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Rocket Languages Review
Rocket Languages has been a recognized leader in online language learning since 2004, providing a variety of foreign language and culture lessons. It covers everything from French and English to Korean and Arabic.
- Intuitive web design
- Abundance of resources
- Interactive audio lessons
- Culture lessons
- Advanced language learning content
- Helps develop reading, writing, speaking
- American sign language lessons
- Affordable
- Mobile app can be difficult to use
Overview of Rocket Languages
Rocket Languages doesn’t just teach you the basics. The software enables users to immerse themselves in a new language and culture, providing all the tools you need to speak like a native in just a few months.
It doesn’t bother with heavy-duty grammar lessons that can suffocate the initial enthusiasm new language learners have for the language they’ve started learning. Instead, Rocket Languages picks out keywords and phrases that you’ll hear in everyday conversations. By being able to pick out the most commonly used words, you’ll be able to synchronize your brain quickly with the language and get to understand it sooner.
Rocket Languages Learning Tools
Rocket Languages uses various tools to help you build up an understanding of the target language, enrich your vocabulary, and effortlessly improve your grammar. In this part of our Rocket Languages review, we’ll walk you through the selection of tools that make the program worth paying for.
Audio Lessons
There’s a heavy emphasis on listening to the language when you sign up. Most are delivered through audio files, which allow you to listen to conversations of native speakers and begin to pick out the target words. This allows you to fit the target words into their spoken context, so you can familiarize yourself with how the language works.
It’s worth noting that these Rocket Languages lessons don’t place much emphasis on vocabulary at this early stage. Instead, the aim is to help you pick up universally used phrases.
The audio lessons facilitate easy learning; there are at least 60 hours of listening files for each level of each language. For example, if you’re taking Rocket Arabic, this extensive listening exercise familiarizes you with a language that might have been completely foreign to your ears.
These files can be downloaded in MP3 format, meaning you can listen to your next audio lesson even when you’re on the move. You can learn as you commute to work or on your lunch break, allowing you to be productive at all times.
Even if you aren’t fully focused when you’re listening, you’ll absorb a lot of the information and get a feel for the language. The listening features make Rocket Languages one of the best audio-based language-learning programs.
Culture Lessons
Unlike many online language learning programs, Rocket Languages puts a lot of emphasis on culture. By understanding the culture that goes hand-in-hand with the language you’re learning, you’ll get a greater understanding of why people speak the way they do.
These culture lessons can also help you improve your grammar, but they’re mainly there to give you a glimpse into the mindset behind your chosen language. If, for example, you’re taking Rocket Languages Japanese, these lessons review aspects like the emphasis on politeness in Japanese culture and how that affects the language and the way people speak.
Reinforcement Testing
When you work your way through your Rocket Languages course, you’ll be given a variety of tests to help solidify what you’re learning. This feature is excellent if you’re a kinesthetic learner, as it gives you an alternative to learning by listening and also helps make Rocket Languages one of the most comprehensive language courses.
Voice Comparison
This is another trick that most online language courses miss. To properly learn a language, you need to practice speaking it, which can be really difficult if you don’t live in a country where it’s widely spoken. Unfortunately, many online language programs don’t have a speaking feature. Even if they do, it’s often limited in its capacity to really allow you to practice, and it often covers just a few words.
One of the highlights of our Rocket Languages review is French. This course allows students to practice thousands of phrases by speaking into the app’s voice recognition tool.
Once your voice has been recorded, it compares your pronunciation with that of a native French speaker. From here, you can start practicing how to pronounce the words properly, and over time, you can make quick progress and learn your target language. The software is a fantastic tool for developing your skills.
We understand that practicing speaking a language is often the hardest part of learning it. You may not live in a country that speaks that language, and even if you do, you may be too shy to practice for fear of making a mistake when speaking. By being able to practice alone in your own home, those fears are erased, as you get to talk without worrying about being judged when speaking. Our Rocket Languages review gives a big thumbs up to this aspect of the program.
User Experience
The Rocket Languages interface is very user-friendly. This wasn’t always the case, but in recent years the company has really upped its game to develop one of the most easily navigable online language learning platforms out there. The Rocket Languages web app for the desktop website is extremely well-organized and intuitive. You’ll find various audio files and interactive exercises that are clearly displayed and comprehensively explained.
In addition to a great desktop version, there is also a Rocket Languages app. Despite having been in the industry for a long time, Rocket Languages lags behind the competition with its language learning app. Many users find it frustrating and buggy, especially when it comes to speech recording. Nevertheless, the app is good for holding onto audio files so you can learn when you’re on the move.
Customer Support
Rocket Languages has a decent customer support network. You can get in touch with the company’s agents via email or live chat, and there’s also a comprehensive FAQ section.
Given that we’re writing this Rocket Languages review in 2022, we feel that the company’s response time could be better. Overall, however, we can’t point out any significant flaws in the quality of Rocket Languages’ customer support.
Pricing
Most paid-for language learning programs charge a monthly subscription fee when you sign up with them. Rocket Languages courses, on the other hand, are only available through a one-off lifetime access subscription. This means you’re in for a long-term commitment, so you should be 100% certain before you fork out any money.
If you just want to dabble about and learn a few basic phrases, then app-based language courses such as the ones found on Duolingo or Memrise are perhaps more suitable options. On the other hand, if you’re looking to immerse yourself in a particular language and culture, lifetime access to Rocket Languages makes more sense.
The pricing levels at Rocket Languages are tiered depending on which language course and level you would like to study. You can either buy a specific level or a whole course, depending on the chosen language. These start at $69.95 (English), with level 1-3 packages costing up to $259.90 (French).
We understand that the Rocket Languages cost may seem high and that you might not want to sign up for a lifetime subscription, but you do actually get a six-day free trial before you decide to commit. You don’t need to put in any bank details either. Simply sign up for a free trial to review the offer.
We also love the fact that Rocket Languages offers a 60-day return policy should its courses not meet your expectations. That’s plenty of time to assess whether the learning style is right for you.
Rocket Languages Pricing Plans
- 100+ hours of lesson time
- Voice recognition phrases
- 30+ interactive audio lessons
- Language and culture lessons
- Bonus survival kits
- 100+ hours of lesson time
- Voice recognition phrases
- 30+ interactive audio lessons
- Language and culture lessons
- Bonus survival kits
- 200+ hours of lesson time
- Voice recognition phrases
- 60+ interactive audio lessons
- Language and culture lessons
- Bonus survival kits
- 300+ hours of lesson time
- Voice recognition phrases
- 90+ interactive audio lessons
- Language and culture lessons
- Bonus survival kits
How Rocket Languages Courses Compare to Other Language Learning Platforms
- 14 Languages
- Abundance of resources
- Interactive audio lessons
- Culture lessons
- Lifetime subscription
- 35+ languages
- Free, with ads
- Teacher tools
- Progress tracking
- Mobile app
- 14 languages
- Pronunciation lessons
- Personalized goals
- Interactive lessons
- Mobile app
Rocket Spanish Review
Rocket Languages offers comprehensive language courses in English, English for Spanish speakers, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Arabic, Italian, Hindi, Japanese, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, and American Sign Language. However, its most popular language course seems to be Rocket Spanish, so we’ll review this course separately.
This course in Latin American Spanish is divided into three levels, from Beginner to Advanced. The Level 1 Rocket Spanish course costs $99.95, but if you are sure you want to learn Spanish beyond the basics, you can save some money on buying a Rocket Languages Spanish bundle ($249 for Levels 1 and 2, $259 for Levels 1, 2, and 3).
Besides these courses, you can also purchase the Rocket Spanish Travelogues. This special course is designed to help you immerse yourself in the Spanish language and culture by following two fictional characters, Miguel and Maria, on their road trip around Latin America. Features you’ll hardly find in other Spanish courses - such as Spanish to English toggling, reinforcement tests, flashcards, and progress tracking - will all help you start speaking Spanish in no time!
Conclusion
A world of opportunities opens up to you when you learn a foreign language. Thanks to apps like Rocket Languages, you can learn languages for a very reasonable price.
The comprehensive audio content helps you to pick up recognition phrases and develop conversational level skills in a relatively short period.
With its listening and speaking exercises, Rocket Languages offers you a chance to practice speaking a new language from the comfort of your own home, without having to be in the countries where the language is spoken. The biggest advantage of these Rocket Languages exercises is that you can practice speaking and listening without the fear of embarrassing yourself in front of native speakers.
The platform’s major downside is that it only offers lifetime access subscriptions that come with a sizable one-off fee. This is somewhat mitigated by Rocket Languages’ offer of a six-day free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee, which gives you plenty of time to decide whether or not the platform is right for you.
If you discover that you are fully committed to learning a foreign language, then Rocket Languages may just be the perfect tool for you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
There are many reasons why Rocket Languages is an excellent language learning program.
The app helps you reach a level where you’re comfortable speaking with native speakers by integrating listening exercises with speaking exercises so that you can get to grips with the language quickly.
One strong point of the program is that no matter what kind of learner you are, Rocket Languages will offer something to fit your style of learning. It has a tremendous all-around depth of language learning content that certainly justifies its price tag, making it a great option if you’re serious about learning a new language.
The Rocket Languages price is different from that of most competitors, as it comes with a lifetime subscription to your chosen language. That means you have to pay a hefty one-off fee that’s not broken down into monthly installments. Prices vary from $99.95 to $259, depending on the language and the number of levels (one to three).
If these high prices put you off, take a second to think about what you’re getting. The language learning content offered by Rocket Languages is of a very high standard, and there’s an abundance of it. That’s why it’s considered the best online language learning software and also one of the easiest courses to follow.
Not only that, but there’s also a six-day free trial where you don’t even need to sign up with your credit card, so you can take the service out for a spin and check whether it’s a good fit for your learning style. Additionally, there’s a 60-day money-back guarantee, so if you feel that Rocket Languages is not helping you to develop your language skills, you won’t lose out.
There’s a wealth of foreign languages software out there, so it can sometimes be difficult to select the correct one for you. For example, if you want to pick up some basic words to stand you in good stead while on vacation, then one of the free language learning apps such as Duolingo is the most suitable for you, as it allows you to learn in bite-sized chunks and can be practiced while you are abroad on your phone.
But if you’re more serious about learning a language, then you should be prepared to pay for high-quality information. If this is the case, Rocket Languages may well be the best fit for you.
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