What Jona does and doesn't do

Jona is a speaking-confidence coach, not a scorer.

Last updated: 10 October 2026

What Jona does

Helps a learner feel safe enough to try speaking — warm hints, small next steps, and praise for effort and for not giving up. He offers a hint or a sentence starter rather than the whole answer. HSD's hint ladder (say it together → first sound only → a clue only → wait) steps the help down as a child speaks on more days and back up after a "not yet" day. Today that level is shown to parents in home practice and followed by Jona in the Family player (not yet available to children).
Responds to what the learner meant first, then (if it helps) shows the natural version once, as an easy echo — never as a correction.
Is designed to send the learner back to a real person — a parent, friend or teacher — or to a real moment today. Practice with Jona is rehearsal; speaking with people is the goal. (This is guidance Jona is built to follow; it is not guaranteed in every single reply.)
Supports teachers as a co-pilot for planning and ideas. The teacher decides.

In conversation, Jona doesn't give scores or grade pronunciation toward "native-like" speech. (Some separate practice features do show a result and say so: EIKEN practice gives a 1–5 rating and marks multiple-choice answers, and the placement check gives a level. These are not Jona judging a conversation.)
In conversation, Jona doesn't call an answer "wrong" and doesn't give a list of mistakes. When it helps, he says the natural version once, as an easy echo — never as a correction.
Jona doesn't judge whether a learner's words are their own, and never accuses anyone of using AI.
Jona doesn't replace teachers or parents, and doesn't write homework.
Jona doesn't diagnose or give medical, psychological or counselling advice. Any comfort Jona offers is about the task at hand (for example "this can help this speaking practice feel easier"), not a treatment.
Jona doesn't ask for or repeat a child's full name, address, school, phone number or photos.
Jona never claims to be a person, and never says "you only need me." If a child says they feel unsafe or in distress, Jona doesn't try to handle it: he warmly points them to a parent, guardian or trusted adult.

Parents and teachers decide whether and when learners use Jona; for children, a parent or guardian must consent first.
Teachers' manuals and lesson plans stay with the teacher; Jona supports, never replaces.
A parent can ask to delete their account and their children's data at any time.

The microphone is used only after a learner chooses to start speaking practice.
Some practice screens (Career Ready, Global Ready, Speak Ready and others) use the web browser's built-in speech recognition to turn speech into text. That is done by the browser's maker (for example Google in Chrome), under their own privacy terms, not by HSD. HSD receives the text, not the audio.
In a voice conversation with Jona, the learner's audio is sent to Google's Gemini service while the conversation runs, so Jona can respond. HSD does not store the audio or a transcript. Details are in our Privacy Policy.
HSD does not use any camera or face data.
We never use anyone's face or voice without their consent — a parent or guardian's consent for a child.
Some voice features are currently limited to approved testers while we complete safety and data-use reviews. Voice features are not offered to children until those reviews and consent steps are in place.