What is the difference between taking courses, classes or lessons?

Solution 1:

The uses and meanings of 'course', 'class' and 'lesson' vary considerably between North American English and British English.

North American English

course

This means a series of classes, on a particular subject, usually lasting a whole semester or year. It does not mean a "course of study"; for this North American English uses "program" or "major". Evidence for this usage comes from American and Canadian University websites in which courses are usually given "credit" values, e.g. 3-credit course, 4-credit course, and listed per semester as the "Schedule of Courses". Example sentences:

• What courses do I need to take to get a degree in English?
• Students must register for 4 courses to be considered full time.
• I'm taking a course on Shakespeare's sonnets.

class

This has two possible meanings in a university context. First, as a particular instance of a course. Example sentences:

• I can't go for coffee now, I have a class.
• I have classes all day Wednesday.

Second, as a slightly more informal term for 'course'. Example sentences:

• I'm taking a class on Shakespeare's sonnets.
• How many classes are you taking this semester?

In a non-university context, 'class' substitutes for 'course', i.e., 'course' isn't used in these contexts very much. It still has the two meanings above, though.

Example sentences: For a series of individual classes on pottery,

• I'm taking a pottery class.

For a particular instance of a class,

• In my yoga class today, we did back bends.

lesson

The word 'lesson' isn't used much in the North American English higher educational context except as part of the compound noun 'lesson plan', which is a technical educational term meaning a plan for a single class. It also appears in the context of individual instruction, especially for musical instruments, e.g. "piano lesson".

British English

course

In British English, a course refers to a course of study, i.e. a series of lectures, tutorials or exams taken over a number of years, usually leading to a degree. Neither 'class' nor 'lesson' is used in the context of Higher Education in the UK, as far as I know.

Solution 2:

Notwithstanding the fact that people will be sloppy with their language and use these terms synonymously:

Course is the broadest term for the study of a subject. It could be used to refer to an entire degree program, but it is most appropriately applied to a specific subject such as First Year English Literature.

Class is more specific and is most properly applied to a section of a course taught by one instructor to one group of students at a certain scheduled time.

Lesson is the most specific and implies a particular unit of instruction, such as would be delivered by a particular instructor to a particular class on a given day.

Solution 3:

Each word paints a different image through association in the reader's mind. Here are some meanings associated with each:

• course - field of study, duration as in "time elapsed", the process of evaluation and grading
• class - teacher-student interaction, where the interaction does not necessarily include the evaluation and grading grading process
• lesson - a unit of knowledge, tutorial, achieving a greater level of understanding

Course is at the highest, most abstract (macro) level. Lesson is at the most specific, micro level. Both course and lesson are independent of time. Both are dependent on goals. Class is the least abstract, most tangible of the three. It is dependent on time. It is a process level word.

You know what image you want to convey to the reader. It may not matter which country the reader hails from. What will matter is the other words in the sentence.