Rocket French Review

For anyone interested in learning how to speak French online, Rocket French is a name you’ll probably run into often, as it seems to be listed among the top three programs. One of the things that makes it such a popular program is that you do get a six day trial so that you can see if it’s the one for you. When you choose the trial, you immediately start getting information packed newsletters and emails that start to slowly build your knowledge of the French vocabulary and grammar without using the format of formal lessons.

What You Get

With the free trial of Rocket French, you’ll get one audio or text lesson each day through your email. These lessons are conducted interactively and you will speak out loud to respond to what is spoken to you. When you have an understanding of some basic information, you’re then challenged with more complex conversations. It’s in these conversations that you’ll understand why the basic information is so important.
Once you make the decision to purchase the full course, you get a lot for your money. These things include:

1. A lifetime membership that allows you to learn at your leisure.
2. Access to all course materials online 24/7 so that you can learn French on your timetable.
3. Lessons and games that are downloadable so you can learn offline as well.
4. Audio to be played on either MP3s or iPods to help you learn French while on the go.
5. Lessons that are both PC and Mac compatible as well as printable.
6. 33 interactive audio lessons consisting of modern, everyday conversations in French that you can be a part of. The tracks in these lessons are about 24 minutes long, which translates to more than 13 hours of downloadable audio lessons.
7. 31 French Language Lessons containing step by step explanations, more than 1900 embedded audio clips, accompanied by quizzes to aid you in learning to naturally speak French.
8. 31 French Culture Lessons to offer insights into various situations you’ll likely encounter while traveling through a French speaking country to help you make the most of your experience.
9. Software games that will help increase the amount of French words you learn, help you in mastering French verbs, and improve your overall understanding of the French language. These games are also downloadable.
10. Self-tests and quizzes to take so you can chart your progress.
11. Rocket French Certification
12. Personal Support
13. Technical Support
14. Free premium upgrades
15. 60 Day Money Back Guarantee – no questions asked.

Now, it may seem a bit scary to think that each 45 minute course in the Rocket French program average about 2 hours in length. Just keep in mind that you can do them at your leisure. You can skip over or change whatever you want.

With the MegaVocab games, you can add in words and pictures of your own choosing to create a more personalized interactive bank of French words that you can print out or play on your monitor. You can select the specific vocabulary sections that apply to you, which works out great if you’re learning French to help you conduct business instead of for fun. Simply choose what’s more applicable to your situation.
MegaAudio covers a total of 20,000 words and you’ll most likely find something there that applies to and interests you. It’s easier when you can hear authentically spoken French and then attempt to copy it. The games get harder as you progress.

The Bad

All products have something that’s not exactly perfect about them and Rocket French isn’t immune to this.
MegaVocab have pictures that can be a little misleading sometimes. This makes it difficult to guess the right words.

The only way that you can improve the way you pronounce the words is by listening to and repeating back the audio. No feedback is offered by this software regarding the accuracy of your accent.

The Good

Obviously, Rocket French has many good things about it or it wouldn’t be such a popular course. One of the really great things is that this course goes from beginning student to the more advanced. In this case, the student gets a complete grasp of what the French language is all about by the time they reach the end of it.

The verb conjugation games are very useful in teaching the different forms of verbs. This can be particularly tedious and boring. However, the games make it a bit more entertaining.
A random button adds a little spontaneity to each less. This is a good feature if you’ve already gone through the lesson multiple times and just need to refresh yourself on it.

Rocket Languages

The Rocket Languages courses come in a more traditional format. The audio lessons guide you through various conversational situations. This course includes matching and memory games to aid in your learning as well as in remembering the vocabulary. Accompanying material offers more in-depth assistance with such things a grammar and tenses. You’ll find quizzes at the end of each section.

The Rocket Language courses combine all traditional teaching methods that are used with most language programs. A big part of the learning process includes immersion because you’ll constantly be hearing the language in all the exercises. The book aids you with reading skills so those people that learn better by reading something will learn faster with these exercises.

Rocket Languages vs. Rosetta Stone Courses

Rocket Languages and the Rosetta Stone Courses can’t help but be compared with each other. Most people wonder which one is the better course because they feel that language learning software comes down to choosing between them. It’s hard to make the decision without knowing information about them both.

Basically, Rosetta Stone uses a different teaching method for language learning by attempting to emulate the way a language is naturally learned. This course offers few written materials, preferring to use only repeated audio exercises to teach the language. It’s a combination of audio, text and visuals to teach you the language. But there’s no grammar book and that can make it a little difficult to understand various grammatical points.

Most people seem to feel that the Rocket Language series is a better program for the amount of money you pay. It costs less than Rosetta Stone and it’s been found to be just as good a series and possibly even better. The advantage is that Rocket Languages include a written text while Rosetta Stone doesn’t. Overall, Rocket Languages is recommended over Rosetta Stone.

The Cost

At the end of the trial period, if you decide to keep going with the course, you’ll need to pay a price of $299.95 in total. Even though this may seem a bit steep, it’s still more affordable than its competitors. Now, while Rocket French does retail for $299.95, there is a limited time offer for a downloadable version of the course for just $99.95. This is an even more affordable option that allows you instant access to the course so you can begin learning French immediately. Keep in mind, also, that Rocket French comes with a 60 day money back guarantee no questions asked.

In Conclusion

It’s clear to see that Rocket French is an on target, interactive way for people to learn French in a hurry. Overall, it’s rated among the best French courses available. In addition, it’s definitely the best value for your money. Anyone that wishes to learn how to speak French quickly and without paying an arm and a leg needs to definitely check out Rocket French.