Many people genuinely want to study English, yet struggle to continue. Does that simply mean they lack willpower?
Motivation naturally rises and falls. To keep learning on busy, tiring, or discouraging days, learners need more than determination: they need an environment that makes action easier.
ONDEN focuses on one such environment—a set time, a person waiting, and a learner whose voice will be heard. This article considers how human connection may support sustained learning, drawing on research in psychology and education.
There is a gap between intending and doing
Deciding to read English aloud every day does not automatically produce action. The right moment passes, another task takes priority, and the day ends.
Goal research suggests that an implementation intention—a concrete plan specifying when, where, and what one will do—can support goal attainment. A meta-analysis of 94 studies found that linking a situation with a planned action helped people initiate and sustain behaviour (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006).
From “I'll read when I have time”
to “At 8 p.m., I'll call my Coach and read.”
ONDEN's short, scheduled sessions turn oral reading from something to do someday into a planned action. A call cannot guarantee a habit, but it may create a clearer cue to begin.
1. When someone is waiting, a promise can prompt action
Independent study can be postponed without anyone noticing. An appointment with another person makes the session more than a private intention.
The aim is not strict surveillance. Excessive pressure can increase anxiety and obligation, sometimes causing people to avoid learning altogether.
ONDEN aims for a gentle commitment: learners are not blamed for a missed day, and the relationship leaves room to return next time.
2. A sense of connection can support motivation
Self-determination theory identifies three basic psychological needs that support more autonomous motivation:
- Autonomy: feeling that we have a choice
- Competence: feeling capable
- Relatedness: feeling connected to and cared for by others
Environments that support these needs are associated with higher-quality motivation and more sustained engagement. In particular, secure human connection may help intrinsic motivation develop (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
In ONDEN, learners choose what to read and Coaches receive their voices. The experience is not only about whether every word was correct, but also about having shown up and made one's voice heard.
3. Encouragement can gradually build “I can do this”
Self-efficacy is a person's belief that they can carry out a particular action. In language learning, it has been studied as an important factor related to learning behaviour and achievement.
A study of 198 university-level English learners reported a relationship between self-efficacy and the use of learning strategies (Shi, 2018). This does not mean that encouragement alone improves English.
What matters is not empty praise but helping learners recognise genuine, small accomplishments:
- reading with fewer pauses than yesterday
- finishing a difficult sentence
- asking the Coach one question in English
- returning after a missed session
A Coach is not there to evaluate constantly, but to help the learner notice these changes.
4. Listening and teaching are not the same
Language education often emphasises error correction. Feedback is certainly important for accuracy. Yet if every attempt is interrupted and corrected, avoiding mistakes can replace communication as the goal, and speaking may begin to feel frightening.
An ONDEN Coach is not a substitute teacher. The Coach first listens to the learner's prepared reading, recognises effort and change, and, when appropriate, suggests one manageable next step.
Listen before teaching.
Value the voice before correcting it.
Whether this approach lowers the psychological barrier to speaking English aloud is one of ONDEN's central research questions.
Does having a listener guarantee persistence?
No—not necessarily.
Continuation depends on many factors: text difficulty, schedule, health, goals, and the fit between learner and Coach. For some learners, another person's presence may even feel burdensome. Findings from general research on goals and relationships cannot simply be treated as proof that ONDEN works.
That is why ONDEN records participants' continuity, English development, confidence, and experiences, asking not only whether the approach helps, but for whom and under what conditions.
Questions ONDEN is investigating
- Does a scheduled call create a useful cue to begin reading?
- Does having a listener affect continuity?
- Can encouragement and small successes support English self-efficacy?
- Does resistance to speaking English aloud change over time?
- Does connection with an overseas Coach influence the meaning or enjoyment of learning?
In summary
When learning does not continue, the answer is not always to try harder. It can also help to shape an environment in which continuing is easier.
- A set time can become a cue for action.
- Human connection can support motivation.
- Small achievements and encouragement can build “I can do this.”
- A relationship that allows learners to return without blame may support longer-term continuity.
Oral reading can be done alone.
That does not mean it must be sustained alone.
Through practice and research, ONDEN explores how the presence of a listener may change learning.
References
- Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation Intentions and Goal Achievement: A Meta-analysis of Effects and Processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119.
- Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.
- Shi, H. (2018). English Language Learners’ Strategy Use and Self-Efficacy Beliefs in English Language Learning. Journal of International Students, 8(2), 724–741.