all of this has led to a language which in reality is as far from the portuguese used in portugal and other former portuguese colonies, as american english is from british english, or canadian french is from the french spoken in france -  despite the differences, the language of brazil is still called portuguese and not brazilian, as many think.

due to the internet, globalization of communication across social networks, major events, increased tourism and the booming economy of the last decade, rio de janeiro has seen an increase in the use of English, with many cariocas studying English either on their own or because of job requirements.

this said, not many native cariocas speak foreign languages in rio de janeiro, and even communicating using spanish can be very difficult - so, learning portuguese would be a must for anyone interested in a prolonged stay in the city, or for anyone simply wishing to take home more than just great pictures.