Gov. Cuomo: New York to be 1st state to offer English lessons by cellphone to Spanish speakers

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York will be the first state to offer English-language lessons to Spanish speakers over their mobile phones.

Cuomo announced the pilot program Monday. It's designed to help immigrants who don't have the time or means to get traditional language lessons.

The service uses audio and texts and is free — aside from typical fees for minutes and texts.

A version for Spanish-language users will be introduced first in New York City, the Hudson Valley, North Country and the Finger Lakes. Other languages could follow if the initial $14,000 program is extended.

The state is working on the initiative with Cell-ED, a company that got its start using cellphones to improve literacy.