A new initiative by Rio 2016 and its partners will help ensure that foreign visitors to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be able to get around the city without stress. From Monday (10 August), 10,000 online English courses will be provided to Rio’s taxi drivers, with the aim of helping them to prepare to communicate with tourists next year. Successful students in the scheme, which is being run by Rio 2016 in partnership with Radio Globo and the English First (EF) group, will receive a certificate of recognition from the Ministry of Education.

Interested taxi drivers will be able to register at two locations from Monday to Friday (10-14 August)  – one at the Radio Globo building in the Glória neighbourhood, near the Olympic sailing venue, the other at Madureira Park, which will host one of the Games-time live sites and already has a set of giant Olympic rings from the London 2012 Games installed.

Two-time Olympic volleyball champion Giovane Gávio will be in Glória to welcome the taxi drivers, while Rio 2016 Olympic Games mascot Vinicius will greet them at Madureira Park.

“When tourists arrive in Rio, taxi drivers are often the first local people to greet them,” said Mariana Behr, head of engagement at Rio 2016. “They can provide up to date information and share tips and advice. One year from now, our taxi drivers will host people from all corners of the world who come to Rio for the Games, and we want to help improve this dialogue.”