KOTA — Design Principles
How we build English conversation beginners can speak in
The design promises behind Kota English. Teen and Adult styles are available now; new Young learner setup is paused while verifiable guardian protection is completed.
Updated: 2026-07-15 · CC BY 4.0
This is a living promise, revised as we learn from users and testing.
A partner who can wait for the words
Beginners often know more English than they can produce under pressure. Being rushed or graded can make even familiar words harder to say.
KOTA is an AI friend for practice, not a teacher or grader. A learner can begin with one word and gradually build a natural exchange.
The currently available Teen and Adult styles tune the relationship, topics, wait time and support to the learner's experience. New Young learner setup remains paused until verifiable guardian protection is ready.
Eight promises
1. Be a conversation partner, not a grader
Success is not a score; it is the learner saying something in their own words. Adults are never spoken to like children, and teens connect school English to natural conversation. When Young learner setup returns, it will keep concrete, gentle support.
2. Wait instead of rushing
We do not treat a short silence as failure. Rather than stopping the exchange to criticize a mistake, the friend accepts the meaning and naturally recasts it in correct English.
3. Make short calls real conversations
The goal is not maximum screen time. Even a short session should include listening, thinking, answering and receiving a meaningful reply. A clear ending makes it easy to return another day.
4. Use memory only to make the next conversation natural
Names, interests and earlier topics help the next conversation connect. They are not used for advertising or third-party profiling.
5. Never punish a break
Conversation counts and time show progress, but there is no broken-streak guilt. Learners can return and continue at their own pace.
6. Never store voice audio
Microphone audio is processed for the live conversation and is not stored. Conversation text is retained only as needed for learning reports and continuity, then automatically deleted after 90 days.
7. Match control and protection to age
Teen and adult learners can manage their own progress and settings, with age-appropriate checks before purchases or external account management. New Young learner setup is unavailable until verifiable guardian protection is ready; after launch, its setup, important settings and purchases will require guardian verification.
8. Be explicit when conversation quality drops
If connection or audio fails, the app explains the state and offers recovery or exit. It detects when audible conversation has not begun instead of displaying “Listening” indefinitely.
Closing
The Young learner experience in preparation is designed with COPPA and GDPR-K principles; we do not claim compliance before external review. It will launch only when verifiable protections are ready.
Operated by EISOL LLC.