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Shall we learn Spanish next year?

Will we learn Spanish next year?

If I understand right, both versions are possible but the meaning is different.

The first one can be used in a conversation between friends who both are learning Spanish in a self-study course. That's not about learning in school.

The second question can be asked to a teacher in school. Right?

Sergei
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1 Answers1

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'Shall we' is used when you are making a proposition or suggestion. So, "shall we learn Spanish" is a suggestion to someone that you should learn Spanish. It invites them to make a joint decision with you.

"Will we learn Spanish" is a straight question. It suggests that the decision has already been made, and you are seeking the result.

So, in the context of your example, "will we..." seems to be the correct choice when asking a teacher what you will be learning (what they have presumably already decided you will be learning). And "shall we..." would be appropriate to suggest to someone else, such as a friend, what language you might learn together.

Astralbee
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  • in my grammar book "shall we learn" is the right answer. That's why I'm asking about situation when it's used. – Sergei Aug 08 '22 at 12:39
  • I'm afraid your book is wrong. "Shall we...?" is usually a suggestion that the speaker and the addressee(s) should do something together. – Kate Bunting Aug 08 '22 at 16:15
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    The book is either wrong or very old-fashioned. "Shall we ___?" used to be a common way of asking "Is it possible that we will never ____?" or "Won't we ever ____?" (for example, this article from 1918 asking 'Shall we never learn?") but no one speaks that way anymore. – stangdon Aug 08 '22 at 17:56
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    @sergei But you haven't told us what the question is! If the question is "hey friend, we learned together this year, what language shall we learn next year?" then the answer would be correct, as per my answer. – Astralbee Aug 08 '22 at 21:21
  • @Astralbee, Don't be so emotional person. I give you my suggestions and you wrote your answer. In the book there is no context. – Sergei Aug 09 '22 at 05:01
  • @stangdon, The book was published in 1996. – Sergei Aug 09 '22 at 05:02
  • @Sergei But depending on who the authors, editors, and publishers were, they might have been working from an earlier textbook. – stangdon Aug 09 '22 at 12:16
  • @stangdon, Maybe, but I don't think so. It's from Cambridge University Press. Reprinting was in 2001. I can't understand that reaction about "shall we learn". Let it be the suggestion of his friend. What's wrong? – Sergei Aug 09 '22 at 15:11