Apprentice
/əˈprɛn.tɪs/
nounB1
Definition
An apprentice is someone who is learning a skill or job by working with a skilled person, often called a mentor or master. This learning usually happens over a period of time, where the apprentice practices and gains experience in a real work setting.
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See It in Action
A person learning a trade or skill by working with an expert
- •She started as an apprentice in a bakery to learn how to make bread.
- •The apprentice watched carefully as the mechanic fixed the car.
- •Apprentices often work for several years before becoming skilled workers.
Someone new in a job who is still learning the tasks and responsibilities
- •The apprentice needed help with the complicated machine.
- •As an apprentice, he was given small tasks to build his confidence.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "apprentice" like "student," but instead of learning in a classroom, they learn by doing a real job with a teacher
- ✓Picture a young person working next to a skilled carpenter, watching and copying how to build furniture
- ✓It's the feeling of starting a new job and being helped by someone who knows a lot more than you
- ✓Sounds like "a-PREN-tis" → imagine a person who is "PREparing" to be a master by learning carefully
- ✓Think of stories where a young hero learns skills from a wise teacher, like a blacksmith teaching a sword maker
- ✓NOT like "boss" (who leads and tells others what to do); an apprentice is learning, not leading
- ✓NOT like "intern" (sometimes unpaid or short training), an apprentice often has a formal agreement and longer learning time
- ✓NOT like "student" (usually in school), an apprentice learns mostly by practical work
Try Other Words
- •Trainee: a person being trained for a job (Use when the learning is more general and may be in an office or other non-craft setting)
- •Intern: a beginner gaining work experience, often temporarily (Use when the learning is short-term or in a business/office context)
- •Novice: a person new to an activity or job (Use when emphasizing the beginner status rather than formal learning)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "ap-" (toward) + "prentice" (from Old French "aprentiz" meaning learner or student)
- •Etymology: Comes from Old French "aprentiz," from Latin "apprehendere" meaning to grasp or seize (to take hold of knowledge)
- •Historical development: Originally meant a young person learning a craft under a master in the Middle Ages
- •Modern usage: Used for people learning trades like carpentry, cooking, or mechanics through hands-on work and teaching
Reflect & Connect
•How does learning as an apprentice differ from learning in a classroom for you?
•What are some skills or jobs in your country where people usually start as apprentices?
Fill in the blanks
1.An apprentice learns by working ___ an expert who teaches them the job.
2.The apprentice usually spends ___ time practicing skills before becoming skilled.
3.Unlike a student, an apprentice learns mostly by ___ work, not just reading or listening.
4.The apprentice was given ___ tasks at first to build confidence and skill.
5.Apprentices often feel ___ when they make mistakes but learn from them.
6.A trainee is similar to an apprentice, but trainees may work in ___ types of jobs.
7.When someone is an apprentice, they usually have a ___ who guides and supports their learning.