Rocket Languages Rocket Languages Home

Rocket Languages - About Us:

Arrow
 Meet the Rocket Languages Team
 
Arrow
 Cast
 
Arrow
 Crew
Arrow
 Affiliations & Memberships

Rocket Languages is one of the leaders in downloadable language-learning products. Formed in 2004, Rocket Languages now offers courses in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Chinese, and American Sign Language.

Setting ourselves apart from the competition by placing a strong and immediate emphasis on what we call conversational learning, our dynamic learning courses have you speaking the language in a modern, fun, and conversational manner right from the start.

Our product packages are comprehensive language courses in themselves: they include Interactive Audio Lessons, Software-based Learning Games for vocabulary, verbs, and pronunciation, and a range of fully illustrated Grammar Newsletters & Downloadable Books with embedded audio.

We use the digital medium to make learning more convenient, participatory, and enjoyable. All of our Audio Lessons are available in MP3 format, and our online Learners Forums are effectively "open" for business 24 hours a day.

Our Rocket Languages team consists of:

  • Language Specialists and Instructors, who not only bring years of experience in teaching and writing their language, but also a surplus of enthusiasm to go with it...
  • Writers and Graphic Designers, who are responsible for the attractive copy, layout, and appearance of all the Rocket Languages products, including the downloadable books, newsletters, and software-based learning games...
  • Audio Technicians and Studio Engineers, responsible for all of the audio content that goes into the super popular Interactive Audio Courses, plus the scores of audio clips embedded into the lessons of our newsletters...
  • Software Developers and Programmers, the ones who not only assemble the Rocket Languages Learners Forums and the MegaLanguage software-based learning games, but also keep the heart of our digital operations pumping

Meet the Rocket Languages Team

Cast:

Lin Ping Lin Ping - CHINESE
The gem of the Rocket Languages orient is Lin Ping. Behind her exotic exterior lies a gritty, practical approach to one of the most spoken - and most challenging - languages in use today. She is ready to delight anyone with the finer points of Mandarin - characters and all.
MCR

Marie-Claire Riviere - FRENCH
The chic and sophisticated face of Rocket French, Marie-Claire is a native Parisian, born and bred, and loves her city and country with a passion. She has traveled a lot in her career as a language teacher (she also moonlights as a fashion designer), but is always glad to get back home. For her, it is a real privilege to share her culture and her language with like-minded people.

paul weber

Paul Weber - GERMAN
Paul is the exuberant face and biceps of Rocket German. He grew up in Lederhosen, like his father before him, but in fact he’s spent most of his life trying to get out of Lederhosen, which is another story. Paul wants you to enjoy learning German, so he's always thinking of new ways to help you remember words and how to pronounce them.
Stefanie Hossbach
Stefanie Hossbach - GERMAN
Stefanie is the full German teaching package: born and bred in Berlin, she holds a PhD in linguistics, a Masters in French and German philology, along with a Teaching Diploma and ESOL teaching qualification. She's been teaching languages to people between five and 85 years of age for more than a decade now, and still finds it exciting when a student understands the concept of cases in the German language! When she isn't teaching (which is hardly ever), she plays volleyball, reads a good novel, bakes a chocolate cake, or chases after her two children.
Maria DiLorenzi
Maria DiLorenzi - ITALIAN
Maria DiLorenzi is the passion that burns deep in the belly of Rocket Italian. A native Italian speaker from Rome, she has taught the language for the past ten years, to all kinds of people of different ages and nationalities. She is renowned for her unflappable patience and resolve in her teaching, and a genuine concern for every student who crosses her path.
Sayaka Matsura

Sayaka Matsuura - JAPANESE
Sayaka is the eternal light of Rocket Japanese. She is a native Japanese speaker from Osaka which is the second biggest city in Japan. She's got a real passion for her language and culture, and with a smile that even looks good on radio, her Rocket Japanese listeners just can't go wrong.

mo

Mauricio Evlampieff - SPANISH
Originally from Chile, Mauricio is a native Spanish speaker who is in love with his country’s culture, language, and heritage. Author of the popular Rocket Spanish course, he is known for his enthusiasm and insight into the language of his homeland, and takes great pride in sharing this love of the Spanish language and culture with students the world over.
Jake LaBerge

Jake LaBerge - SIGN LANGUAGE
Profoundly deaf himself, Jake is not only fluent in American Sign Language, but also in New Zealand Sign Language as well. An accomplished instructor, he currently works with young deaf people - and, in his leisure time, he's learning to play rugby.


Crew:

Jason Oxenham

Jason Oxenham
A founding member of the company, Jason is the Director of Rocket Languages, and brings to the company a wealth of knowledge and experience in ecommerce & multimedia learning environments.

Nathalie Doering

Nathalie Doering Nathalie is the Project Manager of Rocket Languages and provides language support and product development for German, Spanish, French, and Sign Language. Born in Germany, she holds degrees in linguistics and education, and is passionate about her languages and travel.

marg

Margaret Gardner
Margaret is the Rocket Languages Customer Services Manager, and also provides Sound Engineering support. She openly admits that the best part of her job is interacting with current and prospective customers of Rocket Languages.

steve

Steve Backe-Hansen
Steve is our Graphic Designer and Web Developer and is responsible for the design and development of the countless pages that make up the Rocket Languages website. He has been involved in the interactive and web design industry for several years and holds a degree in Interactive Multimedia Technologies.

nigel

Nigel Hulls
Nigel is the Senior Programmer and System Administrator for Rocket Languages. The most recent addition to our engine room, Nigel's experience in web-based applications extends far and wide. He brings the logic and organization to everything that happens behind-the-scenes of Rocket Languages dot com, and believes that a lot of caffeine is good in moderation.

mike

Mike Rowntree
Mike is the Rocket Languages Sound Engineer. He has an extensive background in television and radio broadcasting, audio tuition, and music recording. Mike is also a musician and also operates a royalty-free music website.
asher

Asher West
Asher is our principal Designer & Cartoonist, and has over 10 years experience in design in digital media. He’s currently working on a book on the Japanese art of manga.

amy

Amy Waterman (Spanish)
Amy Waterman became fluent in Spanish while living and working in the Andes Mountain region of Ecuador. Her extensive experience in Spanish learning systems led her to formulate the concept behind the Interactive Audio component of Rocket Spanish.
Sayaka Sakurai

Sayaka Sakurai (Japanese)
Sayaka provided translation and product development for Rocket Japanese, and is also the voice of the product. A native of Mie, Japan (near Nagoya), Sayaka has tutored Japanese for English-speaking students at high school level. She also holds a degree in Chinese.

julie

Julie Reason (French and Spanish)
Julie Reason is an Australian-born English woman with a passion for languages, music, and British comedy. She holds a degree in Modern Languages from Oxford University, and has worked as a freelance writer and copyeditor in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

Affiliations & Memberships

ACTFL


AMCHAM

CCECC