WEA is short for the Workers' Educational Association, a British organisation that has been running classes for adults since 1903. The key word is 'workers'. It was started for people who left school early and went to work — coal miners, factory workers, shop workers — who still wanted to study history, literature, economics, art.

WEA is short for the Workers' Educational AssociationWEA是「Workers' Educational Association」（工人教育協會）的縮寫，a British organisation that has been running classes for adults since 1903一個從1903年起就開課給成人上的英國組織。The key word is 'workers'關鍵字是「workers」（工人）。It was started for people who left school early and went to work它是為了那些早早離開學校去工作的人成立的 — coal miners, factory workers, shop workers煤礦工人、工廠工人、店員 — who still wanted to study history, literature, economics, art他們仍然想學歷史、文學、經濟、藝術。

The classes are usually part-time, in the evening or during the day in a local hall, library or community centre, and they are cheap or free. You do not need any qualifications to join, and you usually do not get a degree at the end; you go because you want to learn.

The classes are usually part-time課程通常是兼職性質，in the evening or during the day in a local hall, library or community centre在晚上或白天於當地的會堂、圖書館或社區中心上課，and they are cheap or free而且費用便宜或免費。You do not need any qualifications to join加入不需要任何資格，and you usually do not get a degree at the end通常結束後也不會拿到學位；you go because you want to learn你去上課是因為想學。

It is still running today, and now many students are older people, parents at home, or people who want to return to study after a long gap.

It is still running today它今天依然在運作，and now many students are older people, parents at home, or people who want to return to study after a long gap現在很多學員是年長者、在家帶小孩的父母、或是隔了很久想重新讀書的人。

British people who know the name often feel warmly about it — it belongs to a tradition of ordinary working people educating themselves and each other. In writing you may see the full name first and 'the WEA' after.

British people who know the name often feel warmly about it認識這個名字的英國人通常對它有種溫暖的感覺 — it belongs to a tradition of ordinary working people educating themselves and each other它屬於一個普通勞工彼此教育、自我學習的傳統。In writing you may see the full name first and 'the WEA' after書面上可能先看到全名，後面再用「the WEA」。

Note that people say the three letters separately, W-E-A, not as one word. Careful: outside Britain the same three letters mean other things (a record company, for example), so this meaning belongs to a British context.

Note that people say the three letters separately要注意這三個字母是分開唸的，W-E-A, not as one word念成W-E-A，不是唸成一個字。Careful但要小心：outside Britain the same three letters mean other things在英國以外，同樣這三個字母有別的意思（a record company, for example例如一間唱片公司），so this meaning belongs to a British context所以這個意思是英國脈絡下才有的。