Duolingo Shares Rise Amid Mandarin Learning Surge

As the potential ban on TikTok in the U.S. looms, many American users are migrating to RedNote, a Chinese-owned app similar to TikTok, sparking a surge in interest for learning Mandarin. Language-learning apps like Duolingo and Drops have reported significant spikes in new Mandarin learners, with Duolingo seeing a 216% increase compared to last year. This trend highlights a cultural exchange, as Americans adapt to the Mandarin-dominant content on RedNote, while some Chinese users on the app are learning English. The increase in Mandarin learners has also resulted in Duolingo's shares rising nearly 7% as it becomes a top downloaded app. RedNote has become the number one free app on Apple's U.S. App Store, benefiting from the exodus of TikTok users. This shift underscores users' willingness to embrace new platforms, despite previous data privacy concerns that contributed to the potential TikTok ban.