Sochi residents ignore City Mayoralty's proposal to learn foreign languages free of charge

Special programmes on learning foreign language have been developed in the capital of the 2014 Olympics. According to the City Mayoralty's intention, not only the personnel involved in serving guests and participants of the Games, but also the citizens should learn English at the communication level. Sochi residents are offered language courses free of charge, but the local population is not eager for learning English.

Starting June 1, the groups of Sochi residents wishing to learn English are being formed. The massive learning of English is a major focus in preparation of Sochi for the Winter Olympic Games in 2014.

Only 100 people attended free English courses during six months of their existence.

"We are ready to teach everyone – schools are open and teachers are waiting, but people do not apply there!" the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Nina Eristavi, Deputy Director of the Sochi Centre for Educational Development.

The programme was designed by Sochi teachers. Lessons are built in the form of a game – students take on the role of an alien, who arrived in Sochi, or a citizen, who met a foreigner, – and allow anyone, regardless of age and education, mastering the common speech cliches, enabling to talk to English-speaking foreigners.

At present, doctors and nurses from a city hospital and personnel of the Federal Migration Service (FMS) graduated from the free English courses. They are pensioners and middle-aged Sochi residents, about 100 people in total, most of them live in Adler District, where the Olympic sports facilities locate.