Rocket Italian Reviews

It is a pretty good app compared with all the apps I have tried. Would like to purchase it, but there are a few concerns personally. Hope alphabet table will included in future. overall, I rate it a good language learning application. Will consider to get it.

After trying different language suites, text books and audio programs, I must admit that I could have saved a lot by starting out with rocket. The different features such as writing exercises and quizzes are something the program has over other systems.
I do find the goading unnecessary, however, whereby I'm referring to the pricing politics during the free trial. For 6 days they flashed me pop-ups, that I could save half the price of the $400 package. Then, right after I finally purchased the suite, I see yet another limited offer, which would have saved me an additional $30. That makes me question the integrity of the service, although I haven't regretted my purchase to date. Why flash the $400 price tag, like you are bartering at a Turkish bazaar?

The American accent spoken by Alex reminds me of fingernails and a chalk-board. But the Itialian speakers dominate the course. I feel confident reccommending Rocket Italian to others seeking to achieve conversational proficiency.

Overall Rocket Italian is a pretty good system. You get exposed to the language in a variety of ways and have some explanation as to why a particular pattern exists.

It does have the problem that there is only one correct answer for each thing. This of course ignores the fact that many things can be said in slightly different ways. As an example the phrase "She is angry" technically can be said as either "Lei è arrabbiata" OR "È arrabbiata" however the only accepted answer is "È arrabbiata". In other places an answer is only accepted if it has a he/she indicator.

There are also numerous places where the English phrase refers to you plural but for some strange reason they have not realized that _every_ place they do that needs some kind of indicator that they mean you plural rather than you singular since English only has 'you'.

Overall the issues with Rocket Italian aren't that big but they make it feel more like you are memorizing lines in another language rather than learning another language. The dialogues are the worst for this as they slowly take away more of the words you are supposed to say but you have to say the phrase word for word to get it right even though there are times when you could get the same meaning across with slightly different words. (They really should package the dialogue portion so that it can be used by actors memorizing lines as that is what it does.)

Overall this is a very good program.
*I compare this with DuoLingo online learning as well as a personal coach I use with Verbling. Also against Babble
which I used for 6 months.
*Price is kind of high but it is for a complete program so I'm neutral on this rating.
*Lessons are interesting. I could use less of the banter but still, very good content when focused on actual language
skills. Of great importance to me are the moderators speaking in a clear and moderate speed. Rocket delivers on
this!
* Now to my most concerning (to me) knock...Some of the exercises are terribly long in the Language and Cultural
sections. It's not uncommon to have 50, 60 or greater than 70 words, phrases or sentences to learn, memorize and
recite back. Personally, I get very frustrated when i fail due to sheer volume of material. Knowing how difficult and
frustrating these exercises are, I have to fight the urge to simply by-pass these sections. Reducing the volume within
Language and Cultural modules would be a huge plus for me.

I've been using Rocket Italian since December 2019. I purchased Levels 1, 2, & 3-Instant Lifetime Access and the Travelogue. (Yes, I am committed to learn Italian.) I am on Unit I- module 6. In addition to Rocket, I use 2 other Apps/programs along with Rocket Italian. After 3/12 months of use, I feel I can write an accurate review.
Pros
1. I love the structured lessons
2. Like having the audios of Alex and Maria (audio lessons and reviews)
3. Like having the ability to record myself and mimic pronunciation

Cons (or possible areas to improve)
1. I wish there was a way to manipulate and build sentences rather than solely memorizing. (Maybe this happens in later units, I don't know.)
2. I wish that in lessons, such as in Language and Culture, where they may be over 90 terms to learn, that the lesson be divided in smaller lessons. Memorizing close to 100 terms is overwhelming and a big challenge. Maybe limiting the terms to a more manageable number would be beneficial to the learner.
3. I wish there was a method to answer questions on a lesson directly on the lesson page itself rather than on the forum. Also, I would appreciate if someone from Rocket could answer those questions rather than relying mostly other learners.
4.

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It is a horribly frustrating program. I have yet been able to download it. Only two lessons in two modules have been downloaded. To be fair one of the chat support people told me to call and she would guide me through the download, but I am tired of playing with the program and haven't called. After the download to the computer I have to download them to CDs. Oh help!

I need a lot more practice! Cant figure how to answer the flash card section. I will keep trying to figure it out! I will review again

One month into Rocket Italian Level I, the program is providing me with a solid start in learning a new language. The instruction motivates learning and can be fun. The materials are well designed and appear to take into consideration the different types of learning styles we have as students of language. So far so good.

it is actually very good at reinforcing grammar and pronunciation. The cultural component is not that strong, but at least it is introduced. I am at the intermediate level, so it took me a while to figure out where to start. Regular tests would help me evaluate how well I have learned to make sure I am working at the right level or if I need to go back to some beginning lessons. I am always concerned I might have missed something important at the beginner level. (Maybe I am missing a feature that is already there). I use it along with quizlet to help memorize vocabulary and conjugations.

I believe that the Rocket Languages Italian course is very useful and helps to obtain a basic level of understanding rapidly. I think that it is more efficient compared with now obsolete CD and audiotape courses that I have taken. It could be improved by adding a visual component, such as pictures of objects and foods that are mentioned.