RocketFrenchReview.com

All over the world, more and more people choose to take on a second language. So it is only natural that more and more learning language programs are sprouting up all the time. But with so many options readily available, finding the right one can be quite tough. So if you are interested in learning the language of love, here are a few things that you should know about two of the more popular programs today.

So in this Rocket French VS Transparent French Complete Edition article we will go cover

• How you learn,
• what you use to learn,
• and what you learn.

in these 2 language programs.

Rocket French

Rocket French is a course that has developed over the years. It is now accessed through it’s self styled learning lounge. You can learn a lot more about the course in the Rocket French review, the new audio course and how the learning lounge works posts. However for the purpose of this article a brief overview of the course follows.

So the main part of Rocket French is the audio course (33 lessons). There are quite a few other things you can do with the course and they seem to be improving it all the time.

You can also play language games with their Mega games suite and their flashcard system. You can now record your voice and see how it compares to a native French speaker with Rocket Record.

Getting The Timing Right Can Be tough !

They also have pretty comprehensive testing system and this helps to monitor your progress through the course and keep your motivation up.

All the audio are accompanied by written text that explains the grammar and the vocabulary used during the audio lessons. There is also a grammar and culture course that gives you more depth to your understanding of the language. This can be viewed online or downloaded as a PDF document. (31 lessons)

Transparent Languages French

The Transparent Complete edition is basically 5 of Transparent Languages products bundled into one product. So you get 5 cd’s in the box that contain software or audio files. These products are :

1.Byki Deluxe – flashcard learning environment

Building your vocabulary with flashcards – there are various sets or lists of words that you go through. As you progress through the lists the complexity of the words or phrases get more difficult.

There are 3 steps to the flashcard system.

In the first step, the word or phrase is displayed in French and English. It will also be spoken or pronounced by a native French speaker and there may be pictures or photographs to help you understand the meaning of the word.

The second step displays one of the words or phrases at random, pronounces it and asks you what it means and to say it out loud (ideally). When you flip the card, the English equivalent is revealed and you can see if you were correct. This improves or tests your comprehension or understanding of the word. Then the system asks you to write the word or expression in English.

Then it does it the other way round. This time the English word (and any pictures/photos) are displayed and you are asked to say the French equivalent. Flip the card to see if you were correct. Once you have said the word, the next step is to write it in French.

So gradually, you get to test reading, writing and comprehension.

You can also record your voice and measure how your pronunciation compares to a native speaker via and graphical representation (this is similar to Rocket Record, the feature in the Rocket French course – or maybe the other way round)

You can also play various games such as hangman, crossword puzzles and other word games. You can also track your progress on the words you have learned.

The people from Transparent languages recommend that students start their learning here. I’m not sure about that as it’s a bit of a slow way to start but it is easy to use and doesn’t push you out of your comfort zone too much.

2.Everywhere French Audio Lessons

This is the audio component of the course that can be used at home or “on the go” using an mp3 player like an iPod or such like. Many of the parts of the audio course have imagery with them so you really need an iPod with video capabilities. With this said, any mp3 player will still be able to play the soundtracks but won’t be able to show the pictures.

There are 35 lessons which means 5 hours of audio. Like most audio courses you listen and repeat what is said. The lessons are like a tutor teaching you French. She will teach various concepts, explain things be it vocabulary or cultural references and will ask you questions.

Your goal is to repeat words and phrases when they are said or answer questions when they are asked. You can do this by pausing the recording to think, saying the word and then resuming the recording where the tutor will supply an answer.

3.Transparent French Premium Edition

The Transparent French Premium Edition is essentially a course book on the French language. This is where you will learn how the language works – the grammar and the way certain phrases are formed. Verb groups and verb conjugation. Again this component of the complete course comes on a CD but when running on your computer looks like a book. You go to various chapters and turn the pages just like a real book.

4.Lexicon Translation Dictionary

This is also on CD and comprises 65,000 words apparently. It’s basically an electronic dictionary. You type in a word and you get the equivalent in the other language. This includes the spelling, definition and how it fits in grammatically.

It sounds pretty comprehensive but I’m not sure how you would use it as part of the course. It should be a handy reference guide and something you might turn to if you are looking to seriously expand your vocabulary. I would probably prefer a traditional book dictionary but that’s just me.

5.LinguaMatch French

Lingua Match is a unique part of the Transparent languages courses. You will find it in most of the courses that they offer. It’s a virtual world or cartoon world that you are participating in. There are 30 scenes or situations that tend to be things that people learning French or traveling in France as a tourist might encounter.

So checking into a hotel or eating at a restaurant are typical scenarios. The situations will be populated by cartoon or virtual people that will pose questions of you and ask you questions. You will ask them questions and so forth until you get to the end of the scene and achieve the objective of the conversation.

All the software is made for PCs with Windows operating system. It is compatible with Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows Vista or higher.

Comparison

Side by Side I think the Transparent course has more content but is also more expensive. Rocket French can be downloaded whereas Transparent is a box set that is shipped to you (I think you can now get a download option but I’m not sure how that works or how effective it is). One common complaint with Transparent was that you had to constantly change disks in your computer when using it which got a bit tiring and interrupted or interfered with the learning experience.

Rocket French is more likely to be used online or by downloading the audios for an mp3 player. Rocket French has a forum that is quite active and the creators of the course and support staff visit from time to time.

The Byki flash card method is better than the similar mega games and flashcards offered by Rocket in terms of size and variety. For instance you can write in both English and French with the Byki system. Although you can add new words in the MegaVocab game and MyVocab section in Rocket French, you can’t really interact with the system other than answering multiple choice questions.

I preferred the audio course in Rocket French which was a bit more informal than the Transparent version.

Transparent has LinguaMatch, which can make learning more interesting. Rocket French has nothing like this. Transparent also has a huge electronic dictionary. Again, Rocket French doesn’t have anything like that although to be honest a dictionary isn’t really going to help you learn French initially but will be a good reference guide once you have the basics down.

So here are the facts, now you make the choice – Rocket French or Transparent French Complete Edition ?

Rocket French is slightly cheaper than Transparent. It is also more modern and likely to be improved over the years. Owners of Rocket French get all new updates according to the creators. You can get Rocket French here

You get more content and tools with Transparent but it doesn’t seem to have been updated for a few years now. If you are interested in Transparent then it is available at Amazon here.