The course, which the company describes as "the world's most popular way to learn Welsh online", will remain available but not developed further.

The Welsh government's minister for education and the Welsh language, Jeremy Miles, has said he will be writing to Duolingo.

Mr Miles said he would ask the company to consider how the government - which has a self-set target of reaching a million Welsh speakers by 2050 - might support the course's development, working with the National Centre for Learning Welsh.

Last year's Census figures showed there were 24,000 fewer Welsh speakers compared with a decade ago and a report earlier this year said reaching the target was in doubt.

"Duolingo is a valuable resource which can help learners on their journey to become Welsh speakers, alongside other language learning opportunities," Mr Miles added.

Language tutor Richard Morse was one of those who worked for several years to put the course contents together.

He wants to see an extension of another year to allow the National Centre for Learning Welsh to complete its work on the course.

"Then the Welsh course would be in a far better situation for learners who are learning on courses in Wales and people who are learning Welsh throughout the world," he added.

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A Duolingo spokesperson said: "Duolingo will pause updates to the Welsh course starting in November when The National Centre stops creating content.

"Our aim is to channel limited resources into enhancing high-demand courses like Spanish, French, and German, which serve a larger audience in the UK and worldwide.

"Welsh, already one of our most comprehensive courses, will remain free for all, and continue to be the go-to for people wanting to begin learning Welsh and those seeking to improve their skills."