We have some massive news to share this week. Whether you are learning on your daily commute or diving deep into your lessons at home, your experience is about to get a whole lot better.
From a complete linguistic makeover for our flagship Spanish course to highly requested mobile app features, here is everything rolling out right now.
Rocket Spanish Level 1: The New Audio Lessons Are Live!
A few weeks ago, we teased that something big was coming for our Spanish learners. Today, we are thrilled to announce that the fully updated Rocket Spanish Level 1 Audio Lessons are officially live!
Our original Level 1 lessons were created over 15 years ago. While the core grammar of a language stays the same, the way people communicate day-to-day evolves. We’ve given these lessons a complete refresh to better reflect modern, real-world Spanish.
What’s New?
- Modern Topics & Vocab: Say adiós to outdated phrases and hola to practical, contemporary conversations.
- Fresh Audio Examples: Clearer, updated native audio to help you perfect your accent.
- New Role Play Conversations: Test yourself with real-world, practical conversations.
- Seamless Integration: If you’re already a Rocket Spanish member, these updated lessons are waiting for you in your account right now at no extra cost.
⚠️ Note for current members: The new lessons have completely replaced the old versions. Whether you're a beginner starting fresh or a seasoned learner looking for a solid review, dive in and explore the brand-new content!
📱 Mobile App Upgrades (iOS & Android)
Alongside the course refresh, we are rolling out a major update to our mobile apps this week. We’ve listened to your feedback and added features to make your study sessions smoother and more flexible.
Here are the major highlights landing on your device:
🔄 Freedom to Move: Landscape Mode
The portrait orientation lock is officially gone! You can now rotate your phone or tablet to use the app in landscape mode. This is perfect for those who prefer studying on tablets with a keyboard base or just want a wider view.
🎬 Supercharged Video Player (Rocket Sign Language and script language videos)
We’ve overhauled the video player used in your lessons with smarter, more intuitive controls:
- 0.5× Slow-Motion: Slow things down to easily follow precise pronunciation, sign language, or writing motions.
- Loop Toggle: Keep a tricky video clip repeating continuously without having to constantly press play.
- Tap to Play/Pause: Simple, standard, and much easier to control.
- Haptic Feedback: Physical, tactile responses when you interact with player controls.
🗣️ Smarter Speech Recognition & Bug Fixes
We’ve squashed some of the most annoying bugs to make your practice seamless:
- No More Cutting Off (iOS): Fixed an issue where iOS speech recognition would end early on short contextual phrases. The app now waits for a minimum duration based on phrase length.
- Interim Results Fixed: We fixed the bugs that caused the app to occasionally ignore partial speech or contextual hints.
- Siri Voice Commands: Using Audio Lesson tracks? You can now use Siri to skip around hands-free (e.g., "Siri, skip forward 30 seconds").
✨ A Cleaner, Faster Feel
Under the hood, we upgraded the app's core architecture. What does that mean for you? Faster load times, smoother scrolling, and a polished look that utilizes native iOS and Android menus and sheets to blend perfectly with your phone's design.
How to Get the App Update
The app update is rolling out in stages this week. Head over to the App Store or Google Play Store to ensure you’re running the latest version.
Happy learning, and let us know what you think of the new Spanish lessons in the comments below!
