Sochi residents studying English in preparation for Winter Olympics The city authorities in Sochi are organizing free English language courses for people employed in pubic services and health protection in view of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

"English is first being taught to hospital staff, drivers of urban transit and to waiters of cafes and restaurants in the "Olympic hospitality" zone," deputy head of the city administration Irina Romanets has told Interfax.

She said the training is being conducted in groups and is divided into stages.

A separate language course is being developed for the personnel of emergency services.

All staff members of the city administration have also started studying English, Romanets said.

Meanwhile, self-study English language CD courses have sold out in local shops, an Interfax correspondent reports.

"There were plenty of courses in the summer. But now they have sold out. People are buying mainly self-study audio discs," the correspondent said citing various local shopkeepers. The better shopping outlets in Sochi now require that staff members speak English, he added.