SOUTH East Cornwall MP Anna Gelderd has begun exploring how the Cornish language could be brought onto global learning platform Duolingo, saying the move could help strengthen local identity while opening up new opportunities for learners at home and abroad.

Ms Gelderd, who describes herself as a strong advocate for using technology to widen access to education, believes digital tools play an increasingly important role for people living and working across Cornwall.

With many residents working remotely, commuting long distances or juggling multiple jobs, she says easy-to-use learning apps offer a practical way to gain new skills on the go.

“I am a big fan of technology helping people to unpick new skills and opportunities,” she told BBC Radio Cornwall. “Especially in places like South East Cornwall, where a lot of us work remotely or travel a great deal. Things you can do on the move, like Duolingo or other tech, are really helpful. I really want to encourage people to take part in it.”

However, Ms Gelderd says practical enthusiasm quickly turns into frustration when she sees Cornish missing from platforms that host many smaller minority languages, despite a growing global interest in them.

“It annoys me when you think, well, what do we want in South East Cornwall? We certainly want to be celebrating our language and heritage. As far as I can see, there’s no reason why Cornish wouldn’t sit alongside some of the other smaller languages.”

The MP said she recently met Duolingo representatives and says that while the company is enthusiastic, the challenge lies in the financial and structural support required to develop new courses. She has since been seeking guidance from colleagues in Wales and Scotland to understand how their governments worked with companies like Duolingo to bring Welsh and Scottish Gaelic onto mainstream platforms.

“It costs money for businesses to do things that might serve a smaller number of learners. But globally, there’s real interest in these smaller languages,” she explained. “I’m hoping that by learning lessons from how the Welsh government engaged on the Welsh language, and how other smaller languages have been supported, we can try to get Cornish on there as well – because I just don’t see why not.”

Ms Gelderd says the next steps will involve discussions with language groups, potential funders and digital partners as she works to champion Cornish culture in the modern digital landscape.

Formed in 2011, Duolingo is an American educational technology company known for its gamified learning apps. It offers courses in 42 languages, from widely spoken ones like English and Spanish to less common languages such as Welsh, Irish and Navajo, as well as constructed languages like Klingon.

Beyond languages, the platform includes courses in music, maths and chess. Its approach uses points, rewards and spaced repetition to encourage short, daily practice.

Duolingo also provides the Duolingo English Test for language certification and Duolingo ABC for children’s literacy. Operating on a freemium model, it offers free content with ads and paid options with additional features.