| A relative newcomer to the growing Japanese | | | | games and a Hiragana writing and reading program. |
| language software field, Rocket Japanese has a | | | | While on the surface it may seem like a shotgun |
| distinct advantage over many of its online competitors. | | | | approach to teaching that gives students too much, |
| It has been designed and marketed from the ground | | | | too soon, the program is designed to allow students to |
| up for the internet generation. Whether that makes it a | | | | proceed at their own pace and to customize their own |
| better language learning system than others is open to | | | | learning experience and environment. |
| debate, but the Rocket language learning series is | | | | This freedom is one of the major criticisms of the |
| rapidly gaining sales ground on its competition thanks | | | | Rocket Japanese learning system. Both Rosetta |
| largely to the company's marketing strategy. | | | | Stone and Pimsleur are highly structured programs that |
| There are two levels to the Rocket Japanese learning | | | | are designed to be used step-by-step for greatest |
| program - Rocket Premium and Rocket Premium Plus. | | | | effectiveness. Advocates of the Rocket approach, |
| While the price tag on each of them puts them on the | | | | however, say that its interactive game software |
| high end of the market scale, Rocket also offers a | | | | makes the whole learning experience fun and that the |
| downloadable option that is not available from other | | | | language skills tests give the students enough of a |
| high-end language courses, making it much more | | | | motivation to master their language skills and to |
| affordable for those who don't feel they need the | | | | monitor their progress. They feel that the more rigid |
| CD's. While the full package, including both "Rocket | | | | step-by-step approach of other teaching systems is |
| Premium" and "Rocket Premium Plus" (the advanced | | | | overly pedantic and unrealistic for an unsupervised |
| module) together cost almost $600 when purchased | | | | learning environment. |
| as CD's, the fully featured downloadable version | | | | The makers of the Rocket language series have done |
| comes in at just under $250. | | | | their internet marketing homework. Not only do they |
| Price alone should not be the only criteria for | | | | offer a substantial discount for the downloadable |
| purchasing a language program. The ultimate aim, after | | | | version of their program, they also offer a free |
| all, is to learn the language. The question becomes, can | | | | downloadable six lesson trial. For anyone who is sitting |
| Rocket Japanese help you to learn and use the | | | | on the fence trying to decide which program to try, this |
| Japanese language as effectively as other products | | | | free trial is likely to make them lean in Rocket's |
| can? | | | | direction. These short introductory lessons are very |
| Like its major competitors, including Pimsleur and | | | | easy to master and although you come away needing |
| Rosetta Stone, Rocket Japanese emphasizes learning | | | | more, you do come away having learned a little of the |
| conversational Japanese by listening and speaking in a | | | | language. |
| conversational way rather than by memorization alone. | | | | The major criticism that is leveled against the Rocket |
| Unlike the others, though, the Rocket audio course | | | | language learning system as a whole is that it is a |
| breaks its 31 lessons down into subcategories such as | | | | system that is designed to sell more than it is a |
| shopping and traveling. Some students may find this a | | | | system that works. Criticisms aside, though, Rocket |
| handy way to focus on their core area of interest, | | | | makes it easy for their potential customers do decide |
| while others feel a fractured approach like this limits | | | | for themselves whether it is worth purchasing. Perhaps |
| the student's ability to master the language as a whole. | | | | Rocket's competitors would do well to take a leaf |
| The Rocket program uses a multi-faceted teaching | | | | from Rocket's book and update their products to suit |
| structure that includes grammar, vocabulary building | | | | the internet market as well as Rocket has done. |