Duolingo has responded to concerns over “pausing” updates to its Welsh language course.

Last week, the language-learning app announced it would “pause” updates to its Welsh course to focus resources elsewhere.

Wales‘s minister for education and the Welsh language, Jeremy Miles, wrote to Duolingo’s chief executive expressing his concern.

Mr Miles feared the decision would impact on the Welsh government’s target of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Figures from the most recent census showed 24,000 fewer Welsh speakers than a decade ago, but the government is committed to nearly doubling the 538,300 speakers in Wales in the next 27 years.

‘Help preserve’

Alex Davies-Jones, the MP for Pontypridd and shadow technology and digital minister at Westminster, also expressed her disappointment in a letter to Duolingo’s chief executive.

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Luis von Ahn, said the decision to “pause updates” on the course was “not an easy one”.

Mr von Ahn said Duolingo faced “significant challenges in [its] ability to continue to update the Welsh course at the quality that it deserves”.

Duolingo has now reached out to the Welsh government to see whether it can continue to support its Welsh speaker target.

The chief executive said the company had not taken this step with any other of its paused language courses.

“While we can’t make any commitments at this stage, it’s nevertheless my sincere hope that we can find a way to continue to help preserve and grow the treasure that is the Welsh language,” he added.

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A spokesperson for Duolingo added that its Welsh course was “not going anywhere” and would “remain free for all”.

“We’re incredibly proud that Duolingo is one of the most popular ways for people to learn Welsh, and we want to continue to do our part towards the Welsh government’s goal of one million Welsh speakers by 2050,” they said.

“Given the outpouring of support over the past week for our course, we’ve reached out to the Welsh government to understand how Duolingo can continue to support Cymraeg 2050.”

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