subject: Should You Buy Rocket German? - Will it Actually Work? [print this page] Author: brad smith Author: brad smith
Rocket German is an on line German learning program. Does it really work?
WHAT DO YOU GET WITH YOUR PURCHASE? Rocket German is a software system for download or as a set of CDs. Inside you will find audio recordings, special software games, videos, and more. In addition to that, you are given access to the "Learning Lounge" where you can test your skills, and connect with other students and instructors.
The idea behind the system is to try to teach German by "visual association". Visual association is how you learned your first language. You SAW an object and HEARD the word simultaneously. In this way you easily and quickly learned the meanings of words. Rocket German attempts to replicate the process with the use of video, audio, and software.
DOES IT WORK?
Rocket German is a powerful way to learn German, IF you are sincere and willing to put in time on a regular basis. Ideally, you should try to work with the lessons for a little time each day (30min to 1hr at least). The individual lessons are engineered to build on one another. Therefore, being consistent is crucial.
Picking up a language is much like learning to ride a bike. For the first 6 or 7 lessons you may think that you are not getting anywhere. If you keep going, however, you will hit a point when things suddenly "fall into place". You will see that you are suddenly able to pick up most of the words in the audio recordings and can make basic sentences easily.
Then you can move on to learning more advanced grammer and vocabulary.
IS IT FOR EVERYONE?
Some people find it difficult to focus if there is no outside pressure like an upcoming "exam" or a teacher checking their "homework".
Rocket German is a self-paced system. It is very powerful but you must provide the follow-through yourself
If you feel you might need the pressure of a class situation in order to follow through, look into classes at a local college. Remember, however, that a class will cost more and will take longer.
If you are serious about learning German and can put aside a little time every day, Rocket German can have you speaking German in 8-10 weeks.
