pourquoi ? prompts to practise giving parce que reasons quickly.

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

Jobs (no article after être): Je suis professeur (I am a teacher), Je veux devenir médecin (I want to become a doctor).
Feminine patterns: infirmier → infirmière, coiffeur → coiffeuse, acteur → actrice, avocat → avocate.
Futur proche: Je vais travailler / étudier / aller à l'université (aller + infinitive).
aller: je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont.
Ambition: Je veux + infinitive, Je voudrais + infinitive (polite).
Hope: J'espère + infinitive (keep both accents) — J'espère réussir mes examens.
Reason: ...parce que... / ...car... — parce que j'adore aider les gens.
Time phrases: l'année prochaine, après mes examens, plus tard, à l'avenir.
Core Q&A: Que veux-tu faire dans la vie ? → Je veux devenir ___ parce que ___.
Reasons: aider les gens, voyager, c'est bien payé, c'est créatif, c'est passionnant.

How it’s examined

Future career plans is a core World of Work theme tested across all four papers in Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): Speakers describe their job, their plans and reasons. You must catch the job name, the future verb (je vais..., je veux...) and the reason (parce que...). Watch for the masculine/feminine job ending, which can tell you who is being described.
Paper 2 (Reading): Texts about young people's ambitions and the world of work. Recognise jobs vocabulary and connectors (parce que, car, mais) to follow opinions and identify true/false and matching answers.
Paper 3 (Speaking): Career plans is one of the most common conversation topics. You will be asked Que veux-tu faire dans la vie ? Pourquoi ? Use an ambition verb + futur proche + a reason. Remember the no-article rule (Je suis professeur) and give a reason every time.
Paper 4 (Writing): You may be asked to write about your future plans (e.g. in a message, blog or email). Combine the futur proche, vouloir/voudrais/espérer, justified opinions and connectors. Accuracy of accents (espérer, é endings) and correct job genders earns the language marks.

Examiner reports note that candidates lose marks by adding un/une after être, by giving an ambition with no reason, and by mis-spelling accented verbs like espérer.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Paper 3 (Speaking) & Paper 4 (Writing) Specimen 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-06-02.

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Step-by-step worked examples — Future career plans and ambitions

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on future career plans and ambitions, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Choose the correct masculine or feminine job
Getting started
Question
Complete for a woman: Ma sœur veut être ___ (infirmier). (My sister wants to be a nurse.) Give the correct form and explain the rule.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Identify the person. Ma sœur (my sister) is female, so you need the feminine form of the job.
2. Step 2
  Apply the pattern. Jobs ending in -er change to -ère in the feminine: infirmier → infirmière.
3. Step 3
  Check the no-article rule. After être (to be), drop un/une: just être infirmière, not être une infirmière.
Answer
Ma sœur veut être infirmière. (-er → -ère for the feminine; no article after être.)
Examiner tip
Listening and Reading texts use the job ending to signal whether a man or woman is meant. Getting infirmière (feminine) vs infirmier (masculine) right shows the examiner you control gender agreement, which earns language marks in Paper 4.
2Build a futur proche sentence (aller + infinitive)
Getting started
Question
Say in French: Next year I am going to study science. Use the futur proche and the time phrase l'année prochaine (next year).
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Choose the formula. Futur proche = aller (present) + infinitive. For 'I', aller is je vais.
2. Step 2
  Keep the second verb as an infinitive. 'to study' = étudier; it does NOT change.
3. Step 3
  Add the vocabulary. 'science' = les sciences; the time phrase l'année prochaine can go at the start.
Answer
L'année prochaine, je vais étudier les sciences. (aller = vais; étudier stays in the infinitive.)
Examiner tip
The futur proche is the safest way to express the future at Standard level. Only aller conjugates; the second verb stays in the infinitive. A correct time phrase at the front adds detail the examiner rewards.
3Fix the no-article-after-être error
Building confidence
Question
A student wrote: Je veux devenir un ingénieur parce que c'est interessant. Find and fix the two errors.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Error 1 — the article. After devenir (to become), French drops un/une. Remove un: devenir ingénieur.
2. Step 2
  Error 2 — a missing accent. interessant needs an accent aigu: intéressant (interesting).
3. Step 3
  Reassemble the corrected sentence, keeping parce que + reason intact.
Answer
Je veux devenir ingénieur parce que c'est intéressant. (Dropped un after devenir; added the accent on intéressant.)
Examiner tip
Two of the most common Paper 4 errors in this topic appear together here: adding un/une after être/devenir, and dropping accents. Both cost accuracy marks. Je veux devenir ingénieur — no article — is the model to copy.
4Upgrade a flat answer by adding a reason
Building confidence
Question
Improve this Speaking answer so it scores higher: Je veux être professeur. (I want to be a teacher.) Add a reason and an opinion.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Add a connector. Use parce que (because) — it becomes parce qu' only before a vowel, so here it stays parce que.
2. Step 2
  Add a reason. Choose relevant vocabulary: j'aime travailler avec les jeunes (I like working with young people).
3. Step 3
  Add an opinion for extra range: c'est un métier important (it's an important job).
Answer
Je veux être professeur parce que j'aime travailler avec les jeunes. C'est un métier important. (Ambition + reason + opinion.)
Examiner tip
Examiners reward justified opinions. A bare ambition stays in the lower bands; adding parce que + a reason, then a short opinion, moves the answer up. Note the no-article rule after être (être professeur).
5Write a short future-plans paragraph
Stretch
Question
Write 3-4 sentences about your future plans, combining the futur proche, an ambition verb, a hope verb, and at least one justified opinion.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Open with an ambition. Use Je voudrais devenir ___ (polite) + no article + a reason with parce que.
2. Step 2
  Add a plan with the futur proche. D'abord, je vais ___ (First, I am going to...) + infinitive.
3. Step 3
  Add a hope. J'espère ___ + infinitive — remember the two accents on espère.
4. Step 4
  Finish with an opinion + connector for range: C'est ___ mais ___ (It's ... but ...).
Answer
Je voudrais devenir vétérinaire parce que j'adore les animaux. D'abord, je vais aller à l'université pour étudier. J'espère travailler dans une clinique. C'est un métier difficile mais passionnant.

(I would like to become a vet because I love animals. First, I am going to go to university to study. I hope to work in a clinic. It's a difficult but exciting job.)
Examiner tip
This hits every high-value feature: ambition verb (voudrais) with no article after devenir, a reason (parce que j'adore les animaux), futur proche (je vais aller), a hope verb (j'espère travailler), and an opinion with a connector (difficile mais passionnant). That range is what reaches the top Writing band.

Model Answers — Future career plans and ambitions

High-scoring sample answers for future career plans and ambitions on the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 paper, with examiner-style notes mapping each response to the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Question 1
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. The examiner asks: Que veux-tu faire dans la vie ? (What do you want to do in life?) Give a strong model answer.
Model answer
Plus tard, je voudrais devenir médecin parce que j'adore aider les gens. (Later, I would like to become a doctor because I love helping people.)

Après mes examens, je vais aller à l'université pour étudier la médecine. (After my exams, I am going to go to university to study medicine.)

J'espère travailler dans un grand hôpital. C'est un métier difficile mais très intéressant. (I hope to work in a big hospital. It's a difficult but very interesting job.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It combines four structures the mark scheme rewards: the polite ambition verb voudrais (with no article after devenir), a reason with parce que, the futur proche (je vais aller), and a hope verb (j'espère). The closing opinion with mais adds a connector. Accents are correct throughout (médecin, J'espère, intéressant).
Question 2
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. The examiner follows up with Pourquoi ? (Why?). Give a justified one-to-two sentence answer for someone who wants to be a chef.
Model answer
Parce que j'adore cuisiner et je suis créatif. (Because I love cooking and I'm creative.)

Je voudrais travailler dans un bon restaurant et, plus tard, ouvrir mon propre restaurant. (I would like to work in a good restaurant and, later, open my own restaurant.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. A Pourquoi ? prompt is marked on the reason, so the answer leads with parce que + two ideas (j'adore cuisiner, je suis créatif). It then develops with a future ambition (je voudrais... ouvrir mon propre restaurant), showing the examiner extended, relevant content rather than a one-word reply.
Question 3
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Write a short reply to a friend who asks about your future plans: Quels sont tes projets d'avenir ? (What are your future plans?)
Model answer
Salut ! Quels sont mes projets ? Eh bien, je voudrais devenir ingénieure car je suis forte en maths et en sciences. (Hi! What are my plans? Well, I would like to become an engineer because I'm good at maths and science.)

L'année prochaine, je vais étudier les sciences au lycée. J'espère réussir mes examens et aller à l'université. (Next year, I am going to study science at high school. I hope to pass my exams and go to university.)

Je veux travailler à l'étranger parce que j'aime voyager. Et toi ? (I want to work abroad because I like travelling. And you?)
Why this scores
Why this scores. Written by a female candidate, it uses the feminine job ingénieure and the agreed adjective forte (good at). It mixes voudrais, futur proche (je vais étudier), j'espère and je veux, each with a justification (car, parce que). The closing Et toi ? keeps the message interactive, which Writing tasks reward.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Future career plans and ambitions

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for future career plans and ambitions answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

Je veux + infinitive
Examiner keyword
From vouloir (to want). 'I want to...' followed directly by a verb in the infinitive. Used to state an ambition.
Example
Je veux devenir ingénieur. (I want to become an engineer.)
Je voudrais + infinitive
Examiner keyword
A polite form of vouloir meaning 'I would like to...'. Softer than 'je veux'; ideal for the Speaking exam.
Example
Je voudrais être vétérinaire. (I would like to be a vet.)
J'espère + infinitive
Examiner keyword
From espérer (to hope). 'I hope to...' plus an infinitive. Keep both accents aigus on espérer / j'espère.
Example
J'espère aller à l'université. (I hope to go to university.)
Le futur proche (aller + infinitive)
Examiner keyword
The near future: the present of aller (to go) plus an infinitive, meaning 'going to do something'. Only aller conjugates.
Example
Je vais travailler dans un hôpital. (I am going to work in a hospital.)
Pas d'article après être
Examiner keyword
The rule that no un/une is used before a job after être (to be) or devenir (to become), unless the job is described by an adjective.
Example
Je suis professeur. (I am a teacher.) — not 'un professeur'.
devenir
To become. Followed by a job with no article: devenir médecin, devenir avocate.
Example
Je veux devenir médecin. (I want to become a doctor.)
parce que / car
Examiner keyword
Connectors meaning 'because'. parce que becomes parce qu' before a vowel; car is slightly more formal. Used to justify an opinion or ambition.
Example
Je veux être médecin parce que j'adore aider les gens. (...because I love helping people.)
le métier
A job, trade or profession. Common in questions such as 'Quel métier veux-tu faire ?' (What job do you want to do?).
Example
C'est un métier passionnant. (It's an exciting job.)
Job gender endings
Examiner keyword
Most jobs have masculine and feminine forms: -er→-ère, -eur→-euse, -teur→-trice, or just add -e. Forms in -e/-iste don't change.
Example
infirmier → infirmière; coiffeur → coiffeuse; acteur → actrice.
les projets d'avenir
Future plans. A key phrase for the World of Work theme: 'Quels sont tes projets d'avenir ?' = What are your future plans?
Example
Mes projets d'avenir ? Je vais aller à l'université. (My future plans? I'm going to go to university.)

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Future career plans and ambitions

The traps other students keep falling into on future career plans and ambitions questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Adding un/une before a job after être or devenir (Je suis un médecin)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4
Why it happens
English always uses 'a' ('I am a doctor'), so beginners translate word-for-word.
How to avoid it
Drop the article after être/devenir: Je suis médecin, Je veux devenir ingénieur. Only add un/une if you describe the job with an adjective: C'est un bon médecin.
✕Using the masculine job form for a woman (Ma sœur est infirmier)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), agreement
Why it happens
Learners learn one form of the noun and forget jobs agree with the person.
How to avoid it
Match the job to the person and apply the pattern: infirmier → infirmière, coiffeur → coiffeuse, acteur → actrice. For a woman, say Ma sœur est infirmière.
✕Conjugating the second verb instead of leaving it as an infinitive (Je veux je deviens)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Beginners feel both verbs should 'agree' with the subject.
How to avoid it
After vouloir, voudrais, espérer and aller, the second verb stays in the infinitive: Je veux devenir, Je vais étudier, J'espère réussir. Only the first verb conjugates.
✕Giving an ambition with no reason (just 'Je veux être professeur')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), development
Why it happens
Candidates answer the literal question without developing it.
How to avoid it
Always add parce que (or car) and a reason: Je veux être professeur parce que j'aime aider les jeunes. A reason is what lifts the answer into a higher band.
✕Dropping accents on verbs like espérer / j'espère and on intéressant
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English has no accents, so learners treat them as optional.
How to avoid it
Treat accents as part of the spelling. Learn high-frequency words by heart: j'espère (two é), intéressant, médecin, métier. Check every accent in written answers.
✕Inserting de or à before the infinitive (Je veux de travailler)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Learners over-apply patterns from other verbs that do need a preposition.
How to avoid it
Vouloir, voudrais, espérer and aller take the infinitive directly — no de or à: Je veux travailler, J'espère réussir, Je vais aller.

Past paper style quiz

Get a report showing which sub-topics you've nailed and which ones still need work.

French (masculine / feminine)

Pronunciation

English

un professeur / une professeure

pro-feh-SUR

a teacher

un médecin

mayd-SAN

a doctor (same for both)

un infirmier / une infirmière

an-feer-MYAY / an-feer-MYAIR

a nurse

un avocat / une avocate

a-vo-KA / a-vo-KAT

a lawyer

un ingénieur / une ingénieure

an-zhay-NYUR

an engineer

un vétérinaire

vay-tay-ree-NAIR

a vet (same for both)

un dentiste / une dentiste

don-TEEST

a dentist

un coiffeur / une coiffeuse

kwa-FUR / kwa-FUZ

a hairdresser

un boulanger / une boulangère

boo-lon-ZHAY / boo-lon-ZHAIR

a baker

un cuisinier / une cuisinière

kwee-zee-NYAY / kwee-zee-NYAIR

a cook/chef

un acteur / une actrice

ak-TUR / ak-TREES

an actor / actress

un pilote

pee-LOT

a pilot (same for both)

un policier / une policière

po-lee-SYAY / po-lee-SYAIR

a police officer

un journaliste / une journaliste

zhoor-na-LEEST

a journalist

French

Pronunciation

English

je vais

zhuh vay

I go / I am going

tu vas

tew va

you go (informal)

il / elle va

eel / ell va

he / she goes

nous allons

noo-za-LON

we go

vous allez

voo-za-LAY

you go (formal/plural)

ils / elles vont

eel / ell von

they go

French

English

l'année prochaine

next year

après mes examens

after my exams

dans le futur / à l'avenir

in the future

plus tard

later

quand je serai grand(e)

when I grow up

French

Pronunciation

English

je veux

zhuh vuh

I want

tu veux

tew vuh

you want

il / elle veut

eel / ell vuh

he / she wants

nous voulons

noo voo-LON

we want

vous voulez

voo voo-LAY

you want

ils / elles veulent

eel / ell vuhl

they want

French

English

j'aime / j'adore

I like / I love

je préfère

I prefer

ça m'intéresse

it interests me

c'est passionnant

it's exciting

c'est utile

it's useful

je suis fort(e) en...

I'm good at...

j'ai toujours rêvé de...

I've always dreamed of...

French

English

aider les gens

to help people

gagner beaucoup d'argent

to earn a lot of money

voyager

to travel

c'est bien payé

it's well paid

c'est créatif

it's creative

j'aime le contact avec les gens

I like contact with people

Question

English

Answer frame

Que veux-tu faire dans la vie ?

What do you want to do in life?

Je veux devenir ___ parce que ___.

Quel métier veux-tu faire ?

What job do you want to do?

Je voudrais être ___.

Pourquoi ?

Why?

Parce que ___ / Car ___.

Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire après l'école ?

What are you going to do after school?

Je vais ___ (aller à l'université / chercher un travail).

Quels sont tes projets d'avenir ?

What are your future plans?

J'espère ___ et je vais ___.

Où veux-tu travailler ?

Where do you want to work?

Je veux travailler dans/à ___.

Veux-tu travailler à l'étranger ?

Do you want to work abroad?

Oui, je veux travailler à l'étranger / Non, je préfère rester ici.

Future career plans is a core World of Work theme tested across all four papers in Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): Speakers describe their job, their plans and reasons. You must catch the job name, the future verb (je vais..., je veux...) and the reason (parce que...). Watch for the masculine/feminine job ending, which can tell you who is being described.
Paper 2 (Reading): Texts about young people's ambitions and the world of work. Recognise jobs vocabulary and connectors (parce que, car, mais) to follow opinions and identify true/false and matching answers.
Paper 3 (Speaking): Career plans is one of the most common conversation topics. You will be asked Que veux-tu faire dans la vie ? Pourquoi ? Use an ambition verb + futur proche + a reason. Remember the no-article rule (Je suis professeur) and give a reason every time.
Paper 4 (Writing): You may be asked to write about your future plans (e.g. in a message, blog or email). Combine the futur proche, vouloir/voudrais/espérer, justified opinions and connectors. Accuracy of accents (espérer, é endings) and correct job genders earns the language marks.

Examiner reports note that candidates lose marks by adding un/une after être, by giving an ambition with no reason, and by mis-spelling accented verbs like espérer.

Future career plans and ambitions

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Choose the correct masculine or feminine job

2Build a futur proche sentence (aller + infinitive)

3Fix the no-article-after-être error

4Upgrade a flat answer by adding a reason

5Write a short future-plans paragraph

Je veux + infinitive

Je voudrais + infinitive

J'espère + infinitive

Le futur proche (aller + infinitive)

Pas d'article après être

devenir

parce que / car

le métier

Job gender endings

les projets d'avenir

✕Adding un/une before a job after être or devenir (Je suis un médecin)

✕Using the masculine job form for a woman (Ma sœur est infirmier)

✕Conjugating the second verb instead of leaving it as an infinitive (Je veux je deviens)

✕Giving an ambition with no reason (just 'Je veux être professeur')

✕Dropping accents on verbs like espérer / j'espère and on intéressant

✕Inserting de or à before the infinitive (Je veux de travailler)

Past paper style quiz

Future career plans and ambitions

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Choose the correct masculine or feminine job

2Build a futur proche sentence (aller + infinitive)

3Fix the no-article-after-être error

4Upgrade a flat answer by adding a reason

5Write a short future-plans paragraph

Je veux + infinitive

Je voudrais + infinitive

J'espère + infinitive

Le futur proche (aller + infinitive)

Pas d'article après être

devenir

parce que / car

le métier

Job gender endings

les projets d'avenir

✕Adding un/une before a job after être or devenir (Je suis un médecin)

✕Using the masculine job form for a woman (Ma sœur est infirmier)

✕Conjugating the second verb instead of leaving it as an infinitive (Je veux je deviens)

✕Giving an ambition with no reason (just 'Je veux être professeur')

✕Dropping accents on verbs like espérer / j'espère and on intéressant

✕Inserting de or à before the infinitive (Je veux de travailler)

Past paper style quiz