La sala de clase o el aula?

Question

One of my workbooks uses "la sala de clase" for classroom and SD's Learn Spanish 2.11 uses "el aula". When I looked up "classroom" in the SD dictionary it didn't make any distinction between the two, so I was wondering if one or the other is more commonly used and, more importantly, where.

Gracias a todos.

I should mention that I am concentrating more on learning Latin American Spanish, that is why would I like to know which is more common regionally. - hollyjollyberry, Feb 10, 2012

Answer 1

Good question. In addition to the aforementioned, there is also salón de clase, which is with which I am most familiar; it is often shortened to "salón" when one is present in a school. It can also refer to a meeting hall or meeting room or waiting room in a clinic, airport building, house, but is qualified by the addition of "de _____" indicating more specifically what sort of room.

salón de espera waiting area (in an airport or clinic or restaurant) [Apprently, not common as others have pointed out that sala de espera is preferred.]

I have always seen it written as la sala de espera :) Never as salón de espera I am not saying it is wrong but it maybe a regional difference :) saludos - FELIZ77, Feb 10, 2012

Btw Out of interest where have you seen it written as salón de espera? - FELIZ77, Feb 10, 2012

When we fly to rural Mexico, we stop in a regional airport for customs, and there is a sign posted. - Xocoyote, Feb 10, 2012

Answer 2

Deleted

Answer 3

I wonder whether it could be/might be a regional difference between the Spanish spoken in Spain and South/Central America. ???

Most of my teachers including my current teacher (who is a girl from Seville) have been native teachers from Spain and have taught me: la clase de español whereas I only remember having heard the word el aula since I came here, almost 2 years ago. Paralee always seems to use el aula in her teaching videos in preference to la sala de clase.

I am also morefamiliar with: la sala de espera = waiting room.

I await with interest what the natives say

Here is a link to a Mexican airport site with "salon de espera" http://www.vocabulario.com.mx/vocabulario_ingles_aeropuerto.html - Xocoyote, Feb 10, 2012

Qué curioso. Nunca había oído "sala de clase". Y he estado en muchas. Siempre he oído "el aula" o "la clase" (incluso cuando estudiaba en Sevilla). - Cordobesa, Feb 10, 2012

Cordobesa, quería decir las palabras: la clase en lugar del aula. - FELIZ77, Feb 10, 2012

Ok, perdona Feliz, te entendí mal. Es verdad, casi siempre decimos "clase", eso me suena más familiar, jeje - Cordobesa, Feb 10, 2012

Cordobesa, yo quería decir las palabras: la clase en lugar del aula. Obviamente yo estaba equivocada con respeto a la primera parte de la frase: ''la sala'' ( de clase ) Lo siento - FELIZ77, Feb 10, 2012

No es nada, Cordobesa :) La culpa es mia porque lo no he explicado bien - FELIZ77, Feb 10, 2012

Ya está todo aclarado, Feliz, gracias :) ¿Sabes cuándo decimos "aula"? Cuando no queremos repetir "clase": "Tengo clase en el aula número 5", porque "Tengo clase en la clase número 5" suena bastante mal :) - Cordobesa, Feb 10, 2012