How to Use Learn and Teach Correctly

Teaching and learning go hand in hand. However, it is important to know when and how to use each word. Sometimes people transpose these terms in error, especially when speaking rather than writing. Follow the steps below to learn how to use learn and teach correctly. Then teach these steps to someone else.

Instructions

1. Know the difference in meaning between "learn" and "teach." Both "teach" and "learn" are verbs, so action is involved in both. However, "teach" usually means to distribute or impart knowledge to others. For example, "She will teach me to dance" means that someone shows me how to do something. "Learn" means to gain knowledge oneself, as in the example "She will learn to dance." Here she acquires a skill or knowledge on her own or from someone else.

2. Understand related uses of "learn" and "teach" like "teaching yourself to cook" or taking a "distance learning course." Transferring knowledge and skills doesn't take place in a vacuum, but there are many possible resources and dynamics involved in any educational experience. Someone can learn without a human teacher, as in the sayings "learn by experience" and "learn by doing."

3. Write the sentence using "learn" or "teach" as you think is correct.

4. Double check the sentence, especially if you are using a derivative of either word such as "learner," "learning," "teacher" or "teaching." Verify that you have used the correct word within the context of the sentence. Remember that to "learn" is to absorb or acquire knowledge and that "teach" is to give or impart knowledge.