In a year marked by the rapprochement with the U.S, Cuba slowly opens up to the world. And with foreign tourism increasing, more Cubans are learning English, instead of Russian.

The Cuban government has made proficiency in English a requirement for all high school and university students, reports the BBC. Many Cubans are already learning the language themselves, but now they have the tranquility that their children will learn a certain standard of English at school.

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. 

"As an international language, English has always had a place in our curriculum," says Director of Secondary Education Zoe de la Red Iturria. However, language-teaching methods in the island remain quite traditional, relying heavily on textbooks, parrot-fashion repetition and with only very limited Internet access.

As reported in the BBC.