I have been learning English for almost ten years now. And this, mainly through French school system. (Can I say "throughout"? / What is the difference between through and throughout?)
Back then, we were mostly asked to address the teachers with the French words : "Madame" and "Monsieur" even if we were in English class. (At least, that's what I remember from my years in school) But, once arrived at university, we had native English teachers and we had to address them by "Sir" and "Miss". I wonder if that is what students call their teachers or professors in the UK, in the US or in other English speaking countries, or if there is lots of different expressions.
Besides, I also read somewhere that calling a women "Ma'am" can be offensive and that nowadays we should avoid using that word.
I know that it is a complex subject and that everyone has a different view on this, but I would really like your input on this matter.
Thank you for your explanations and have a nice day!
I personally think of 'through' as a physical movement (driving 'through a tunnel) And 'throughout' as a more abstract concept of movement that isn't physical (throughout my time at college), highlighting that the subject you are discussing covers the entire timescale. Not sure how correct that is though, would love to be corrected so I can also learn :)
We addressed our teachers as 'Sir' and 'Miss' in Highschool (UK), in college (16-18) we used the teachers first name which was less formal, but that's not common in all colleges.
Ma'am is a little bit old fashioned, I would never really use this in everyday life. Police use it for female inspectors or higher rankings (only see that on crime TV shows)
Ma'am is not offensive. However, madam might be in certain cases. There are 3 definitions of madam. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/madam
I'm a teacher in the US, so I'll give you my perspective. I think it's most common here to call teachers Ms. Lastname or Mr. Lastname. My last name is hard to pronounce, so some students call me "Miss", and I'm okay with that.
Ma'am is polite, but sort of old-fashioned. Traditionally, you call young women miss, and older or married women are called ma'am. Some women dislike being called ma'am because it makes them feel old.
However, this also varies by location. I live in the southern US, where people are known for being very polite and kind of old-fashioned. Here, it's pretty common to call an adult woman ma'am. My students say "yes ma'am" to me, even though I'm quite young, just to be respectful. I might also call another women ma'am, especially if it's someone I want to show respect, like my boss, a lawyer, someone's grandmother, etc.
Years ago I met a Turkish doctor who went to study in a medical school in San Antonio, Texas. He wanted to meet a friend in a small town near the city, but he got lost. He had heard that Americans are very friendly and eager to help strangers. The doctor knocked at a door to ask for directions. A lady answered the door. He wanted to be very polite, so he said: "Madam, can you help me find this address?" He no sooner said that when a big man came running to the door and shouted in strong Texan accent: "My wife ain't no madam." The poor doctor was shocked and thought that he had said something really wrong. This man thought that a madam can only be the boss in a brothel.