LingoflyRead the contract before signing
A short text in Spanish at level A2. The translation sits next to it: reading with a dictionary is still too early at this level, and without support it will not happen at all. My sister signed the work contract without reading it in full, and two months later a surprise was waiting for her. The…
Text
- Mi hermana firmó el contrato de trabajo sin leerlo entero, y a los dos meses se llevó una sorpresa. En el papel ponía jornada completa, pero el horario de trabajo era partido: de nueve a dos y de cuatro a siete. Las horas extra estaban pagadas, eso sí, aunque solo si las pedía el jefe del departamento por escrito. De las dos pagas extra al año no se decía nada, y resultó que solo había una, en diciembre. Ahora, cada vez que alguien de la familia empieza en un sitio nuevo, ella dice lo mismo: léelo todo, y las letras pequeñas dos veces.My sister signed the work contract without reading it in full, and two months later a surprise was waiting for her. The paper said full time, but the working schedule turned out to be split: from nine to two and from four to seven. The overtime, true, was paid, but only if the head of the department requested it in writing. Nothing was said about the two yearly bonuses, and it turned out there was only one, in December. Now, whenever someone in the family starts a new job, she says the same thing: read everything, and the small print twice.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- What did the sister do wrong?
- What did the working schedule turn out to be?
- On what condition was the overtime paid?
- How many yearly bonuses were there in fact?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Spanish?
A2. That means: you know the letters and have a stock of everyday words — about two or three hundred.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.