I think it would be reasonable to ask your host to upgrade. If they refuse, consider a new host. Installing a local version of perl and then all the modules you might want to have available might turn out to be a hassle depending on how things are configured on the server you are on, how much disk you are allotted, and that kind of thing. If you really want more control, get a dedicated server (real or virtual) with root access and then install whatever you want.

Update: Regardless of your host, maybe you should consider installing Linux on a local machine? Either as dual-boot or on an old box. (Linux will run on just about any old machine.) If you can do that, it'll probably prove to be a much better platform to learn on than a shell account on a shared server.

-sauoq
"My two cents aren't worth a dime.";