This guide will describe high schools located in Spanish-speaking countries. Depending on the country you're referring to, Spanish high schools go by a variety of names. In addition, high school education is divided by grade. For example, in Mexico grades ninth through twelfth grades are divided into two different schools. The school name for seventh through ninth graders is “educación secundaria” and the school name for tenth through twelfth or thirteenth graders is “educación média superior”, “prepartoria” or “bachillerato”. Knowing how to pronounce high school words in Spanish well and correctly is the key to understanding what we say.
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Method 1 of 3: Studying the School Structure
Step 1. Pronounce “secundaria” to refer to a school in Mexico that caters for students in grades seven through ten
Determine the age level of the referred school. In the United States, high school refers to compulsory education for students aged fourteen to eighteen. However, schools in Spanish-speaking countries have a different share of high school compared to high schools in the United States, because school distributions differ in other countries.
- In Mexico, junior high school students range in age from twelve to fifteen. The school was named “secundaria”, and it was a further education of “educación básica” (elementary school).
- If you want more information about high schools in Mexico, there are several government websites that provide information on “secundaria” in Mexico. The website is written in a language that is difficult to understand. However, if you read slowly and glance at the graphs and visuals, you may find some useful information.
Step 2. Pronounce “preparatoria” or “bachillerato” to refer to schools in Mexico that cater to students in grades ten through twelfth
Students from fifteen to eighteen years old study in schools called “preparatoria”, “bachillerato”, or “educación media superior”.
In Mexico, “el bachillerato” is the main school for students wishing to continue their education to university level. On the other hand, “prepartoria” is a school that is intended for students who want to study vocational education so that they are ready to work in a particular vocational field. For example, students who graduate from “prepartoria” are ready to work as laboratory technicians
Step 3. Pronounce “instituto” to refer to schools in Spain that cater to students in grades seven through eleven
In Spain, students aged twelve to sixteen study at the “instituto de educación secundaria” (or “instituto” for short), “colegio concertado”, or “colegio privado”. Students are still required to attend this level of education.
Some high schools are managed by the public, private and a mix of both. In Chile, for example, there is a major change taking place where many schools are starting to be privately run. Almost all parents are willing to spend more money so that their children can attend private or semi-private schools
Step 4. Say “bachillerato” or “ciclos formativos” to refer to schools in Spain that cater to students from grades eleven through college
Students are not required to attend this level of education. However, many students between the ages of sixteen and eighteen study at “bachillerato” or “ciclos formativos” for further training.
- In Spanish-speaking countries, often different high schools will provide different training, so the type of school determines the career path a student can take.
- In Spain, for example, “el bachillerato” is a school that directs students to attend university. By studying at “el bachillerato”, students can get the certificates needed to be able to study at university. In addition, students must prepare for the “Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad”, or university entrance exam, which must be taken in order to be admitted to the university. In addition to studying at “el bachillerato”, to be able to attend university, high school students can take part in the “Ciclos Formativos” program. The program is organized through the “institutos” located in Spain, and the program offers vocational training. When students complete the program, they are ready to work as hairdressers, technicians, and so on.
Method 2 of 3: Using Good and Correct Language
Step 1. Talk to a Spanish teacher about how to pronounce high school in Spanish
If you are giving a presentation about high school in your class, you may want to consult with your teacher about which country to talk about. Ask the teacher if he can train you to be able to use the language properly and correctly.
Step 2. Talk about high school with students from Spanish-speaking countries
You can use the help of other students as a source of information. He can provide the most accurate information and tips on how to discuss high school, because he has lived there.
Step 3. Use good and correct grammar
When discussing high school in Spanish, the grammar takes many forms. Figure out what you want to say, and make sure you're using the correct grammar.
- When talking about a high school building or institution, the word “high school” is classified as a noun and must be preceded by “la” or “el”.
- When referring to high school students, “high school” is classified as an adjective and begins with “de”. Consider the following example: “un estudiante de escuela secundaria”. As you can see, when translating “high school student” from Indonesian to Spanish, the words “high school” and “student” are swapped.
Step 4. Know the gender of the noun
There are words in Spanish that are masculine and feminine. If a word ends in 'o' or 'e', it is most likely masculine and starts with “el”. If a word ends in 'a', 'd', 'z', or 'ión', it is most likely feminine and starts with “la”.
- For example, if you wanted to say “high school (in Ecuador) needs more students” in Spanish, you would say it like this: “se necesitan más estudiantes para el colegio.” The word “Colegio” begins with “el”, because the word “colegio” is masculine.
- For example, if you wanted to say “I studied English in high school (in Chile)” in Spanish, you would say it like this: “estoy estudiando inglés en la enseñanza media”. The term “enseñanza media” is feminine, so it begins with “la”.
Step 5. Decide which Spanish-speaking country you want to study
Some countries have different terms for high school. Here's a short list of commonly used high school terms:
- For Mexico: “la escuela preparatoria”, also known as “la prepa”.
- For Spain, El Salvador, Venezuela: “el bachillerato”, or for Spain “el instituto”.
- For Uruguay or Venezuela: “el liceo” (referring to the school building).
- For Chile: “la enseñanza media” or “el colegio”
- For Ecuador: “el colegio”
- For Cuba: “el instituto preuniversitario”
- The most universal form of “high school” for any country: " la escuela secundaria"
Method 3 of 3: Practice Saying the Word
Step 1. Listen to how native speakers pronounce high school in Spanish
Consult a friend or teacher who can speak Spanish well and ask him or her to help teach you how to pronounce words properly. Ask him to slowly say “escuela secondaria”, or whatever high school term you're learning, a few times.
- If you don't know a native speaker, try opening Google Translate. Type in the word "high school". The words “Escuela secondaria” or “el liceo” will appear in the right column. Below that column is an image of a black speaker. Hover over the loudspeaker image and then the word “Listen” will appear. Click on the loudspeaker image to hear the correct pronunciation of the desired word.
- If you're presenting in Spanish, use the resources above to learn high school pronunciation in full sentences.
Step 2. Say the word “escuela” out loud in a normal volume
Try imitating Spanish speakers or imitating voice recordings. Start practicing by using the first word, which is “escuela” which means “school”. The pronunciation of the word is “es-que-la”.
- Practice saying the word aloud several times at a normal volume. Get advice from a teacher or native speaker to see if you've said a word well or not.
- If no Spanish expert can help, practice in front of a friend. Ask him to listen to the voice recording and tell you whether you pronounce it correctly or not. He can tell if you pronounce it correctly or not, because he can hear your voice live and compare it to a recorded voice.
Step 3. Say the word “secundaria” out loud in a normal volume
In Indonesian, the meaning of the word "secundaria" is "secondary". The pronunciation of the word is " sec-oon-dah-ree-a ". Repeat the above steps using the word "''secundaria''".
Step 4. Use YouTube to help with word pronunciation training
If you have trouble pronouncing certain sounds, watch and watch a Youtube video that discusses all the sounds of the Spanish alphabet. This stage can provide information that can help you with pronunciation training. Apart from that, this step will also help you understand the separate sound in Spanish even better.
Step 5. Practice saying “escuela secundaria” in sentences
Write down what you want to say in Spanish. Practice aloud with others.
