Rocket Japanese Review – Will You Learn Japanese With This Course ?

This Rocket Japanese review article will address how easy it will be to learn Japanese using this course and what level it will take you to. It will cover the main problem for English speakers learning a language like Japanese. It will also cover what you get in the Rocket Japanese course and how it helps you learn the language. Finally it gives a rating to the product and suggests who it would be most suited to. So let’s get started.

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Japanese is a very different language to learn than many of the languages that English speaking people are traditionally drawn to learn. For instance, it has no words that look or sound the same like say Spanish or French. It has a completely different syntax and grammar to English unlike German for instance. It even has a completely different alphabet or symbols for letters and words. It is a completely new challenge for an English speaker and this can be very off putting for many.

However it doesn’t have to be intimidating if you set realistic objectives and learn the language in manageable chunks. In short, don’t get overwhelmed. Learning a language is hard despite what people may tell you. Having the right attitude and using the best tools will help you reach your goal.

In terms of the right tools, how does Rocket Japanese stack up ?

Rocket Japanese is a self study course. To this extent it gives you the flexibility to learn Japanese  anywhere and at anytime. The implication of this is that you have to have a fair degree of self discipline to actually use it often enough to make real progress. Rocket Japanese is a decent course but it won’t help you learn Japanese if you don’t use it. Get into a routine and stick to it.

When you buy Rocket Japanese you are given a login id for what is called the learning lounge. This is basically the hub of the Rocket Languages program. Here you can access all the components of the course.

The components of the course include :

31 audio/mp3 lessons. To me this is the most important element of the course. It will teach you comprehension or listening skills. It will teach you how to speak Japanese. It will give you the confidence to speak to real Japanese people.

Once you get past the basics of a new language, speaking to real people is the best way to move your skills forward.

The 31 audio lessons deal with the absolute basics in the first lessons and cover advanced topics as they progress. These topics involve everyday activities that might go on in current Japanese society. There are also cultural aspects to some lessons.

The lessons last around 20-30 minutes and feature a native English speaking host or narrator, Kenny and a native Japanese speaking co-host, Sayaka. Kenny generally starts the lesson, introduces the topic of the lesson, and asks questions. Sayaka does much of the Japanese speaking but also speaks English. You are advised to repeat sentences and words aloud after her. If a question is asked, there will be a pause, which allows you to speak out the answer aloud, then Sayaka will give the correct answer.

The second component is a written guide that follows along with the audio lessons. This deals with Japanese grammar, the Japanese writing system and many cultural aspects of Japanese society. It formalizes much of the detail that is covered in the audio lessons. There are also embedded audio and video in the guide. This is like a traditional language textbook with multimedia capabilities added to it.

The third component is the Rocket Mega games. You actually download these to your desktop and can play them whenever you like. They include Megaaudio which is a game where you hear a word spoken and try to match a one of 6 pictures to the word. You get asked 25 questions on a set topic and there are plenty of topics ranging from colors, foods to activities.

The other game is Megavocab. Here you see a picture and have to match one of 4 words, written in Rōmajiis script. Again, there are 25 questions and many topics to play with.

The last game is called MegaHiragana. This teaches you the Japanese symbol for various combinations of  Rōmajiis words. This is a way to learn the basic elements of the Hiragana Japanese writing system.

Through out the audio and written guide, whenever Japanese is written down, it takes two forms. The Rōmajiis form is Japanese written using the Latin alphabet. This is the most accessible to western language students. The other form is in the unique Japanese symbols which are a combination of Hiragana,  Katakana and Kanji (which have their foundation in Chinese writing).

There is many multiple choice tests that can be taken at any point in the course. This is an effective way to see if you are making progress.

Another useful part of the course that can be accessed through the learning lounge is the Rocket Japanese forum. This forum is fairly active and has moderators, including Sayaka, to answer question you may have about the rocket Japanese course of learning Japanese in general.

Another plus point with premium membership of this course is that you will receive lifetime updates. The company Rocket Languages have a track record of constantly trying to make their products better so expect to see the odd update from time to time.

I think Rocket Japanese is good value for money. It will definitely help you  to learn Japanese. But like most things you will only get a good return on your investment if you put the effort into using it on a regular basis.

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