Russian town hosting Olympics learns English, one word at a time

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The Russian resort town of Sochi is determined to learn English -- one word at a time.

Sochi, which is scheduled to host the Winter Olympics in two years, has reportedly embarked on a plan to teach its residents more than 600 words of English to help tourists visiting for the Games.

To do so, it will display a new English word and phrase every day, posted throughout the city in supermarkets, buses and played on the radio, Russian news reports said. The average Sochi resident is expected to run into their new English word five times in a day.

“Every resident of the city of Sochi will be able to greet guests, say kind words and give directions,’ Sochi education chief Olga Medvedeva was quoted in Kommersant.

The very first bit of English that people in Sochi learned this week? ‘Welcome.’

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-- Emily Alpert in Los Angeles