Rocket Spanish is a Spanish-language learning course produced by the Rocket Languages Group and is available in digital media. The learning course is downloadable in mp3 format and the sales pitch says that it is the easiest way to learn Spanish. Of course every vendor says that his program is the easiest, fastest and best! This review will focus on whether Rocket Spanish is all that it is cracked up to be or is it something less.
Rocket Spanish teaches, using interactive speaking techniques, listening to and practicing dialog. The learner uses the new language to deal with familiar thoughts, situations and conversations, gradually expanding his understanding and ability to communicate. Through this method the student learns another language in a manner not too different from the way he learned his first language.
This approach, pioneered and popularized by Michel Thomas, Paul Pinsleur and others, has achieved considerable popularity in recent times. There is much evidence that this method is one of the most effective ways to learn language.
The course is downloadable in MP3 format. This enables the learner/student to listen to it either on his or her computer or to download it to an iPod or other MP3 player or burn a CD and hear it on any CD player. This gives the learner great flexibility in choosing where and how to listen to the course materials.
A unique feature of the course is the way it uses online interaction to teach. For example, you are shown an object and then given three options to pick the Spanish name for the object. This is critical to help you learn to go from the object directly to the name for it in Spanish.
The natural beginners tendency is to go from object to English name to translation to Spanish name. You will need to get past that and go direct from object to name of object in Spanish. This lets you begin to think in the language, a necessity to develop fluency. Rocket Spanish is very good at helping you do exactly that.
The course consists of 31 interactive lessons, which you can go through at your own speed. Fast would be 2-3 weeks, normal is about 3 months.
Successfully finishing the course would put you at an early intermediate level of conversational ability. You should be able to easily carry on everyday social and commercial conversations with native speakers of Spanish.
Another fairly unique aspect of Rocket Spanish is its emphasis on good pronunciation. One of their selling points is that you will learn to speak Spanish like a native. This is not University level proper "Castellano", as the pure form of the language is called, but everyday conversational use Spanish. You will be able to understand and make yourself understood when talking to ordinary people.
The only limitation is that the course does not impart a thorough grounding in grammar, verb conjugation and vocabulary. But it does provide an excellent beginning framework within which to add these skills later, if you choose.
In summary, Rocket Spanish is an exceptionally good overall conversational course. It gives you a sound foundation in pronunciation and conversational basics. It puts you well beyond "advanced travelers' Spanish" into intermediate level conversational ability in the language.
