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Reading Worksheet

Three Years in Barcelona

B1 Future Perfect Continuous: Extended Duration in Future Context Language Learning and Travel 25 minutes
Before You Read

Discuss these questions with a partner before you read.

  • Have you ever lived in another country, or would you like to? Where?
  • What do you think is the best way to learn a foreign language — in a classroom or by living in the country?
  • What do you think is the hardest part about living far from your family?
  • If you could teach English abroad for three years, which country would you choose?
Key Vocabulary
Word Definition Example
contract (n.) a legal agreement to work for a set period He is finishing his three-year teaching contract.
constantly (adv.) all the time, without stopping He will have been speaking Spanish constantly for three years.
abroad (adv.) in or to a foreign country He will have been living abroad for over three years.
reflect (v.) to think carefully about your experiences James reflects on what he will have experienced.
consider (v.) to think about doing something He is considering a move to Japan.
duration (n.) the length of time something lasts The future perfect continuous emphasises duration.
Reading Text
Blog Post ~285 words

Three Years in Barcelona

James is 25 years old and works as an English teacher in Barcelona. He is originally from Dublin, Ireland, but he moved to Spain three years ago to take a teaching contract at a language school in the city centre. In three months, that contract ends — and James is already reflecting on what this chapter of his life will have meant.

By the time his contract finishes, James will have been living in Barcelona for three years. He will have been teaching English to children every day for three years. He will have been speaking Spanish almost constantly — at work, in shops, with friends, and in his neighbourhood — for three years. He will also have been playing in a local football team every Sunday for two years. "I arrived knowing almost no Spanish," he says. "That feels impossible to imagine now."

When James returns to Ireland, he will have been living abroad for more than three years. He will have been away from his family for the longest period of his life. It will not be easy to readjust.

James is already considering his next move. He is thinking about Japan. If he goes, by the time he turns 35, he will have been teaching abroad for twelve years.

"When I left Dublin at 22, I had no idea how much my life would change," he writes in his blog. "I will have been building a different kind of life for many years. I am not the same person I was. But I think that is the point of going abroad in the first place — to discover who you are when everything around you is new."

Notice the Grammar

Look at this sentence: 'By the time his contract finishes, James will have been living in Barcelona for three years.' Underline the verb structure. What does it tell you about: (a) the action — what is James doing? (b) the time — how long will he have been doing it? (c) the reference point — when does the three years end?

1 Reading for Gist

Answer these questions in a few words. You do not need to write full sentences.

  1. What is James's job in Barcelona?
  2. Where is James from originally?
  3. What is the main topic of the blog post?
2 Reading for Detail

Write short answers using information from the article.

  1. How long has James been in Barcelona, and how much longer does his contract last?
  2. For how long will James have been playing in a local football team by the time he leaves?
  3. Which country is James considering moving to next?
  4. If James goes to Japan, how long will he have been teaching abroad by the time he turns 35?  a) Three years. b) Five years. c) Twelve years. 
  5. What does James say is the main reason to go abroad?
3 True, False, or Not Given

Read each statement. Write T (True), F (False), or NG (Not Given). If the answer is False, write what is correct.

  1. James will have been teaching English in Barcelona for three years by the time his contract ends.
  2. James spoke very good Spanish before he arrived in Barcelona.
  3. James's family visited him in Barcelona during his three years there.
  4. James is writing a blog about his experience.
  5. James moved to Barcelona when he was 25 years old.
4 Vocabulary in Context

Answer these questions about words and phrases from the article.

  1. In paragraph 3, 'readjust' most likely means:  a) To feel excited about coming home. b) To get used to something again after a period of change. c) To make new friends quickly. 
  2. James says he will have been 'building a different kind of life' for many years. What do you think he means by 'building a life'?
  3. Find a word in paragraph 2 that means 'in a continuous way, without stopping'. 
  4. In your own words, what does James mean when he says 'I am not the same person I was'?
5 Grammar in Context

Complete these activities about the future perfect continuous.

  1. Find five future perfect continuous sentences from the article. Write them below.
    a)  b)  c)  d)  e) 
  2. James says 'I will have been building a different kind of life for many years.' What does this sentence emphasise?
  3. Which sentence uses future perfect continuous correctly?  a) By next year, I will have been learning Spanish since two years. b) By next year, I will have been learning Spanish for two years. c) By next year, I will been learning Spanish for two years. 
  4. Write future perfect continuous sentences using the prompts. (a) He lives in Barcelona / 3 years / by the end of his contract → (b) He teaches English / 3 years / by the time his contract ends → (c) He teaches abroad / 12 years / by the time he turns 35 →
  5. Write three sentences about what you will have been doing for a long time in the future. Use 'will have been + -ing' and a 'for' phrase.
Personal Response — Discuss with a partner

Discuss with a partner. Share one idea with the class.

  1. James says living abroad changed who he is. Do you think travel or living in another country can really change a person? How?
  2. Would you prefer to spend several years living in one foreign city, or travel to many different places? Why?
  3. Think about yourself in 10 years. By then, what will you have been doing for a long time — a hobby, a subject, a skill, or a relationship?

Answer Key

Three Years in Barcelona — B1 — Future Perfect Continuous: Extended Duration in Future Context

Exercise 1 — Reading for Gist

  1. He is an English teacher.
  2. Dublin, Ireland.
  3. James reflecting on his time in Barcelona before his contract ends / what he will have experienced by the time he leaves.

Exercise 2 — Reading for Detail

  1. He has been there for three years, and his contract ends in three months.
  2. Two years.
  3. Japan.
  4. c)
  5. To discover who you are when everything around you is new.

Exercise 3 — True, False, or Not Given

  1. T — Paragraph 2 states this directly.
  2. F — He says 'I arrived knowing almost no Spanish'.
  3. NG — The article mentions he has been away from his family but says nothing about whether they visited.
  4. T — The final paragraph begins 'he writes in his blog'.
  5. F — He is 25 now. He left Dublin 'at 22' (three years ago), so he moved to Barcelona at 22.

Exercise 4 — Vocabulary in Context

  1. b)
  2. He means gradually creating a way of living — making friends, finding routines, developing skills, and becoming part of a community. It is not one action but a continuous process.
  3. constantly
  4. He means that living abroad has changed him — his experiences, his language skills, and the people he has met have made him a different (probably more confident or open-minded) person.

Exercise 5 — Grammar in Context

  1. Any five sentences using 'will have been + -ing'. Examples: 'James will have been living in Barcelona for three years'; 'He will have been teaching English to children every day for three years'; 'He will have been speaking Spanish almost constantly for three years'; 'He will have been playing in a local football team every Sunday for two years'; 'he will have been living abroad for more than three years'; 'He will have been away from his family for the longest period'; 'he will have been teaching abroad for twelve years'; 'I will have been building a different kind of life for many years'.
  2. It emphasises the duration — how long he will have been doing this. It is not about a single completed moment, but about an ongoing activity that will have continued for a long time.
  3. b)
  4. (a) He will have been living in Barcelona for three years by the end of his contract. (b) By the time his contract ends, he will have been teaching English for three years. (c) By the time he turns 35, he will have been teaching abroad for twelve years.
  5. Answers will vary. Answers will vary. Check: will have been + -ing + for [duration] + by [future time]. Encourage personal goals or habits.

Notice the Grammar — suggested answers

Accept any five correct examples from the article that use the target grammar. Students should be able to explain why the grammar is used in each case.

Personal Response

Answers will vary. This section is for spoken discussion or short written response. There are no single correct answers.