Most common word for "teacher" and "student"

Question

I remember from my first year of Spanish class in my High School that we were taught the word "profesor" for teacher. Along with that, students in Latin America would usually call the teacher "profe" or something else. The word "estudiante" was a part of our vocabulary. However, I am using Rosetta Stone (Latin America) and a few of the words that are used are different from the ones on my vocabulary sheets. Instead of "profesor", the program uses "maestro" and "maestra". Instead of "estudiante", the program uses "alumno" and "alumna".

Hint: words in blue taught in Spanish class
words in green taught in Rosetta Stone

Which of these words are more commonly used? I need a clarification for this.

Answer 1

those words are synonymous, and there are another words which describe a person who teachs. In Latin American in some countries one of those words are more common than others and conversely. so, each country use one word more often than the others words.

And when we say "profe", We really want to say profesor or profesora but we say profe just because we don't want to say the whole word.

synonymous: teacher = profesor y profesora,.. maestro,maestra,... catedrático, catedrática,... educador,.. instructor, mentor, etc.

But in my opinion the most common is..first, profesor (a).(profe), second, maestro, maestra..third, catedrático, catedrática.

synonymus for student: estudiante, alumno, escolar, colegial, discípulo, aprendiz.

Most common: 1). alumno, 2). estudiante, 3 discípulo, 4. aprendiz etc.

Have a great time studying spanish friend. Good luck.

Answer 2

Thanks for the help. I am focusing on which words are most often used in Mexico and in the US. Based off of what we were taught in Spanish class, I would say: Soy estudiante de la escuela secundaria.
Quoted from Rosetta Stone: "Yo soy alumno de una universidad."

Answer 3

In Spain estudiante *is used for university level, *alumno schools and private classes for example.
Maestra especially for kindergarten level, Profesora for schools (short: la profe, el profe).

Answer 4

Here is a link discussing the difference between maestro and profesor. As you can see at this site and from the reply above that the usage varies with region with there being a distinction in some regions and synonymous usage in others. I have seen a similar distinction made between who is an estudiante and who is an alumno, but I'm sure that they are synonyms in some regions.

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php't=205897

If your Spanish is up to it here is a humorous, tongue-in-cheek distinction made between the two terms: alumno y estudiante.

http://dago-rush.blogspot.com/2006/12/alumno-estudiante.html

Answer 5

I remember from my first year of Spanish class in my High School that we were taught the word "profesor" for teacher. Along with that, students in Latin America would usually call the teacher "profe" or something else. The word "estudiante" was a part of our vocabulary. However, I am using Rosetta Stone (Latin America) and a few of the words that are used are different from the ones on my vocabulary sheets. Instead of "profesor", the program uses "maestro" and "maestra". Instead of "estudiate", the program uses "alumno" and "alumna".

Hint: words in blue taught in Spanish class

words in green taught in Rosetta Stone

Which of these words are more commonly used? I need a clarification for this.

I'll let a native answer your question. I just wanted to say that in general what words are used in Spanish to express an idea sometimes vary greatly depending on the region where you are hearing it. In this case I think that which words are used also depends on which grade levels that you are discussing.
I recall a previous thread mentioning the different terms for the different grade levels, but just wait for a native to tell you what is customary.