“Keep practising or I’ll kill myself!” – Duolingo owl ‘getting pushier’

The popular language-learning mascot has been accused to trying too hard to motivate users, after reports of threatening phrases in lesson vocabulary.

Duolingo was founded in 2011 and now offers courses in dozens of modern, historic and constructed languages.

The app’s Android and iOS icons change over the course of the day, showing green owl mascot Duo looking angry or ill if users don’t practice.

Screenshots have now emerged showing Duo graduate to verbal threats. Users report being asked to translate phrases like “Keep practising or I’ll die!” and “I know where you live so do another lesson”.

Isabela Czajkowska, from Gdansk, Poland, studies English with Duolingo. The teenager says it was, until recently, a fun alternative to her dry school coursebooks.

“Then the app asked me to translate ‘Ćwicz dalej, bo umrę’,” she said.

“Duo was also crying and doing the ‘please’ gesture with his wings.”

Peter Johnson moved to Swansea 20 years ago. His children attend Welsh-medium schools, so he has been casually learning the language out of curiosity.

“It was one of those gap-fill exercises where you hear a sentence then type in a missing word. It said ‘Rwy’n teimlo’n ____. Gobeithio na fydd ___ gen i’.
“The missing words were clearly ‘drwsgl’ and ‘damwain’ – ‘I’m feeling clumsy. I hope I don’t have an accident’.”

When approached for comment, a Duolingo spokesperson said the ominous phrases could be removed with a Duolingo Max subscription.

“A seven-day trial is available,” the spokesperson added.

“There is also a discounted family plan. Because you’ve got such a nice family. It would be a shame if something happened to them.”

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