New Delhi, Jul 17 (IANS): US-based language learning app Duolingo on Monday announced that more than 8.4 million learners globally are actively learning Hindi from English on the app. indi is currently the second most popular language among Duolingo learners in India, following English. On a global scale, Hindi has surpassed Portuguese to take the 10th spot on the platform's list of most learned languages, according to the company.

Since its debut in 2018, the Hindi language course on Duolingo has become one of the fastest-growing languages, captivating learners not only in India but also across the globe.

"This is reflective of India's global prominence across the various domains of entertainment, sports, business, and technology. This has sparked profound curiosity and a strong desire amongst learners to explore India, its languages, and its rich culture," Karandeep Singh Kapany, Country Marketing Manager, Duolingo, said in a statement.

Alongside English and Hindi, French, Korean, and Spanish are among the other popular languages Indians are learning on Duolingo.

The remarkable surge in Hindi's popularity on Duolingo can be attributed to various socio-economic factors that are influencing learners' desire to enhance their Hindi proficiency, including language barriers faced by individuals migrating from non-Hindi speaking regions to Hindi-speaking regions for work opportunities, a rising expat population as India establishes itself as a global hub for business and manufacturing, and increased international tourism following the post-Covid tourism boom, the company said.

As part of its India-focused offerings, Duolingo launched an English learning course tailored specifically for Bengali speakers last year.