There are many differences between American and British English on the subject of education. Here are some of them.
In the UK, students go to a university for an academic degree and to a college for more skills-based vocational training; in US English, college also refers to a university in which one gets their bachelor’s degree.
In the UK, a student is someone studying in a college or university, while a child in elementary — or primary — school is called a pupil. In the US, a student is anyone studying, from elementary school up through university. Someone in the US who has completed their bachelor’s degree and is pursuing a further degree is called a graduate student; in British English, the term is postgraduate student. The system used in the US to refer to the four years as an undergraduate — freshman, sophomore, junior and senior — is not used in the UK, where they simply say first/second/third and final year student.
In both countries, the word “class” refers to the unit of people you are studying with (as in, “I was in the same class as your brother in senior high school”). In the US, a class is also a course of instruction in a given subject (as in, “I’m taking a class in math”) but in the UK this would be called a course (“I’m taking a course in maths”). The idea of class collectively referring to every student graduating in a certain year (“I was in the class of 1997”) does not exist in the UK.
Finally, in the US, class is the specific period during which you are taught (“What time is your math class today?”) but in the UK they would use lesson for this (“What time is your maths lesson?”).
(Paul Cooper, Taipei Times)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
照片:維基共享資源
美式英文和英式英文的教育用語有許多差異,此處介紹幾個例子。
在英國,學生到「university」(大學)去攻讀學位,而到「college」(學院)去接受比較屬於技能方面的職業訓練。在美式英文中,「college」也指可修讀學士學位的大學。
在英國,「student」(學生)是指在「university」或「college」就讀的人,而上小學──「elementary school」(或「primary school」)的孩子則稱為「pupil」(小學生)。在美國,從小學到大學的學生都可稱為「student」。已獲學士學位並繼續深造的學生,在美國稱為「graduate student」(研究生∕博士生),而英式英文則是說「postgraduate student」。美國稱呼大一生至大四生的用語分別是「freshman」、「sophomore」、「junior」、「senior」,但英國並未採用這套用語,而只是稱為「first year student」、「second year student」、「third year student」,以及「final year student」。
在英、美兩國,「class」都是指「班級」──例如,「I was in the same class as your brother in senior high school.」(我高中和你哥哥同班)。在美國,「class」也是一門課的教學課程──例如,「I’m taking a class in math」(我修數學課),但在英國則是用「course」這個字──例如,「I’m taking a course in maths」。美國的「class」也有「屆」的意思──例如,「I was in the class of 1997」(我是一九九七級/一九九七年畢業的一屆),但在英國並沒有這樣的用法。
最後,「class」在美國也指上課的特定時段──例如「What time is your math class today?」(你今天幾點上數學課?),但在英國則是用「lesson」這個字──「What time is your maths lesson?」。
(台北時報林俐凱譯)
A: The 2024 Paris Olympics is set to open tomorrow (Saturday Taiwan time), and will run until Aug. 11. B: How many Taiwanese athletes will compete in the Olympics? A: About 60 Taiwanese athletes will participate in 16 sports. B: I’ve heard some Olympic gold medalists, such as weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun, and badminton duo Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin, will compete in the Olympics again. A: Asian tennis star Hsieh Su-wei, who is the World No. 1 in women’s doubles, is also on the Taiwan team. Let’s give our support to the Taiwanese players. A: 巴黎奧運自7月26日(台灣時間27日),至8月11日要登場啦。 B: 台灣有多少選手參賽? A: 台灣有60名選手參賽,將參加16項運動種類。 B: 這次奧運金牌舉重名將郭婞淳、羽球男雙李洋/王齊麟都會參賽。 A:
A: Wow, two Taiwanese swimmers have qualified for this year’s Olympics in Paris. B: I know one is the Taiwanese-American swimmer Angie Coe. A: And the other is Eddie Wang, Taiwan’s “King of Butterfly.” B: Didn’t Wang miss a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) test and face an 18-month ban? A: But the Chinese Taipei Anti-Doping Agency (CTADA) argued that this was a case of miscommunication, so in the end WADA decided not to ban him from swimming. A: 這次巴黎奧運,還有兩位台灣選手在游泳項目取得參賽資格! B: 我知道,一位是台美混血女泳將韓安齊。 A: 另一位則是台灣蝶王:王冠閎。 B: 他不是因為錯過了「世界運動禁藥防制組織」(WADA) 的藥檢,原本要被禁賽18個月? A:「中華運動禁藥防制基金會」(CTADA)主張這只是溝通不良,所以WADA最終並未禁賽。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
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