meaning - What is the difference between taking courses, classes or lessons?


Currently, I am preparing a letter of my study objectives for an university application.
I ask myself what is the exact difference between the following terms? Or can I use them synonymously?



  1. taking courses

  2. taking classes

  3. taking lessons



Answer



The uses and meanings of 'course', 'class' and 'lesson' vary considerably between North American English and British English.


North American English


course


This means a series of classes, on a particular subject, usually lasting a whole semester or year. It does not mean a "course of study"; for this North American English uses "program" or "major". Evidence for this usage comes from American and Canadian University websites in which courses are usually given "credit" values, e.g. 3-credit course, 4-credit course, and listed per semester as the "Schedule of Courses". Example sentences:




  • What courses do I need to take to get a degree in English?

  • Students must register for 4 courses to be considered full time.

  • I'm taking a course on Shakespeare's sonnets.



class


This has two possible meanings in a university context. First, as a particular instance of a course. Example sentences:




  • I can't go for coffee now, I have a class.

  • I have classes all day Wednesday.



Second, as a slightly more informal term for 'course'. Example sentences:




  • I'm taking a class on Shakespeare's sonnets.

  • How many classes are you taking this semester?



In a non-university context, 'class' substitutes for 'course', i.e., 'course' isn't used in these contexts very much. It still has the two meanings above, though.


Example sentences: For a series of individual classes on pottery,




  • I'm taking a pottery class.



For a particular instance of a class,




  • In my yoga class today, we did back bends.



lesson


The word 'lesson' isn't used much in the North American English higher educational context except as part of the compound noun 'lesson plan', which is a technical educational term meaning a plan for a single class. It also appears in the context of individual instruction, especially for musical instruments, e.g. "piano lesson".


British English


course


In British English, a course refers to a course of study, i.e. a series of lectures, tutorials or exams taken over a number of years, usually leading to a degree. Neither 'class' nor 'lesson' is used in the context of Higher Education in the UK, as far as I know.


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