Canadian vs. American English: School Vocabulary, Part 2
– B1-C1 (intermediate to advanced) –
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Canadian English is a different dialect or variety of the English language from American English. This means that there are many differences in vocabulary, spelling, grammar, pronunciation, and more. Some of the most notable differences in vocabulary, specifically, is when the conversation turns to education. Here are five examples:
TEACHER
“Teacher” image credited to Max Fischer from Pexels.
🇨🇦 CANADIAN ENGLISH
(noun)
a person whose job is to educate children and teenagers at an elementary school, middle school, junior high school, or high school
🇺🇸 AMERICAN ENGLISH
(noun)
a person whose job is to educate, in general
NOTE:
In American English, a teacher can educate children, teenagers, university students, adults, retirees–anyone. They can also teach anywhere: elementary schools, middle schools, junior high schools, high schools, colleges, academies, private businesses, etc.
The main difference between Canadian and American English regarding the word, “teacher,” is that the definition of this word is more limited in Canada. In Canadian English, a teacher is typically considered a specific profession that is different from a coach, tutor, instructor, professor, or educator. In American English, however, each of these professions are considered types of teachers.
If an adult in Canada uses the word, “teacher,” to refer to one of these other professions (coach, tutor, instructor, professor, educator), then they often sound childish to other Canadians.
GRADE
“B Grade” image credited to Andy Barbour on Pexels.
🇨🇦 CANADIAN ENGLISH
(noun)
a specific level of formal education (e.g., Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, etc.)
(noun)
an average evaluation score of a student’s course, semester, year, or level of formal education(e.g., of History Class, of the first semester of Second Year, of all of Second Year, of all of Grade 10, etc.)
(noun)
an evaluation score represented by a letter (e.g., A, B, C, D, F)
NOTE:
Canadian schools do not typically evaluate students with letters, but when they do this score is called a grade. When a fraction, percentage, or other scoring system is used in Canadian schools it is generally called a mark.
🇺🇸 AMERICAN ENGLISH
(noun)
a specific level of formal education (e.g., First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, etc.)
(noun)
an evaluation score of anything a student does in formal education (e.g., assignment, project, presentation, test, course, semester, year, etc.)
(verb)
to correct a student task and give an evaluation score (e.g., assignment, project, presentation, test, course, semester, year, level, etc.)
To summarize, the word “grade” has many meanings in both Canada and the United States.
In each country, the word, “grade,” represents a specific year of elementary school, middle school, junior high school, and high school. In Canadian English, the word, “Grade,” is used before a cardinal number (e.g., Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, etc.), but in American English the word, “Grade,” is used after an ordinal number (e.g., Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade, Sixth Grade, etc.). At the high school level, this system continues in Canadian English (Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12), but in American English it is preferred to call these years “Freshman Year,” “Sophomore Year,” “Junior Year,” and “Senior Year,” respectively. This structure is repeated at the college level in the USA, whereas in Canadian colleges and universities the expressions, “First Year,” “Second Year,” “Third Year,” and “Fourth Year,” are generally used.
On the topic of evaluation scores, Canadian English generally uses the word, “grade,” to refer to the final score given to a student to represent their academic performance in a particular course subject, semester, or year. In other situations (e.g., assignment, project, presentation, test, etc.) the word, “mark,” is expressed. This can also be used as a verb in the same way that American English uses “grade” as a verb. Additionally, American English uses “grade” to refer to evaluating everything in academic life; it is not specific to letters or overall scores for courses, semesters, or years like it is in Canadian English.
TO WRITE A TEST
“Test” image credited to Andy Barbour on Pexels.
🇨🇦 CANADIAN ENGLISH
to answer questions on a test
🇺🇸 AMERICAN ENGLISH
to create a test
In Canadian English, it is common to say that students write tests, but to an average American this can sound like the student created the test. So, instead, American English generally opts for the phrase “to take a test” when referring to answering questions on a quiz or exam. In Canadian English, “to write” is a synonym of “to take” in the student context. So, if a person wants to refer to the creation of a test, then the verbs, “prepare,” “make,” or “put together” are commonly used in Canadian English (e.g., "Before high school students can receive their final grades, they must write a test, which their teacher prepares for them in advance”).
READING WEEK
“Reading” image credited to ArtHouse Studio from Pexels.
🇨🇦 CANADIAN ENGLISH
(noun)
A five-to-ten-day vacation for students during the fall and/or spring
NOTE:
In some Canadian regions other phrases are sometimes used to refer to Reading Week in the spring: Winter Break, Easter Break, March/April Break.
These terms, including “Reading Week,” are generally used at all levels of formal education in Canada (e.g., elementary school, middle school, junior high school, high school, college, university).
🇺🇸 AMERICAN ENGLISH
The expression, “Reading Week,” is not generally used in American English. Instead, the phrases “Fall Break” and “Spring Break” are common. The duration of these breaks vary on average between two and five days in the United States.
To clarify, “Reading Week” is a Canadian English term. It is a break in the academic school year during which there are no classes. This gives students an opportunity to catch up on their classwork, study, and/or relax. This concept exists in American English, too, but it is typically called, “Fall Break” and “Spring Break,” instead. The length of these breaks generally depend on institution and region, though Canadian schools are known to offer longer vacation time.
BURSARY
“Money” image credited to Erik Mclean from Pexels.
🇨🇦 CANADIAN ENGLISH
money that is given to a student, which they can use toward their personal expenses or education expenses (e.g., entertainment, travel, gas, vehicle, rent, computer, textbooks, tuition, etc.)
🇺🇸 AMERICAN ENGLISH
The concept of a bursary is not a common one in American society. Instead, financial aid is given to students in a variety of other ways. Generally speaking, the closest thing to a bursary in American English is a scholarship (which also exists in Canadian English and has the same definition): money that is given to a student, which they must first use on education expenses (e.g., school fees, tuition) before they can use it on other academia-related items (e.g., school supplies, computer, housing, child care, etc.).
