Question

【题目】Study or Learn?

English language learners use the verbs “study” and “learn” all the time. Yet, they often are unsure which to choose in a situation. Our subject today comes from Salah of Yemen. The writer asks:

Question:

I would like to know the difference between “study” and “learn.” Thanks!

– Salah, Yemen

Answer:

Hello, Salah, and thanks for your note!

Let’s begin with the dictionary meaning of each word. These are from the Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary:

To study means to read, memorize facts or attend school in order to learn about a subject.

To learn means to gain knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, being taught or experiencing something.

So, studying is just one way of learning. But it is not the only way.

Learn

Sometimes, we learn through experience. For example, if you travel to Thailand, you can visit a lot of sights, try the traditional foods and talk to the local people. By the time you leave, you will have gained a lot of knowledge about the country. So, you can say, “I learned so much about Thailand!”

You could not say, “I studied so much about Thailand!” because your actions did not mainly involve reading, memorizing facts, taking a course, attending school or something similar.

Study

In addition, when you study something, you have not learned it yet.

And, sometimes, you can even study something without learning it. For example, if you say, “I studied English,” it may mean you took English classes. Or maybe you tried to teach yourself through an app or language website.

But maybe you had difficulty with this and still do not know how to speak the language. In that situation, you could not say, “I learned English,” because that would mean you had gained enough knowledge to use it.

Examples

If the difference between “learn” and “study” is not clear yet, here are a few sentences that compare them:

They learned how to write stories in the new writing class.

They spent time studying the techniques of story-writing.

Where did you learn how to bake so well?

Did you study baking in school?

And one last tip for remembering the difference is this expression: “I studied but I did not learn anything.”

And that’s Ask a Teacher. I’m Alice Bryant.

【1】Who are often unsure of how to choose “study” or “learn” in a situation?

【2】What does study mean from the Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary?

【3】When can you say “I learned so much about Thailand”?

【4】What do you mean by saying “I studied English”?

【5】Which expression can help to remember the difference between “study” and “learn”?

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】English language learners.

【2】It means to read, memorize facts or attend school in order to learn about a subject.

【3】When you have gained a lot of knowledge about the country.

【4】It may mean you took English classes. Or maybe you tried to teach yourself through an app or language website.

【5】I studied but I did not learn anything.

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，通过一个问答节目的教师回答，解释了英语中两个相近动词study和learn之间的区别。

【1】根据“English language learners use the verbs “study” and “learn” all the time. Yet, they often are unsure which to choose in a situation”，可知是英语语言学习者不确定，故答案为English language learners.

【2】根据“To study means to read, memorize facts or attend school in order to learn about a subject”可知study的含义，故答案为It means to read, memorize facts or attend school in order to learn about a subject.

【3】根据“By the time you leave, you will have gained a lot of knowledge about the country. So, you can say, “I learned so much about Thailand!””，可知是当你获得了许多关于这个国家的知识时可以这么说，故答案为When you have gained a lot of knowledge about the country.

【4】根据“For example, if you say, “I studied English,” it may mean you took English classes. Or maybe you tried to teach yourself through an app or language website”，可知这意味着你上了英语课，或者是你通过软件或网站自学了英语，故答案为It may mean you took English classes. Or maybe you tried to teach yourself through an app or language website.

【5】根据“And one last tip for remembering the difference is this expression: “I studied but I did not learn anything.””，可知这个表述可以很好地区分study和learn，故答案为I studied but I did not learn anything.