The Rocket Languages story: The long and the short of it...

The short story (the “what makes us tick” bit)

What makes Rocket Languages tick?

We have a simple belief that guides us every day: that language is all about understanding.

What do we mean by that?

Learning a new language gives you a sense of personal achievement and confidence.

But more than that, immersing yourself in a language lets you see the world through a different lens.

It helps you to understand a different culture - its people and places - and to connect in a more meaningful way.

Imagine if we could grow appreciation for one another across the world. Then we would build cultural bridges that bring us all closer together.

That's our vision:

Building a culturally connected world through the power of language.

It drives us every day.

So, what does our vision mean for you?

To immerse yourself in a language and culture, you need to have the right tools and the right teaching.

That’s why we deliver you the best online language-learning experience possible.

If you are a serious language learner who wants a program that is

• comprehensive,
• immersive,
• effective and,
• gives you a genuine sense of progress and achievement,

then let's get talking!

The Long Story (aka the founders journey)

Let's rewind to 2004. I'd been trying to learn French for a few years. I'd spent a lot of time doing everything that language learners are "supposed" to do:

• I stocked up on textbooks
• I attended classes
• I tried software program after software program
• But nothing seemed to work.

I guess I wasn't the ideal candidate for learning a second language:

• The school I went to didn't offer language classes.
• I didn't have access to any French speakers.
• I was, and still am, tone deaf. :)
• I felt nervous about making mistakes whenever I spoke to French people.

I knew I couldn't be the only person having trouble. So at the start of 2004, my friend and co-founder, Mark Ling, and I put our heads together.

What other challenges were holding people back from successfully learning a second language? And how could we help them overcome them?

We did a lot of research, including:

• Surveying several polyglots (people who speak several languages).
• Hiring linguistic experts.
• Researching practical learning strategies.
• Bringing in technical experts.

Within 12 months we had created both Rocket Spanish and Rocket French. Both courses were instant hits. Users sent us rave reviews, saying how much better our courses were than anything else on the market.

Fast-forward to the present day. Rocket Languages is a recognized global leader in online language learning.

So, how do we intend to stay ahead of the pack?

It all comes back to the vision that we had, and still have, for Rocket Languages:

To build a culturally connected world through the power of language.

Which, for us, means providing the most effective online language learning courses possible.

We build our vision into everything that we do here at Rocket Languages.

The Cambodia Charitable Trust

Our vision extends beyond what we do here at Rocket Languages. We are strong supporters of using education in general to foster a more culturally connected world. To that end we sponsor a Cambodian school via the Cambodia Charitable Trust.
Find out more about this life-changing initiative here.

Au revoir !

Jason Oxenham
CEO and Co-founder
Rocket Languages Ltd