Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Duolingo has reported a sharp rise in the number of U.S. users enrolling to the Mandarin lessons in the platform, with a 216% increase compared to the same period last year.
This trend comes as millions of TikTok users in the U.S. migrate to the Chinese social app RedNote, known as Xiaohongshu, ahead of a potential TikTok ban. The ban, scheduled to take effect on January 19, would see TikTok removed from U.S. app stores and rendered inoperable on users’ devices.
According to TechCrunch, more than 700 million TikTok users have already transitioned to RedNote in response to the looming ban, fostering an unexpected cultural exchange between U.S. and Chinese users.
RedNote, a Shanghai-based platform, is designed for a Chinese audience, and its default language is Mandarin. This has prompted many U.S. users to enhance their Mandarin language skills using Duolingo’s popular language-learning app.
Duolingo noted that the surge in learners took Mandarin lessons began in mid-January as RedNote’s adoption gained momentum. The app has seen roughly 216% growth in new Mandarin learning in the U.S. compared to last year in the same period.
Duolingo, which offers courses in 42 languages, noted that Mandarin, previously ranked eighth with 10.7 million learners, is experiencing unprecedented growth surpassing Spanish learners. Spanish, the app’s most popular language, saw a more modest 40% increase over the same period.
Duolingo Respond to the Trends
In a survey conducted by Duolingo, many new users cited TikTok as their source of information about the language-learning platform. The company has embraced the trend with humor, sharing promotional content featuring its green owl mascot, Duo, learning Mandarin in China.
“Oh, so NOW you’re learning Mandarin,” Duolingo quipped in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The company also released a TikTok video showing its mascot at an airport heading to China with the caption, “Me because I’d rather move to China & learn Mandarin on Duolingo.”
Duolingo App Installations
According to app intelligence provider Appfigures, this surge in demand for Mandarin courses has significantly boosted Duolingo’s install base. Downloads across the App Store and Google Play jumped 36% as of early January, suggesting users may have explored other Chinese social apps before RedNote’s adoption took off.
Duolingo’s app ranking has also improved dramatically. Just a week ago, it hovered in the 40s for top apps. Now, it ranks No. 22 overall and No. 20 in non-gaming apps.
The trend has also benefited Duolingo financially. According to CNBC, the company’s shares rose nearly 7% on Thursday following the surge in Mandarin learners.
Read also : RedNote App Rises as Americans ‘TikTok Refugee’ of Potential Ban
The cross-cultural shift underscores the unexpected ways in which geopolitical tensions can influence technology adoption and learning trends. As Duolingo mandarin lessons surges, americans were preparing for the TikTok ban by diving headfirst into the Chinese digital landscape.
(Raidi/Agung)
