Rocket French Reviews!

This is a message from a (very!) satisfied Rocket French customer.

My dilemma revealed itself in early January of 2006, as the date was set for early that following July, when our campus would welcome 300 conventioneers, among whom would be about 20 from Quebec, Canada, alumnae of our course work who speak primarily in French. Over a number of years, these Quebecois had taken their courses in French from our institute in satellite classes, away from the main campus here in Texas, but this year we were honoring the pioneers among them who had kept French-speaking student numbers strong and growing, over the years.

I had studied in a one-year Course for Foreign Students years ago. With no previous studies in French, I went in 1959-60 as a free student, with no affiliations, to the University of Bordeaux, Faculty of Letters, and had success from this immersion style of learning French. But, my level of fluency had disappeared over the years. Knowing that I could revive some of my comfort in speaking French, I went online and subscribed to Rocket French that arrived faithfully each week from January 20th through June 2nd of this year and I had hopes that that would give me ample time to get comfortable with that beautiful language once again.

My initial plan was to awaken one-hour early each morning to study the given lessons; I started off strong, but found that I only worked with the lessons an average of two times a week. Yet, that proved to be enough to get my tongue back into the groove of speaking French. Surprisingly, the Rocket French lessons validated that I remembered most of the vocabulary. The biggest help to me was in listening and speaking, which became easier as my confidence returned with each passing week.

By the end of the lessons, I was ready for Convention! To my amazement, I worked overtime translating for our staff at the times they made various presentations to our very special French-Canadian guests; during informal times outside of structured hours when I could visit and chat with all of these delightful folks; and during social times when I found every excuse to be with them.

At the end of our six Convention days together, three of the group stayed on for an intensive six Health & Wellness Retreat, where 3-4 times each day I would join them for the table discussion segments built in to their learning time. I actually lost my voice due to speaking so much and so often, but the end result was that the total experience for the French-speakers and certainly for me, was enhanced by the language we shared.

I would not have had the success that I did were it not for having taken the course work offered by Rocket French! My writing and speaking skills were renewed and polished, and reading and writing now comes more easily to me, too.

It was an real advantage to me, now at the age of 67, to have had a previous foundation in the French language, but without the thorough review I experienced with the Rocket French lessons, I might never have let on that I knew French, at all.

I've archived all of the lessons to review at any time, certainly before heading to Quebec at the invitation of these enthusiastic students of all ages! And, if I plan things right, I may just take a return trip to France one day, with a special visit to relive my own early student days in Bordeaux. Thanks to Rocket French, I can do it all!

Patricia Holloway
Texas, U.S.A.

Hi, my name is Kate Joslin.

While studying in Israel for 7 months I made three friends: one each from France, Quebec and Belgium. I quickly became interested in the French language and they began to teach me a few things. Previously, I had never studied French before and didn’t even know that “bonjour” was French! To say the least I had a totally blank slate to start from.

After these friends sparked my interest in French and came home determined to learn more. I stumbled upon Rocket French while looking for a program to introduce me to the language. After comparing it to some others I decided to give it a try. It looked like a great program (and it was the cheapest around!).

I was very pleased with Rocket French from the beginning. I didn’t even have to wait for it to come in the mail but began immediately exploring the program after I downloaded it.The lessons were very helpful and I enjoyed learning by reading and listening to the language. For such a beginner like myself I thought the lessons were very understandable and basic. Overall, I was very pleased with the program and thought the practical go-at-your-own-speed teaching style was great. My French began to improve and I had fun practicing everything I was learning on my French-speaking friends.

Unfortunately, I have had to give up on continuing the program for now. I am making plans to move to El Salvador in about one year and have decided it would be best to put my efforts into learning Spanish instead of French. Too bad Rocket Spanish wasn’t included with Rocket French!

Kate Joslin
California, U.S.A.

My daughter started High School French this year. She had no experience in French and had never been to a French speaking country so we had no idea what learning French would be like for her or how difficult it might be. I had read about Rocket French on line and talked about it with a couple of language teachers. They said it sounded too good to be true so I ordered it with high hopes at the beginning of the year.

I wasn’t sure how, or if Rocket French was going to help my daughter because she had so much homework and other activities to do that we worried we would never fit Rocket French into her schedule. Well guess what, we were able to load a bunch of the audio stuff right onto her iPod. She can take it anywhere, including on the bus when she has to travel for her various sports away games.

She has commented that Rocket French, is not only helping her vocabulary but also practical use and pronunciation are getting better. It is really hard to read a French book and try to imagine what the words sound like but Rocket French does it all.

I hope to take some time this year to use Rocket French myself. After she passes French II, we are going to PARIS!

Marie Cali
Virginia, U.S.A.

Hi my name’s Sally Sole.

I live in France and I’ve moved here with my English husband a couple of years ago. (I’m Australian) I have a young son. I’ve found the Rocket French course to be fabulous because I can do it in my own time, which is hugely important to be very flexible as a mother, and it’s been a really good course as well, in helping me to learn to speak French, which is hugely important here in our small village where nobody speaks English.

OK. Thank you. Bye.
P.S. I did forget to say that the style of the course is simple and direct without being boring. Speaking and understanding French is important to me as my son is completely bi-lingual.

Sally Sole
Nizas, France
www.languedocapartments.com

Hi there. My name’s Larry Goldie.

I’ve been using Rocket French for about 6 months now and I use it primarily to improve my French skills for working as a mountain guide over in France and Switzerland.

It has helped me tremendously in situations like making hut reservations and hotel reservations and managing my group through the mountains and more importantly through the towns and restaurants and shops.It’s been a great program for me. It’s given me the confidence to travel and to be responsible for people in these places.I’d just like to say thank you for putting out a great product.

Take care. Goodbye.

Larry Goldie
Washington, U.S.A.
www.ncmountainguides.com

This is Nobuo Obukuro...

I really like the program, especially the newsletters which give very realistic, real-life situations, where you can practice your French in.

OK. Have a good day. Goodbye

Nobuo Obukuro
Ontario, Canada

I highly recommend the Rocket French Course for people who are too busy to attend French classes or who are considering attending French classes. The latter applies especially to people who actually reside in a francophone country or, in my case, a half francophone country. The other half speaks Flemish.

Here in Brussels, however, the population is about 90% French speaking with lots of foreigners who would like to learn French.

Ergo, it would hardly be fair on the non-anglophones for the instructors to teach it in English as they would in a US or a British class.

The other factor is that the instructors emphasize role-playing. It's almost as though you already need to know French before you can actually learn it, if you see what I mean. In which case, Rocket French offers an excellent way to prepare for the classroom environment. The vocals/listening comprehension segments are especially valuable; once I proceed to mispronounce a word, it takes a devil of a long time to correct myself.

I am learning to speak French not so much for business purposes but to enable myself to communicate with my neighbors or the folks down at my local pub. So, for me, that is the most beneficial feature of Rocket French: it enables me to become a part of the local community. Of course, one could always hang out in the expat pubs but is that really what you want? Besides, the drinks cost twice as much!

For those who are considering Rocket French, I could hardly imagine a better entree into the French speaking world. Rocket French covers all aspects of the French language from the grammar to comprehension exercises in all sorts of situations with lots of other exercises to keep you up to speed.

Bonne Chance!

Steve O'Neal
Brussels, Belgium

Hello. My name is Lisa Davis.

I think Rocket French is a very good program. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn French and learn it fast because it’s a very easy-to-use program and it’s very fun.

It’s also very good in terms of how they teach; quite informative, and the pronunciation is perfect.

The biggest benefit I gained from Rocket French is the confidence to not be afraid to use the French language in settings where it would be necessary. I haven’t traveled to any French countries so I haven’t really used it, I’m not in school either, so I haven’t used it but it certainly has helped to boost my confidence, so if I wanted travel I would.

I would recommend it to others who are looking to buy a French program, where they could learn quickly and easily.Others should expect to gain good results from using Rocket French. OK. I’m glad I used Rocket French and I would recommend it to everyone who is interested.

Bye bye.

Lisa Davis
Kingston, Jamaica

My name is Joyce Ralph and I’m not the most self-disciplined student but Rocket French has put together a language-learning package that even I can follow. It is very thorough, yet fun. I appreciate the fact that I can refer back to key elements of basic French, such as tips on pronunciation, the conjugation of frequently used verbs and so forth, quickly and easily.

The explanations are complete, the illustrations are cute and the testing at the end of the lessons is helpful without being intimidating.The native speakers have pleasant voices and enunciate clearly. The newsletters were interesting and taught me useful phrases for relevant situations. The flashcards are a good tool to test myself.

I have visited Paris twice now and have fallen in love with the people and their beautiful city. Everyone I have met has been so helpful and friendly, and I know the experience would be even better if I were more familiar with the language.

Rocket French is helping me to do that. Thank you.

Joyce Ralph
California, U.S.A

Hello, my name is Veronica James and this is my testimonial. I did purchase Rocket French last fall and it was something I did as I was recovering from an injury. I had broken my ankle and had surgery. I was house-bound for about five months, so I decided to bone up on my French. After looking at several different online and computer courses I chose Rocket French because of the freshness of the approach, the amount of audio files and the interactive games. It just seemed like a really good value and a lot of fun and I found that was very true. I really enjoy using Rocket French; it’s challenging, it’s fun and it makes sense. I would definitely recommend Rocket French to anyone who is trying to learn French or re-learn French in my case.

I had studied it at high school for several years. Being that I planned to move to Canada at some point, I think it would be beneficial for me in my career pursuits as well as in my work as a performing artist. French is a beautiful language and Rocket French makes it easy and fun to learn. The graphics are great and they are updated; they are modern as well as traditional. The audio files are at a good speed, so you can follow along and repeat and really know what you are learning. I think the biggest benefit I have gained from the Rocket French Course is a new understanding of the beauty of the French language and how it enriches me as a person. Anyone who purchases Rocket French should have a really great experience learning a new language or brushing up on an old language with a new twist and having a great time doing it and really having a sense of achievement being able to study at your own pace and learn. So thank you so much Rocket French. Merci beaucoup. I’m Veronica James. Thank you so much. Bye bye.

Veronica James
New Jersey, U.S.A
www.veronicajames.com

Hello this is Fred Purin calling from Whiterock British Columbia.I’m phoning in respect to the Rocket French service, which I have been using now for a good period of time. I’m a physician, and I work out of my home, and I have very little time to study and I find that this particular way of studying French is excellent.

It’s well organised and extremely user-friendly and the ability to listen to the correct French pronunciation and see things so well organised has been great. I’ve stuck with this much longer than any other [way] and I’d recommend it to anyone.

Thank you very much.

Fred Purin
Whiterock, British Columbia

I had signed up for this program a while back and studied it hard. It was hard work, but the more I went over it, the more I understood, and it was actually fun work too, so I looked forward to it.

I subsequently went to Paris for five-and-a-half weeks and was really able to use so much of what I’d learned.

I was able to ask for, and receive directions and in fact, a couple of different times, I was able to give people directions so that was kind of fun! I had some friends over there who were taking French and they were impressed with what I knew.

I loved the RF newsletters; because of them I understood more ‚street French’, things people would say from day to day, or slang, but I also classical background, which is wonderful.

Thank you Rocket French.

It’s a great program, thank you.

Elayne Molbreak
Florida, U.S.A

My wife is from paris and my daughter is fluent in french at 4 years old. It was time for me to get busy with french so I decided to take a begining french class at a city college and get an online course as well. After 4 months I was listening better and had improved. I especially liked rocket french as there is lots of spoken french by a native and you send regular emails with french lessons about eveyday matters. My wife thought the course was definitely challenging and useful as you must listen to french speakers if you want to do well in france. The course is very well laid out and is quite manageable for anyone with rudimentary computer skills. thanks for the help.

Bob Kersten
Southern California, U.S.A.

Salut Rocket French, Oui, I'd highly recommend Rocket French to others. Why? It is especially useful for "false beginners" like me. . It was most beneficial to have a clear and concise explanation in English and then a comparison to French. The group French lessons I had recently taken would never explain in English what it was they were imparting, ie. an English translation of grammar points, or vocabulary, etc. - this was frowned upon. But Rocket French does this.

The weekly newsletter is most helpful in providing interesting aspects of French culture and language and reading the text has become easier and easier to understand. Often I start following a lesson and find I click on some aspect that I'm not too sure about and then follow this link to a deeper level and I get so deep into the sublties that I loose track of what it was I was trying to study but nevertheless I gain a clear understanding of what it was that intrigued me. This increases my confidence tremendously that the next time I come across this point I can move on knowing I understand instead it instead of just brushing it by. So, I find that I now don't worry about not finishing a lesson from front to back because
there is also so much more to learn on the way through the lesson from the links provided. A text book could never do this. The electonic version is so much more handy to use.

Boyne Saunders
Ottawa, CANADA

I had first thought that Rocket French would be for my use only, however, my 8 and 10 year old children are frequently hogging the PC and to be found competing against each other using the Megafrench software.

We are moving to france in a week and time has been in too short supply for attending classes to improve my language skills. I have elementary French already but quite desperately wanted to improve before moving to live in France permanently. The flexibility of the programme has meant I have been able to use the odd few minutes here and there very constructively and found the combination of visual and audio inductions really helpful.

There is no real substitute to the classroom, however, I do think Rocket French might be the next best thing.

Danielle Beeken
Surrey, UK

Hi my name is Megan and I’m just leaving a phone testimonial here. Rocket French is a high quality language program which I highly recommend for those looking to pick up on basic French. Not only is it easy to fit in every day, it is affordable. The lessons are well organized and are not overwhelming. I was able to see my progress with every lesson. Even though I had taken French in high school the program was a great refresher and I was able to form a feasible opinion on whether information was correct, accurate or not, which it was. My confidence in my French has excelled preparing me for work in France. I also like how information from a previous lesson is included in new lessons so that you don’t forget what you’ve learned already.

I love how it accommodates to different learning types. The lessons include great explanations throughout and provide excellent visual and auditory aides. It is quite difficult to pronounce unfamiliar words properly and the French auditory aide really helps the situation. I know I’ve spent a lot of time running through the vocabulary lists over and over again in order to get that correct French accent. It wasn’t easy, but it comes with practice. I also love the game section of Rocket French- a nice change from structured lessons. Overall Rocket French has been a great help and I’m considering joining other Rocket Languages because of it.

Thank you. Bye

Megan Davis
Alberta, CANADA

Bonjour,

We have just returned from two weeks in France, spending one week barging through Brittany and one week in Paris. It was terrific to be able to converse with everyone we met, to be able to go into patisseries, boulangeries and such and have a "live conversation" ordering the various foods and wines. We travelled a great deal by trains and buses asking the way, where to get off and so on.

I'm normally quite a reticent sort of a person but I became a real "chatterbox" once I got going.The French people, I felt were very appreciative of our efforts and regarded it as a courtesy that we spoke in their language.

My accent definitely needs more practice but the only time I ever felt foolish was when I realised I should have done this years ago! It really is a great adventure and lifts the spirits when you have a go. Especially when they respond to you! We have already recommended Rocket French to three friends who are soon to visit France, two of whom we know have already purchased the programme.

For Rocket French - Je Vous Remercie

Derek Holden
New South Wales, AUSTRALIA

I’m a PhD student in English Literature, and in order to earn my degree, I have to pass two foreign language exams. I wanted to learn French in a fairly expedited way, so I purchased the Rocket French program in order to prepare for the exam. I didn’t have any training in French before I began to work with the program, and after only two months of study and practice with Rocket French, I was able to pass my language exam on the first try.

I should say that my department’s French exam is notoriously hard: many of my peers have taken it over five times, and since it’s offered only once every four months, this has set back their progress in the program by over a year. I consider Rocket French to have saved me a considerable amount of time in my program, and I’m much further along toward getting my PhD as a result of its lessons.

I would absolutely recommend the program to anyone who’s interested in learning the language, especially students and travelers, since the program offers a very accessible blend of grammar lessons and oral language practice. I consider this blend to be the program’s best quality, not to mention its reasonable price, since many other programs excel in one area or the other but rarely combine both grammar and oral skills for an inexpensive price. I’ve recommended the program to all of my peers, and I think that they, and you, will benefit it from it as much as I did in a very short amount of time.

Sam See
California, U.S.A