Rocket Italian Reviews

So far I like this program. The program is step by step with built in opportunities for review. One gets to hear the words, see the words, write the words and say the words. The have very good examples of how the words are to be pronounced. Overall, Rocket Italian is better than other language programs that I have tried in the past. I am using this before a trip to Italy. I will use it again in the future before I travel to countries where English is not the first language.

I'm really enjoying Rocket Italian. Previously, I had used Pimsleur a little, but was frustrated with its lack of written language and grammar lessons.
The Rocket program goes into the grammar and written lessons in depth, as well as providing the conversational Italian I was getting with Pimsleur. And the point system helps with motivation... So far I'm finding it to be a very thorough language program at an affordable price.

I'm from Italy, born into a family that speaks Italian. My family raised me to speak English, and so I've never learned Italian. I've always been interested in my ancestry and wanted to learn more. Though my English isn't the best, and I know a lot of Italian, this site really helps me learn more of the language. I recommend it to anyone with the desire to learn the Italian language.

I love love love this program, best online experience, despite my faulty internet connections (rural property!!!) Easy to make progress as we can repeat and listen to ourselves throughout each level...testing is reinforcing and being able to write, read and speak is perfect. Thank you.

I have been using Rocket Italian for approximately 2 weeks now, i have used Pimsleur, the problem with Pimsleur is that they don't explain what you are learning, Rocket Italian explains as you go, every session is concise and clear, and the most important thing is that I'm learning.

Just a great program

Robert Marsico

BTW
Whenever i email Maria DiLorenzi i get a reply very very helpful.

I've only just begun the Italian course but so far I'm enjoying it. I really like how its structured and I like how its focused on how to handle real life situations. I also like in the modules that you have to work through not only writing the language but speaking it yourself (although it feels a bit odd at first to speak to your computer but you get use to it quickly!).

I am currently using Rosetta Stone. My progress is good, but as I progress it is getting tougher to follow without instructions. I'm not sure what I am looking for. I will continue to review Rocket.

This is a great site to help you learn a language. I am using it to learn Italian, having grown up around the language, i thought I already knew the basics, but this has helped me to learn how to speak properly and learn even more! It's very thorough in it's explanations of why certain words are used and how to learn the correct grammar and forms of the words. The voice recognition is an excellent tool in helping you to make sure your pronunciation is correct. It works best with headphones and helps to point out which parts of a sentence you are saying incorrectly, then you can mark it easy or hard so you can come back to it later if you need more practice. They also have a wonderful app that allows you to practice on the go! Honestly without the app, i might never get on to practice, i’m usually too lazy to actually get onto the computer so the app has been fantastic. You can do everything on the app that you can on the website. Customer service is great, I had trouble using the app at first so i sent an email and got a very quick reply. They are also open to suggestions on what you think can be improved so that you can learn easier. Money well spent!

My overall impression of the level 1 program is that, with the exception of vocabulary, and the present tense, Rocket Italian Level 1 is very weak on teaching the student Italian grammar. An example of this is the use of prepositions. These seem to pop up everywhere with no explanation as to the rules governing their use (like the use of "di" which has at least 15 different meanings!), Level 1 aggravates this problem by frequently giving you lengthy Italian phrases in th flash cards & the "Know It" section to memorize. These contain grammatical structures that are never addressed in the course. Also, it makes no provision for different responses that the student may have translated correctly even though it is different from the translation in the course.

I would suggest they introduce a grammatical rule give some examples, & and then drills on that rule. The drills would also incorporate review of a verb tense. This would reinforce the latter and help us master both until they become second nature.

Instead, we waste enormous amounts of time memorizing lengthy sentences with no idea of the grammatical rules which govern the sentences. These are sentences which we will never use and quickly forget.

Honestly, I really enjoy the interactive component of the course. It not only allows you to engage with the language and therefore better understand it, but most importantly, it gets you ready for the conversational aspect of any language. Furthermore, I particularly appreciated the audio lessons which explain the pronunciations, their rationales, and their connection to their english equivalents. Finally, the written exercises are particularly helpful to get one's written and not simply oral skills up to par.

The one deterrent I have from the program is it's cost. Being a student, I don't have a particularly high budget and with competing programs such as Duolingo, it might be hard to justify the purchase. That being said, the trial thus far has given me a taste of the real package that is Rocket Languages. It truly is comprehensive and well developed. I truly hope that completing the entire program does make one somewhat proficient in the language as it is quite an expense.

A final note has to be the aesthetics, design and appearance of the website. The site is polished, clean and well organized. It breads for a simple and user friendly experience. Very appealing and enticing to any user.