Cubans Learning English as Tourism Grows

More tourism is creating an urgency in English-language learning in Cuba says a new report on BBC. 

“Many Cubans are already learning the language themselves, and if not, they are trying to make sure their children are,” notes Will Grant. 

This is definitely a change from years early when students had a choice to learn Russian or English. 

“During the Cold War, students could choose between learning English and Russian but Cuba's educational authorities told the BBC they now consider English a necessary skill for all of the nation's youth,” says Grant. 

They are hoping to evolve the means by which they learn the language, bringing learning into to the 21st century with use of the Internet. 

"It would be very good for us if we had the internet in the schools. And we hope that in the future, we'll not only have the internet, we're also dreaming of installing language laboratories in every school,” Olga Perez, national adviser for English teaching in Cuba, tells the BBC.

READ MORE: Cuba 2017: The Big Mystery 

And if classes aren’t a possibility, people are trying to teach themselves. 

Second-hand bookseller Darbis Louis tells the BBC that he learned English through computer games, music videos and songs out of necessity for his business. 

"I have to learn how to speak with them and I have to get better and better. I tell them a story because books aren't so easy to sell. So you have to make them believe in what you're saying,” Louis tells the BBC. 

For more on how Cuba is transforming and learning English, read on here.