Theme 4: Future Aspirations, Study and Work — Ambitions (Further Study, Volunteering, Training)
Welcome to your complete revision notes for the Ambitions chapter of your Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Japanese course! Talking about what you want to do in the future is one of the most rewarding parts of learning Japanese. Whether you are aiming for Foundation Tier (Grades 1–5) or Higher Tier (Grades 4–9), being able to express your future plans, study options, volunteering ideas, and practical training will help you secure top marks across all four exam papers: Listening (Paper 1), Speaking (Paper 2), Reading (Paper 3), and Writing (Paper 4).
Don't worry if Japanese sentence structures sometimes feel backwards compared to English. We will break every grammar point and vocabulary cluster into simple, step-by-step chunks so that you can build confident, accurate sentences every time.
---1. Essential Vocabulary for Ambitions
To talk about the future, you need specific vocabulary for different pathways: continuing your academic studies, taking up vocational training, or giving your time through volunteering.
Further Study (進学 / しんがく)
• 大学 (だいがく) — University
• 専門学校 (せんもんがっこう) — Vocational school / Technical college
• 留学 (りゅうがく) — Study abroad
• 大学院 (だいがくいん) — Graduate school / Post-graduate study (Higher Tier essential)
• 受験 (じゅけん) — Taking entrance examinations
• 教育 (きょういく) — Education
Volunteering (ボランティア)
• ボランティア (ぼらんてぃあ) — Volunteer / Volunteering
• 手伝う (てつだう) — To help / To assist (Group 1 / U-verb)
• 役に立つ (やくにたつ) — To be useful / To be helpful
• 経験 (けいけん) — Experience
• 寄付 (きふ) — Donation
Vocational & Practical Training (研修・実習)
• 研修 (けんしゅう) — Training / Induction
• 実習 (じっしゅう) — Practical training / Hands-on practice
• 練習 (れんしゅう) — Practice
• 資格 (しかく) — Qualification / Certification
Dreams, Goals & Plans
• 将来 (しょうらい) — Future (usually referring to one's own personal future)
• 夢 (ゆめ) — Dream
• 予定 (よてい) — Plan / Schedule
• 目的 (もくてき) — Purpose / Goal
• 成功 (せいこう) — Success
Key Takeaway: Examiners look for clear distinctions between unpaid community support (ボランティア) and paid part-time jobs (アルバイト). If you mention volunteering, link it to gaining 経験 (けいけん - experience) or helping society!
---2. Grammar Masterclass: Expressing Intentions and Plans
In English, we say "I want to", "I plan to", or "I'm thinking of". In Japanese, you express certainty, desire, and intention using specific sentence endings attached to your verbs.
A. Personal Desires: Verb Stem + たいです (I want to...)
This is the foundation for expressing personal ambition. Take the polite ~ます stem and replace ます with たいです.
• Example: 大学に行きます (I go to university) → 将来、日本で大学に行きたいです。 (In the future, I want to go to university in Japan.)
• Example: 経験を得ます (I gain experience) → ボランティアの経験がしたいです。 (I want to do volunteer experience.)
B. Clear Intentions: Plain/Dictionary Form + つもりです (I intend to...)
Use つもりです when you have already formed a definite intention or decision.
• Formation: [Dictionary form verb] + つもりです
• Example: 高校のあとで、専門学校に入るつもりです。 (After high school, I intend to enter a vocational school.)
• Negative intention: [Negative plain form (ない-form)] + つもりです
• Example: 大学院には行かないつもりです。 (I do not intend to go to graduate school.)
C. Scheduled Plans: Plain Form + 予定 (よてい) です (It is planned that...)
Use 予定です when talking about an arranged plan, schedule, or timetable.
• Formation: [Dictionary form verb] + 予定です OR [Noun] + の予定です
• Example: 来年、日本へ留学する予定です。 (I am scheduled to study abroad in Japan next year.)
• Example: 夏休みに病院で実習の予定です。 (I have plans for practical training at a hospital during the summer vacation.)
D. Developing Ideas (Higher Tier): Volitional Form + と思っています (I am thinking of doing...)
This structure shows sophisticated language control. It indicates a decision you have been considering for some time.
• Group 1 (U-verbs): Change the final -u sound to -ō (e.g., 行く → 行こう).
• Group 2 (Ru-verbs): Drop -ru and add -yō (e.g., 受ける → 受けよう).
• Irregular verbs: する → しよう / 来る (くる) → 来よう (こよう).
• Example: 将来、資格を取ろうと思っています。 (I am thinking of getting a qualification in the future.)
• Example: 困っている人を手伝おうと思っています。 (I am thinking of helping people in trouble.)
E. Expressing Possibility: Plain Form + かもしれません (Might / Maybe)
Useful when your future plans are not 100% fixed.
• Example: 大学の受験は難しいかもしれません。 (The university entrance exam might be difficult.)
• Example: 来年、ボランティアをするかもしれません。 (I might do volunteering next year.)
F. Giving a Reason or Purpose: Dictionary Form + ために (In order to...)
Connect your ambition directly to your motivation.
• Formation: [Verb dictionary form] + ために
• Example: 人の役に立つために、研修を受けます。 (In order to be useful to people, I will undergo training.)
• Example: 成功するために、毎日練習します。 (In order to succeed, I practice every day.)
G. Comparing Choices: AよりBのほうがいいです (B is better than A)
Great for Speaking and Writing tasks when explaining why you prefer one pathway over another.
• Example: 大学より専門学校のほうがいいです。実習が多いですから。 (A vocational school is better than university. Because there is a lot of practical training.)
Key Takeaway: Variety earns high marks! Don't just repeat ~たいです. Mix in ~つもりです, ~予定です, and ~と思っています to show the examiner your grammar range.
---3. Essential Kanji Spotlight
Remember: Foundation Tier requires 76 prescribed Kanji, while Higher Tier requires the full list of 200 Kanji. Here are the core characters central to this topic:
• 学 (まな・がく) — Study / Learn (as in 大学, 学生, 専門学校)
• 大 (おお・だい・たい) — Big / Great (as in 大学, 大学院, 大変)
• 先 (さき・せん) — Previous / Ahead (as in 先生, 先月)
• 生 (う・い・せい・しょう) — Life / Born (as in 学生, 先生, 生きる)
• 校 (こう) — School (as in 学校, 高校, 専門学校)
• 来 (く・き・こ・らい) — To come / Future (as in 将来, 来年, 来週)
• 行 (い・ゆ・こう・ぎょう) — To go (as in 行く, 旅行)
Top Tip for Kanji Writing: Pay attention to strokes and dots. In characters like 学 and 校, missing a top dash or misplacing a stroke can cost you marks for communication clarity.
---4. Common Pitfalls & Examiner Warnings
Avoid these common traps highlighted in official Pearson Edexcel examiner reports:
• Particle Error with "Entering" Institutions: When stating that you will enter a school or university, always use the destination particle に, NOT を.
Incorrect: 大学を 入ります。
Correct: 大学に 入ります。 (だいがくに はいります)
• Volunteering vs. Part-time Job: Do not mix up ボランティア (unpaid charity work) and アルバイト (paid part-time work). If an exam question asks about volunteering, talking about earning money (お金) is incorrect; focus on helping others (手伝う / 役に立つ) and gaining experience (経験).
• Using ~たい for Other People: The ending ~たいです is reserved only for first-person desires ("I want"). If you are describing a friend's or family member's ambition in a Higher Tier writing or speaking task, use: ~たがっています (they want to) or ~たいと言っていました (they said they want to).
• Tense Mixing: Keep your timelines clear! If you are recounting past practical training or volunteering, use past tense (~ました / ~た). When shifting to future ambitions, switch cleanly to future expressions (~たいです / ~つもりです / ~予定です).
• NO Romaji Allowed: Every word in your writing paper must be written in standard Japanese script (Hiragana, Katakana, and required Kanji). Romaji will receive zero credit.
---5. Exam Strategies for Paper 2 (Speaking) & Paper 4 (Writing)
Register & Politeness
Unless a task specifically asks for an informal letter or diary entry, always default to the polite register (です / ます) in your Speaking role-play/conversation and Writing tasks.
Writing Word Count Targets
• Foundation Tier (Paper 4):
Task 1: 20–30 characters
Task 2: 40–50 characters
Task 3: 80–90 characters
• Higher Tier (Paper 4):
Task 1: 80–90 characters
Task 2: 130–150 characters
Model Response Breakdown (Higher Tier Writing Example)
Prompt: Describe your future ambitions regarding further study or training.
高校を卒業したあとで、大学に入ろうと思っています。将来、教育の仕事がしたいですから、大学で勉強するつもりです。また、夏休みにボランティアをして、いい経験を得たいです。
(After graduating from high school, I am thinking of entering university. Because I want to do work in education in the future, I intend to study at university. Also, during the summer holidays, I want to volunteer and gain good experience.)
Why this scores highly:
1. Correct particle usage (大学に入る).
2. Connects ambition to reasons (~から).
3. Combines different structures (~ようと思っています, ~たいです, ~つもりです).
4. Uses Theme 4 vocabulary accurately (将来, 教育, 経験, ボランティア).
6. Quick Revision Checklist
Before your exam, test yourself on whether you can:
• State at least two different future pathways (e.g., 大学 vs 専門学校).
• Form a sentence explaining why you want to volunteer using 役に立つために.
• Distinguish between your own desires (~たいです) and arranged schedules (~予定です).
• Correctly write key Kanji: 学, 大, 校, 来, and 生 without looking.
• Conjugate a Group 1, Group 2, and Irregular verb into the volitional form for ~と思っています.