Duolingo (Nasdaq: DUOL) – the world’s most popular language learning app – today launched a new Indian language course on their platform allowing users to learn English from Bengali, for the first time ever. Speakers of Bengali, the second most spoken language in India, can now learn English for free on the Duolingo app on iOS, Android and web. This launch follows the success the brand witnessed after enabling Hindi speakers to learn English, making it the most popular course in India today. In fact, 40% of all learners on Duolingo in India are learning English from Hindi.
Along with displaying great pride in local heritage and traditions, Indians – who are largely multi-lingual – are constantly adding international languages to their portfolios. The most popular of these languages are English, followed by Korean, French, Spanish, German, and Japanese.
While the range of reasons to study a new language is diverse for Indian learners, professional and personal growth remain top motivators. According to a recent study by the brand, this trend is observed across age groups as well as across metro and non-metro cities in India. This falls in line with Duolingo’s vision to create a language learning app that is free and fun for people to use, allowing them to benefit from economic and personal growth advantages.
With the launch of the Bengali to English course, Duolingo intends to make this fun learning tool available to over 300 million Bengali speakers worldwide, including those in India and Bangladesh. The Duolingo app uses machine learning to identify the user’s current level of proficiency. Training material that is gamified, interactive and fun is then provided based on present mastery of the language.
Commenting on the language launch, Country Marketing Manager, Duolingo India, Karandeep Singh Kapany said, “English can often be viewed as an intimidating language to learn. However, many fail to realise that Indian local languages are far more nuanced and complex, making English learning easier in comparison. India is one of the fastest growing markets for Duolingo and we foresee great potential to introduce even more regional languages like Tamil, Telugu and Punjabi. Hindi and Bengali are just the tip of the iceberg!”
To create awareness and drive user downloads, Duolingo is undertaking massive experiential engagements in Kolkata, neighbouring cities in West Bengal and Bengali speaking markets in the Northeast region of India. These activations include branding an entire Metro line on a popular route inside and outside, as well as strategic OOH advertisements in highly populated areas. The brand will also roll-out 3 jingles created specifically for Duolingo, composed by the famous Bengali composer Surojit Chatterjee and performed by notable singer Ananya Chakraborty – these will be aired on local and national radio stations.
Tapping into the famously known love for sweets in West Bengal, the brand is also partnering with a local confectionery outlet to invite people to solve an easy exercise on Duolingo and take away a free sweet box.
In India, 18 to 25 is the dominant user age group on Duolingo currently. Courses on Duolingo are built to feel like a game. Users can compete via Leaderboards, maintain streaks, earn points, level up and collect virtual currency as they learn. Lessons are “bite-sized” which means they can be taken on-the-go in 5 minutes at a time and fit anyone’s schedule. They include reading, writing, listening and speaking exercises. Behind the scenes, the app uses machine learning to give learners personalised, adaptive lessons. A/B testing is used to discover the most effective ways to help people learn and stay motivated.
