Netflix teams up with Duolingo ahead of Squid Game season 2 premiere and I didn't think that bird could get any scarier

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Beg for your life in Korean

The Duolingo bird wearing the iconic pink Squid Game jumpsuit, posing with other masked guards
(Image credit: Netflix)
  • Popular language learning app Duolingo has teamed up with Netflix to help people learn Korean
  • Duolingo’s app features over 40 keywords and phrases from the show
  • Duolingo hopes it will "enrich learning" by connecting lessons to the Netflix hit through its "Learn Korean or Else" campaign

TV fans all over the world are hyped for Squid Game season 2, where one of the best Netflix shows will return for a highly anticipated follow-up. But while many global viewers will no doubt choose to watch the series with subtitles or dubbed audio, language learning app Duolingo wants to change that by helping you learn Korean..."or else", the companies warned.

That warning is quite literally the name of the marketing campaign that Duolingo and Netflix have used to bring the world of Squid Game to the language learning app. If that green bird wasn't scary enough, he's already started donning the iconic Squid Game jumpsuit and is encouraging users to learn Korean by immersing himself in that terrifying world, which is pretty on-brand for him, admittedly.

Magno Herran, vice president of partner and brand marketing at Netflix, said of the collaboration: "We discovered there were a lot of shared traits between Duo the Owl and the Pink Guards – both very determined and menacing. So we made it official and gave Duo a Pink Guard uniform and ultimately created something we know fans will love and talk about, cheering A-ssa! in celebration."

What can we expect from the 'Learn Korean or Else' campaign?

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Duo, the green owl mascot, will be everywhere in the run-up to Squid Game season 2's debut, being his usual menacing self to encourage people to take Korean lessons. As well as wearing the Pink Guard uniform in the app, fans will also start to see Duolingo ads on Netflix's ad-supported tier, so if you thought you could escape him, you're wrong!

A Duolingo press release also teased that: "Whether [he's] chasing down users in videos or appearing at fan events and on billboards, Duo reminds fans to learn Korean or “face the consequences”.

If you're up for the challenge, you'll start seeing these lessons in-app, featuring over 40 keywords and phrases from the show like 'dolgana', 'Trust no one', 'Let’s play a game', and 'You’ve been eliminated'.

An example of Duolingo's app featuring Squid Game phrases and an avatar of Duo in the pink jumpsuit

(Image credit: Duolingo)

The Squid Game-specific phrases will be integrated with regular Korean lessons, so the experience won't be too threatening. Then again, it's Duo, so I'd make sure you don't lose your streak. You know he doesn't like that.

This news comes after Netflix's improved dubbing strategy which aims to make non-English language movies and shows even better. So if you are eliminated from your Duolingo lessons, you can always turn on dubbing. You tried your best!

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Lucy Buglass
Lucy Buglass
Senior Entertainment Writer

Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What's on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd.