[Formendacil]

T'would seem to me that Esty is arguing that while the Ring could sense roughly where it was going (closer to Mordor, closer to Sauron), and could sense and manipulate the feelings of its wearers and those around them, it could not necessarily understand speech.

To elaborate, the Ring clearly knew it was going to Mordor. It could sense (magnetically, in a way) the tug of Sauron getting stronger as they got closer. It would also sense the greater sense of dread and fear, on its bearer at least, if not those around, as they drew nearer to the Dark Land. Chances are, the Ring could also sense that Frodo was steeling himself to do something. The question is WHAT?

I doubt, myself, if the Ring knew they were going to Orodruin, at least not before they were practically on the mountain's foot. Before that, they were going steadily in the direction of Barad-dur, which suited the Ring fine. As for how it would have interpretted Frodo's "determination to go on", who knows what the Ring made of his plans? Certainly, just going to Mordor, regardless of destroying the Ring, would take a pretty big act of willpower. And once in Mordor, Frodo's main feeling is To Keep Going On, which seems like a fitting feeling for travelling in Mordor.

Perhaps the Ring didn't know where they were going, until they reached Mt. Doom.