Duolingo Records Massive Spike In Interest For The Ukrainian Language

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, language learning app Duolingo has seen a dramatic 485% increase in the number of users opting to learn Ukrainian. 

A majority of the spike comes from US, where Duolingo has most of its members, although it has reported a staggering 1,800% increase in users from Poland, who could be using the app to communicate with refugees flooding in from the neighboring country.

Luis von Ahn, the app’s co-founder, said that it didn’t feel right to be profiting from the ongoing conflict on Ukraine, and as such, the platform will be donating all of the advertising revenue from people learning the language to the country’s relief funds. 

“These funds will support our partners at the UNHCR, IRC, and other organizations working to help refugees from Ukraine,” said Von Ahn. 

“Through these partners and others, we will also distribute codes for Duolingo Plus so refugees and their hosts can use the premium version of Duolingo for free,” he added.

Additionally, the service will be freezing the daily streaks of Ukrainian users who aren’t able to maintain daily progress on the app, so can they catch up at a later date. 

[via Mashable and Duolingo, cover image via Rafael Henrique | Dreamstime.com]