Preparations for hosting the greatest sporting event in the world go far beyond the construction of new sports venues and staging of test events. Making sure that foreign visitors for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games are well looked after is a prime concern for cariocas, as residents of the city are known. For many, their first contact with carioca culture will be through one of the 50,000 taxi drivers that circulate around the city.

To improve communication between taxi drivers and tourists, the Rio 2016 organising committee is giving out 10,000 free online English courses to drivers. This is the second such initiative, as another 10,000 courses were handed out in August.

“So far, the drivers’ response to the initiative has been great,” said Mariana Behr, Rio 2016’s head of engagement. “Several of them had previously said that the main reason for not learning English before was due to the lack of opportunity to do so. This course doesn’t impose on them a strict schedule so it suits their routine. They also said that a bit more knowledge in the language would be of great help to increase work opportunities with foreigners.”

The course lasts on average four months and is provided by EF English First, the official language services supplier of the Rio 2016 Games. Interested taxi drivers will be able to register from this Tuesday to Friday (13-16 August) at the Ceprano Gas Station (Av. Brasil, 1851).