🚨 GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚨 We're giving away a FREE language course every month to one of our subscribers. It takes less than 10 seconds to enter! More details can be found here: ua-cam.com/video/Ahx8El0al0E/v-deo.html
I want to learn Portuguese for my wife and her family. I understand a handful of words and phrases (mostly the bad ones), but I’d like to surprise them conversationally.
This review helped me make the decision to go with Rocket Languages. I was on the verge of choosing Pimsleur until I watched this review. I am a visual learner and need to see the words in writing. Hearing that Rocket provides the transcript made it the easy choice. Often a coworker will teach me small phrases in Spanish, but I have to ask him to write the word, otherwise I just cannot grasp the pronunciation. I suppose that is a cool thing about Spanish, every letter pretty much makes it’s sound. Thank you again!
Having been trying Pimsleur, I am a little confused, because it absolutely does give the spelling of all the words/phrases used in the lesson after the audio section. If you’re doing the audio alone I could see that being a problem, but it does show you the spelling as well! I’m with you on that, I’m also a visual learner.
Another great video! I have been using Pimsleur for Persian for 3 months now. I really like it. I won last month’s giveaway! So I chose Rocket Languages for Spanish and I love it so far. It is a LOT like Pimsleur, but just better. It has more features, the rolling transcription is SOOOO helpful. I love it so far. Pimsleur was started in 1963! Rocket was started in 2004. It is CLEAR, Rocket modeled their program after the Pimsleur method and just added to it. They did a great job! Pimsleur however has 51 languages to choose from, while Rocket has just 14. If I were choosing a language Rocket offers, I’d go with Rocket, but Rocket doesn’t offer Persian, so I’m thankful Pimsleur does. Or if you want to study multiple languages with a low monthly subscription, Pimsleur is excellent. I agree, both are great. PS: Thank you for the prize for February 🙏
I tried both.pimsleur teaches university method but Rocket teaches you real life language.I checked my native language (farsi) and it is not the way we talk.Rocket is the best
FINALLY!!! The video that I needed. I started Pimsleur Spanish last week and was flying through it until I got to Lesson 26 and could not figure out was being said. I searched over and over for transcripts and could not find them. I love the program and even continued onto to Unit 2 but tapped out at Lesson 3 when I realized that I was saying something wrong for a few days. A simple transcript would have corrected that. I just signed up for the free trial for Rocket Language 5 minutes ago and can already see the difference. Thank you SO MUCH for your video!
I'm learning French and I guess I'd say it's for the poetry and the ability to read and write poetry for my wife. As to the differences between these two courses, I agree about Rocket having the advantage here. The rolling transcript is super helpful but being able to actually take on the role of the two actors in the lesson and get vocal feedback is king to me.
Wow my eldest son learned Spanish using Pimsleur. And he loved it. I still can’t get over how fluent he is now. Now it’s my turn to try but I think I’ll try both Rocket and Babbel and try out Pimsleur for a few months before I settle on two. 😂 thank you for the thorough review. I’ve watched just about all of the new ones!
Haha I just watched the Babbel vs Pimsleur comparison video and thought I wanted to try Babbel. But after learning about Rocket Languages, I think it'd be more beneficial for me in becoming conversational with Portuguese! Thanks for this great video! I recently found this channel and it's been useful in helping me decide which program to invest in.
Update to my earlier comment: I'm still a fan of Pimsleur. I love the way it builds onto the previous lesson. I was strictly doing audio, and highly recommend it for Unit 1 until it gets frustrating to you. As far as Unit 2 is concerned, I think I'll check out the app's visual features. I wish the library had those features along with their free audio books.
One thing that I would add is that you can adjust the sensitivity on rockets voice recognition in your settings. I liked pimsleurs voice recognition better because it was more sensitive and accurate so I actually had both of these language apps for short while. Once I figured out you can adjust the sensitivity on Rocket I'm all rocket language hands down.
oh man...I bought rosetta stone a few days ago (lifetime membership with your discount link). Have done one full lesson. But now ive seen your memrise video plus this comparison video and I'm thinking I want memrise and rocket, both. I have the money right now and have wanted to invest in learning another language forever. ahhh! I'm going to look at a few more of your comparison vids and french reviews on different platforms and make my final decision. Hopefully RS will approve my return. Thanks for being so thorough with these reviews. This isnt chump change for most of us so making an informed decision is CRUCIAL!
@@moonspun4evr It's working well for us, especially now Pimsleur has added a whole lot of new options into the program, so that you can practice between sessions. We use it on a loud-speaker or Alexa (which is irritating to use) Different family members can work on different languages and different levels in the same language.
These videos are always so helpful! I tried Pimsleur for a month based on a previous broader review of yours, and I really liked it. But a few “wishes” I had were things you brought up in this video, like the more structured grammar instruction and having the transcript to visualize the words as I’m practicing speaking them. I’m learning French because my family are looking to move to France next year. Thank you so much for these reviews that have helped me tremendously already!
I just bought Rocket Spanish via your link as it is the cheapest way to purchase, I'm surprised that they don't give existing users of Rocket any discount. Thank you again, for presenting this excellent comparison.
I'm here because my friend told me I should start Pimsleur NOW! I'm leaning Italy because I'm in love with the country and culture, been there 6 times so far. I've been on Duolingo about 3 years and Babbel off and on for about 2. I've capped out on both a few times over.
Thanks for the high level review - sometimes clips of using each programme in action helps to push you towards one or the other as opposed to just written text in an article; visual brain types for you!
Thank you! I was leaning towards Pimsleur and you pushed me over lol I lost out on a really good second job last year due to not being able to speak enough Spanish. I had the experience they wanted but not the language. They are still having a tough time finding someone with my experience so I'm trying to learn the language.
I have been using both Rocket Italian and Pimsleur and I like both for different reasons. I like that Rocket Italian isn't a subscription model, you own it outright.(I bought it on sale as it tends to be quite expensive otherwise.) I also like that it uses both auditory and visual techniques for teaching and that it quizzes you. (I'm a combined auditory/visual leaner.) What I don't like: I find it moves fairly quickly and I don't retain the information from it as well as Pimsleur because Pimsleur has more repetition. If you do go with Rocket Italian, get a headset with a microphone, don't rely on your phone or computer's built in microphone to pick up your speech. Before I got a headset, I found myself sometimes have to bellowing in Italian over and over to get the microphone to pick up my responses. (With the headset, it only happens very occasionally). I did find the "Culture & Language" sections (ie pronouns, irregular verbs etc) a slog to get through but I think most people feel that way about grammar although it is important. Pimsleur is mostly auditory. However, I feel that I have a higher retention of the material I've learned through Pimsleur because of the high level of repetition and the fact it doesn't move as quickly with as much new material. I like that Pimsleur simulates conversation and prompts you to respond in Italian. (More so than Rocket Italian IMHO.) I also like that Pimsleur teaches the formal form of you (Lei") rather than the informal ("Tu"). As a traveller, I'll mostly be talking to strangers and I feel using the formal first is politer. (Rocket Italian starts with the informal which IMHO is less useful for travellers or business people.) Both are good programs in my opinion and although there is some overlap with the words & phrases, I'm glad I have both.
I’m midway thru Japanese level 2 on Pimsleur. I definitely have learned quite a bit of Japanese. But over the last few lessons I’ve come to agree with another person’s assessment that I read on Reddit of its trending towards dating/pick up phrases - are you free Thursday, would up you like get a cup of coffee after the movie, etc. Not sure I want to invest much more time going that route learning words/phrases that I (being married) have no desire to use. So after watching your review, I’m going to trial Rocket.
One thing that really draws my attention to Rocket Languages is that they offer a Spanish learning experience from using a latin american perspective/approach, which is just what I'm look for.
I want to learn german to move and leave in Germany. After I reach A1 level I think I’ll try Babbel’s Live course to practice with a real human. Thanks for your effort in creating this content. Best!
Thank you for the helpful insight. I was just about to make my Babbel purchase when I came across your video now I am rethinking which one I need to get started. I have been immersed in a Spanish-speaking culture and I am lost. I need to get something moving soon. Thank you again for your video and information. Have a blessed day.
Thank you for this. I used Pimsleur 20 years ago, and used it for Italian, Spanish, Russian, and Mandarin. Now I’m using it for Greek, but the old fashioned low-tech way: cds in my car, which was why I loved Pimsleur years ago. (I spent a lot of time driving back then.) I haven’t used the new version of Pimsleur simply because of the cost, but I’m more interested now after your video. Thanks again!
@@youngfossil The one that I saw right away was Spanish. When I was in Pimsleur Spanish 2, I took a trip to Argentina. I was able to communicate adequately in terms of getting around, and to converse with people. I never had too much opportunity to speak Russian, but when I started learning the Russian alphabet, and reading on duolingo, I already had the sounds of the language, so learning the corresponding symbol came easily. The same with Mandarin. I never completed the 3 levels of Mandarin but I still work at the language every day on duolingo and Hello Chinese. The main reason I’m not better in any of those languages is my lack of regular conversational practice with native speakers. Recently, I went to Greece and got to try it out and considering I had started it only 2 months before the trip, I think I did pretty well, and was really happy to be able to say stuff to people.
Thank you so much for all your review videos! Today is New Year's Day.. 🎉 One of my goals for this year is to speak perfect German by the end of 2024. That's important to me because I moved to Germany. A lifetime membership with a language app would help me enormously in achieving my goal, so I would like to participate in the raffle. Thanks again & all the best for 2024! ❤
I’m learning Spanish to go on holiday, and German because some of my family live there. I learned Greek using Pimsleur and other tapes to try challenge my against brain.
I’m learning French because I’ve always wanted to learn it and have taken some courses in the past. I studied French when I went to France a couple years ago and picked up on it pretty nicely, but I’ve since lost most things I’ve learned and want to get back into it.
This is a great comparison! It's so helpful to see examples of each product in use (and good to know that there are often sales). I'm trying to learn Spanish because there are so many Spanish-speakers in our area. I worked in a school for years and speaking Spanish would have been so helpful for communicating with families! Thanks for the info!
I'm going with Rocket for Japanese. I was discussing with a friend who's been working on learning Mandarin, and she noted that learning the ideographs concurrently with the language can help unlock how words are formed and their meanings. She said this helps with Mandarin becuause the words are mostly compound words. I don't know that it direclty correlates to how Japanese uses of Kanji, but I figure it's worth a try.
Thank you for the explanation. I think I'll go with Rocket languages, it is a bit pricey though. I guess I will subscribe to 1 level first. I'm learning German now, I subscribed monthly to LingQ when I learned French.
Having nearly finished Pimsleur Japanese, I may have to give the Intermediate and Advanced courses from Rocket a try!! Does anyone have experience with both? Any insights as to what may better suit my level being most of the way through Pimsleur?
So pimsleur only takes one to the intermediate level? In that case i will cross it off my list. I want something that will take me all the way to advanced level.
Working part-time and saving up for Rocket French. I prefer lifetime subscriptions. Having transcripts for the audio lessons is super important! When you're learning a new language, it's always a good idea to check whether "what you think you heard" is actually "what was actually said".🌈🦄
Rocket often have a sale on where they reduce the price by 60%. These are usually around holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, and even Valentine’s Day. If you pay in US dollars, that can further reduce the cost due to the conversion rate.
I've only done one lesson with Rocket Language but I prefer it much more than Pimsleur which I've done around 10 lessons. The transcripts and grammar lessons are what did it for me. And over the long term, it's cheaper.
Why do you want to learn Spanish? I’m a medical professional who wants so badly to be able to communicate with Spanish patients that come to my hospital. Because being able to communicate effectively is part of the healing process as well Also, I love how you give insight as to the fact tjat both of the learning programs are really good. But ultimately you say that it’s up to the individual person’s learning style. Amd that’s so true! Everyone learns and process information different from one another. Thank you again for all of your helpful information
Thanks for this video! I purchased rocket languages based on your recommendation but always looking to see comparisons on other programs/apps. I’m currently studying Italian to pass the language test. After Italian, French is on my list! Appreciate all your helpful videos!
these two were my main Spanish learning resources while learning Spanish. I love how Rocket is detailed and covers everything but for me Pimsleur is still the better resource in helping you become conversational, it gets ingrained in your brain….Rocket - I forget what I learned quickly
I had nothing but problems with Pimsleur…and I gave it a good trial, doing all 5 levels of their French course over the span of 9 months or so. Voice recognition barely functioned and was more aggravating to use than helpful. When I tested my ability after the course at Duolingo, (and Babbel and Rosetta Stone, both of which have similar voice recognition bugs to Pimsleur) I barely tested above beginner on their app. Ironically, I gave Rocket Languages a shot 6 years ago briefly and it was pretty primitive then, but after checking out the current iteration, it’s vastly improved. I agree with your review.
I have both and Rocket Languages was frustrating as heck for Chinese. Their audio portion was useless as you need a photographic memory as they say all the vocab up front and then dish in Chinese almost the entire rest of the time. They also introduce things too quick. I feel dumb after Rocket Languages but empowered after Pimsleur. Chinese 101 is pretty good too. Maybe one step below Pimsleur for me.
Hmm, I would imagine the rocket japanese program is similar to the Chinese. If it is, that something to consider because i am looking for a program that encourages me. I don’t want a program that makes me feel dumb. Thanks for your feedback.
pimsluer also offers lifetime access and i believe it may be roughly the same price if not cheaper. Plus with rocket its like $250 for all 3 levels where as all 5 levels are included in pimsleur for 150 or 20pm
@@riowhan7566 pimsluer lifetime with discount is $475. Rocket Spanish lifetime for all courses is $250.00 or $44 a month for 6 months. Based on those figures, Rocket Spanish is almost half the price.
I got Pimsleur from the library, it’s free but it’s audio only. The problem is there are 30 lessons, but I have only 21 days. Next I will try Rocket Languages.
Thank you for this excellent comparison. I’m thinking I will go with Rocket Languages. I’m half Chilean and have been wanting to learn Spanish my whole life. So, I’m finally going to do it. I feel like I have so much to explore with that side of my family.
I am keen to gain French fluency as my work responsibilities cover countries where French or French based language is the main form of communication . Thank you for these insightful videos🎉.
I'm taking face to face French and Spanish lessons at the same time. I'm learning it because I have friends I'd like to chat with in their native language 🙂
Heyo! Battle of the Kings. So Rocket doesn't look that great compared to Pimsleur and the Rocket Languages App needs a heavy revamp, that being said I absolutely love Rocket and I will continue to choose it above all other language programs. I love the transcripts they give, seeing the words while hearing them just makes it stick better. After each lesson I can say that I learnt new vocab and understand grammar better. Truly an awesome program with room for improvement(visuals and user experience). P.S. An update on my Art Program: its going very well, life has gone back to normal so I can focus full time on learning again. Learning a lot and being challenged a lot haha. I'll hopefully be done by the end of this year. Forever grateful and thank you for all the great review 😁🥰
Thanks Mike! Appreciate the input on the two programs :) Also, very glad to hear the arts course is going well. So glad we could help you out with that 👍🏻 Appreciate the update!
Hi there, thanks for all the app comparison videos you've made -- VERY helpful! One of the other comparison points that I think bears including in the future is the variety of languages available on each. For people who want to learn certain languages (I'm learning Hebrew, for example), Babbel, Rosetta Stone and Rocket aren't even options. Also, options with these apps are usually more limited for people who are don't already speak English. For Duolingo, for example, there are only 4 language courses for German speakers but English speakers can choose from 39.
I'm currently learning Italian because I enjoy the culture, talking to people and getting the sense behind words rather than a translation. Also I really want to understand the songs of the 70s & 80s
I want to look at and try all the apps before making a decision but I also want to narrow the choices down to just a few to not waste time. What will I settle on I wonder? I hope I make the right choice! Thank you for the input to help me and others.
Love the trial of both of these apps. Couldn't agree more with this video. The rocket speech doesn't always pick up words like zoo, or la, etc. But they're both great. How many languages have you learned with these programs?
I think I'm leaning more heavily toward Rocket since I've grown more fatigued with all these subscription services. I always preferred having my own copy of something so I didn't have to rely on an internet connection or that cloud to access what I paid for. Can you take your lessons offline with either of these programs? I still have some CDs from living language that I can take anywhere I want to and would hate that I lose access to an app when I'm on a plane or out in the woods.
Thank you for such a thorough comparison of these two programs. I had bought Rosetta Stone and I find it so frustrating because the lessons do not explain what they actually want you to do & there is too much guesswork involved: I wish I hadn't bought it so I am looking to buy another program. I already bought Rocket about 10 . years ago to learn Hindi but haven't looked at it for many years as I don't need it at this time, so I may get a disount off 'Spanish' twt. The great thing for me about Rocket, whcih you mentioned, is that you can access it for life.
If rocket didn’t hold your attention enough to carry you through hindi that would be a red flag for me. I would look for a program that will hold my attention long enough to get me to some level of fluency.
I think rocket is the one for me. One time subscription sounds pretty good and I think what many language apps lack is dept. When I decide to learn I language, I want to learn it 100%
I would prefer Pimsleur as a beginner to build a solid foundation then rocket as to delve deeper into the languages. If there are combination between, it would be awesome.
I want to learn Spanish and be more confident in listening and understanding with being able to speak at least some times. Which app is best? I want to be able to build a foundation. I have a short attention span but I’m motivated and want to be able to understand the grammar rules and make sure I’m saying things right! Thanks! What do you recommend?
You're on the right video then. Rocket Languages is definitely the best overall course out there at the moment and we recommend it. It would be especially effective if you combined with another app like Babbel or Mondly. Just take it day by day, and do little chunks to stay engaged.
I’m learning Spanish for now. I took Spanish in college but didn’t practice much and haven’t been able to find a good way to effectively learn. When i visit México I want to be prepared 😊.
I love this review and love that both apps focus more on listening and speaking. I need to learn Russian to travel Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and have only 6 weeks to learn from beginner level.. Getting taxis buses and trains will be most important to me. Which one would be more suitable for a basic travel section? ... and does the written lay out compare with the Cyrillic alphabet challenge? Any info would be useful. Thanks
ok, i have different people in my household that want to learn Chinese, French, German, and Spanish? i cant see the option on Ricket to bundle languages and pumsleur only has monthly subscription for all access. Suggestions?
Correct, I don't think you can bundle on Rocket - they don't have an all languages lifetime deal (I don't think). Pimsleur is cool because you can account split for the family, though it is monthly subscription only
Thank you so so much for your videos, comparisons, and advice; you really do know how to get down to what the person needs to know to pick the best app. Based on your videos I think I’ve narrowed down my picks to Rocket Languages and Pimsleur, I just have to decide on which one!
That's so interesting! I'm more of a hearing person, so both of them are so cool! But I guess if I want to become better at pronunciation, I'll choose Pimsleur I think, also because of the price!
You think you can combine Pimsleur with Babbel to fill the gap with direct Grammar lessons? I really wanna learn to pronounce right and the tool from Pimsleur looks just better here
That would be my recommendation. If you are interested in grammar instruction, but prefer using Pimsleur for your core lessons, Babbel's intuitive integration of grammar via tips and short, direct lessons could be a great combination if that's what you're after.
I think it’s better too except I have seen several comments where people had trouble unsubscribing from an app and was continuing to be charged. So in a case like that, a one time fee would turn out to be much cheaper and far less frustrating.
I really appreciate your reviews. It really helps to see inside these programs and evaluate them for our needs. I'm starting German, but am curious as to which languages you speak? With access to all of these programs, do you have a favorite?
I went on a trip and I’m back!! Had to check out the content. And awesome video. Thanks for it :) but really I love the update on the rocket languages program. I have been on the fence about getting it. Keep it up!!
🚨 GIVEAWAY ALERT 🚨
We're giving away a FREE language course every month to one of our subscribers. It takes less than 10 seconds to enter! More details can be found here: ua-cam.com/video/Ahx8El0al0E/v-deo.html
I want to learn Portuguese for my wife and her family. I understand a handful of words and phrases (mostly the bad ones), but I’d like to surprise them conversationally.
This review helped me make the decision to go with Rocket Languages. I was on the verge of choosing Pimsleur until I watched this review.
I am a visual learner and need to see the words in writing. Hearing that Rocket provides the transcript made it the easy choice. Often a coworker will teach me small phrases in Spanish, but I have to ask him to write the word, otherwise I just cannot grasp the pronunciation.
I suppose that is a cool thing about Spanish, every letter pretty much makes it’s sound.
Thank you again!
That's a great point - it's how some people learn best!
Having been trying Pimsleur, I am a little confused, because it absolutely does give the spelling of all the words/phrases used in the lesson after the audio section. If you’re doing the audio alone I could see that being a problem, but it does show you the spelling as well! I’m with you on that, I’m also a visual learner.
So am I. Specially in French, writing and pronunciation are different. French people speak very fast.
Another great video! I have been using Pimsleur for Persian for 3 months now. I really like it.
I won last month’s giveaway! So I chose Rocket Languages for Spanish and I love it so far.
It is a LOT like Pimsleur, but just better. It has more features, the rolling transcription is SOOOO helpful. I love it so far.
Pimsleur was started in 1963! Rocket was started in 2004. It is CLEAR, Rocket modeled their program after the Pimsleur method and just added to it. They did a great job!
Pimsleur however has 51 languages to choose from, while Rocket has just 14.
If I were choosing a language Rocket offers, I’d go with Rocket, but Rocket doesn’t offer Persian, so I’m thankful Pimsleur does.
Or if you want to study multiple languages with a low monthly subscription, Pimsleur is excellent.
I agree, both are great.
PS: Thank you for the prize for February 🙏
Thanks for sharing!!
I tried both.pimsleur teaches university method but Rocket teaches you real life language.I checked my native language (farsi) and it is not the way we talk.Rocket is the best
Yep. Thanks for watching!
FINALLY!!! The video that I needed. I started Pimsleur Spanish last week and was flying through it until I got to Lesson 26 and could not figure out was being said. I searched over and over for transcripts and could not find them. I love the program and even continued onto to Unit 2 but tapped out at Lesson 3 when I realized that I was saying something wrong for a few days. A simple transcript would have corrected that. I just signed up for the free trial for Rocket Language 5 minutes ago and can already see the difference. Thank you SO MUCH for your video!
Glad it helped!!
I'm learning French and I guess I'd say it's for the poetry and the ability to read and write poetry for my wife.
As to the differences between these two courses, I agree about Rocket having the advantage here. The rolling transcript is super helpful but being able to actually take on the role of the two actors in the lesson and get vocal feedback is king to me.
Yep, totally agree. Thanks for watching!
Wow my eldest son learned Spanish using Pimsleur. And he loved it. I still can’t get over how fluent he is now. Now it’s my turn to try but I think I’ll try both Rocket and Babbel and try out Pimsleur for a few months before I settle on two. 😂 thank you for the thorough review. I’ve watched just about all of the new ones!
Awesome! Thanks for watching and sharing!
Haha I just watched the Babbel vs Pimsleur comparison video and thought I wanted to try Babbel. But after learning about Rocket Languages, I think it'd be more beneficial for me in becoming conversational with Portuguese!
Thanks for this great video! I recently found this channel and it's been useful in helping me decide which program to invest in.
Cool! I'm glad we could help :)
which variation of portuguese have you been using in your studies?
Update to my earlier comment: I'm still a fan of Pimsleur. I love the way it builds onto the previous lesson. I was strictly doing audio, and highly recommend it for Unit 1 until it gets frustrating to you. As far as Unit 2 is concerned, I think I'll check out the app's visual features. I wish the library had those features along with their free audio books.
One thing that I would add is that you can adjust the sensitivity on rockets voice recognition in your settings. I liked pimsleurs voice recognition better because it was more sensitive and accurate so I actually had both of these language apps for short while. Once I figured out you can adjust the sensitivity on Rocket I'm all rocket language hands down.
Nice! Thanks for sharing
I’m learning Spanish for work, but also for travel.
Nice, good luck!
oh man...I bought rosetta stone a few days ago (lifetime membership with your discount link). Have done one full lesson. But now ive seen your memrise video plus this comparison video and I'm thinking I want memrise and rocket, both. I have the money right now and have wanted to invest in learning another language forever. ahhh! I'm going to look at a few more of your comparison vids and french reviews on different platforms and make my final decision. Hopefully RS will approve my return. Thanks for being so thorough with these reviews. This isnt chump change for most of us so making an informed decision is CRUCIAL!
With Pimsleur, I like the fact that my whole family can learn using the one subscription, each with their own course and language.
This is what I was wondering about. My family wants to learn together without paying different subscriptions.
@@moonspun4evr It's working well for us, especially now Pimsleur has added a whole lot of new options into the program, so that you can practice between sessions. We use it on a loud-speaker or Alexa (which is irritating to use) Different family members can work on different languages and different levels in the same language.
These videos are always so helpful! I tried Pimsleur for a month based on a previous broader review of yours, and I really liked it. But a few “wishes” I had were things you brought up in this video, like the more structured grammar instruction and having the transcript to visualize the words as I’m practicing speaking them. I’m learning French because my family are looking to move to France next year. Thank you so much for these reviews that have helped me tremendously already!
I just bought Rocket Spanish via your link as it is the cheapest way to purchase, I'm surprised that they don't give existing users of Rocket any discount. Thank you again, for presenting this excellent comparison.
Glad it helped you out!
Thanks for the info! I had no idea that rocket languages had many great audio lessons, and I think rocket languages is best for me. again thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Thanks, I was looking into Rocket, but the discount was only 44%. You helped me get the full 60%. I appreciate it
No problem 👍
I'm here because my friend told me I should start Pimsleur NOW! I'm leaning Italy because I'm in love with the country and culture, been there 6 times so far. I've been on Duolingo about 3 years and Babbel off and on for about 2. I've capped out on both a few times over.
It's tough to get truly fluent with Duolingo. Good luck with one these other apps!
Thanks for the high level review - sometimes clips of using each programme in action helps to push you towards one or the other as opposed to just written text in an article; visual brain types for you!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and sharing
Thank you! I was leaning towards Pimsleur and you pushed me over lol I lost out on a really good second job last year due to not being able to speak enough Spanish. I had the experience they wanted but not the language. They are still having a tough time finding someone with my experience so I'm trying to learn the language.
Sorry to hear you didn't get the job, but might not be too late! Good luck learning!!
I have been using both Rocket Italian and Pimsleur and I like both for different reasons. I like that Rocket Italian isn't a subscription model, you own it outright.(I bought it on sale as it tends to be quite expensive otherwise.) I also like that it uses both auditory and visual techniques for teaching and that it quizzes you. (I'm a combined auditory/visual leaner.) What I don't like: I find it moves fairly quickly and I don't retain the information from it as well as Pimsleur because Pimsleur has more repetition. If you do go with Rocket Italian, get a headset with a microphone, don't rely on your phone or computer's built in microphone to pick up your speech. Before I got a headset, I found myself sometimes have to bellowing in Italian over and over to get the microphone to pick up my responses. (With the headset, it only happens very occasionally). I did find the "Culture & Language" sections (ie pronouns, irregular verbs etc) a slog to get through but I think most people feel that way about grammar although it is important. Pimsleur is mostly auditory. However, I feel that I have a higher retention of the material I've learned through Pimsleur because of the high level of repetition and the fact it doesn't move as quickly with as much new material. I like that Pimsleur simulates conversation and prompts you to respond in Italian. (More so than Rocket Italian IMHO.) I also like that Pimsleur teaches the formal form of you (Lei") rather than the informal ("Tu"). As a traveller, I'll mostly be talking to strangers and I feel using the formal first is politer. (Rocket Italian starts with the informal which IMHO is less useful for travellers or business people.) Both are good programs in my opinion and although there is some overlap with the words & phrases, I'm glad I have both.
Thanks for watching and sharing!
I like the pay as you go option. Thank you for this excellent, detailed video on Pimsleur vs Rocket language learning programs. 😊
That motivates the company to teach you as slow as possible to make as much as possible. Thank you for your business.
I’m midway thru Japanese level 2 on Pimsleur. I definitely have learned quite a bit of Japanese. But over the last few lessons I’ve come to agree with another person’s assessment that I read on Reddit of its trending towards dating/pick up phrases - are you free Thursday, would up you like get a cup of coffee after the movie, etc. Not sure I want to invest much more time going that route learning words/phrases that I (being married) have no desire to use. So after watching your review, I’m going to trial Rocket.
That can be an issue with Pimsleur, though that phase does pass eventually. Regardless, Rocket is a great choice!
One thing that really draws my attention to Rocket Languages is that they offer a Spanish learning experience from using a latin american perspective/approach, which is just what I'm look for.
Yes, it's really helpful they designed their program for Latin American Spanish
Love this video. Hoping to get Rocket soon!
Thanks for watching!
I want to learn german to move and leave in Germany. After I reach A1 level I think I’ll try Babbel’s Live course to practice with a real human. Thanks for your effort in creating this content. Best!
That's a great call. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the helpful insight. I was just about to make my Babbel purchase when I came across your video now I am rethinking which one I need to get started. I have been immersed in a Spanish-speaking culture and I am lost. I need to get something moving soon. Thank you again for your video and information. Have a blessed day.
Glad we could help! If you need to learn FAST, I would suggest Rocket or Pimsleur before Babbel...Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this. I used Pimsleur 20 years ago, and used it for Italian, Spanish, Russian, and Mandarin. Now I’m using it for Greek, but the old fashioned low-tech way: cds in my car, which was why I loved Pimsleur years ago. (I spent a lot of time driving back then.) I haven’t used the new version of Pimsleur simply because of the cost, but I’m more interested now after your video. Thanks again!
Very interesting! It has definitely come a long way...Thank you for watching!
Did you manage to learn those languages?
@@youngfossil The one that I saw right away was Spanish. When I was in Pimsleur Spanish 2, I took a trip to Argentina. I was able to communicate adequately in terms of getting around, and to converse with people. I never had too much opportunity to speak Russian, but when I started learning the Russian alphabet, and reading on duolingo, I already had the sounds of the language, so learning the corresponding symbol came easily. The same with Mandarin. I never completed the 3 levels of Mandarin but I still work at the language every day on duolingo and Hello Chinese. The main reason I’m not better in any of those languages is my lack of regular conversational practice with native speakers. Recently, I went to Greece and got to try it out and considering I had started it only 2 months before the trip, I think I did pretty well, and was really happy to be able to say stuff to people.
@@georgiannapappas1938 that sounds great! I'll give it a try then. Thanks a lot for taking the time to reply. Cheers
Thank you so much for all your review videos! Today is New Year's Day.. 🎉 One of my goals for this year is to speak perfect German by the end of 2024. That's important to me because I moved to Germany. A lifetime membership with a language app would help me enormously in achieving my goal, so I would like to participate in the raffle. Thanks again & all the best for 2024! ❤
I’m learning Spanish to go on holiday, and German because some of my family live there. I learned Greek using Pimsleur and other tapes to try challenge my against brain.
I’m learning French because I’ve always wanted to learn it and have taken some courses in the past. I studied French when I went to France a couple years ago and picked up on it pretty nicely, but I’ve since lost most things I’ve learned and want to get back into it.
Awesome! Good luck! You should start planning a trip back :)
This is a great comparison! It's so helpful to see examples of each product in use (and good to know that there are often sales). I'm trying to learn Spanish because there are so many Spanish-speakers in our area. I worked in a school for years and speaking Spanish would have been so helpful for communicating with families! Thanks for the info!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching :)
I'm learning Spanish, Japanese and Korean at the moment. For Spanish, I'm at A2 and am at C1 for Japanese and Korean~
C1 for Japanese and Korean is impressive!! Thanks for watching!
Very helpful. Been looking for something like Pimsleur which isn't Pimsleur.
Glad we could help!
I'm going with Rocket for Japanese. I was discussing with a friend who's been working on learning Mandarin, and she noted that learning the ideographs concurrently with the language can help unlock how words are formed and their meanings. She said this helps with Mandarin becuause the words are mostly compound words. I don't know that it direclty correlates to how Japanese uses of Kanji, but I figure it's worth a try.
Thanks for watching and sharing!
Did your friend use Rocket for learning Mandarin?
Thank you for the explanation. I think I'll go with Rocket languages, it is a bit pricey though. I guess I will subscribe to 1 level first. I'm learning German now, I subscribed monthly to LingQ when I learned French.
Having nearly finished Pimsleur Japanese, I may have to give the Intermediate and Advanced courses from Rocket a try!! Does anyone have experience with both? Any insights as to what may better suit my level being most of the way through Pimsleur?
So pimsleur only takes one to the intermediate level? In that case i will cross it off my list. I want something that will take me all the way to advanced level.
Working part-time and saving up for Rocket French. I prefer lifetime subscriptions. Having transcripts for the audio lessons is super important! When you're learning a new language, it's always a good idea to check whether "what you think you heard" is actually "what was actually said".🌈🦄
Rocket often have a sale on where they reduce the price by 60%. These are usually around holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, and even Valentine’s Day. If you pay in US dollars, that can further reduce the cost due to the conversion rate.
I've only done one lesson with Rocket Language but I prefer it much more than Pimsleur which I've done around 10 lessons. The transcripts and grammar lessons are what did it for me. And over the long term, it's cheaper.
Great points all around, I agree. Thanks for watching and sharing.
Why do you want to learn Spanish?
I’m a medical professional who wants so badly to be able to communicate with Spanish patients that come to my hospital. Because being able to communicate effectively is part of the healing process as well
Also, I love how you give insight as to the fact tjat both of the learning programs are really good. But ultimately you say that it’s up to the individual person’s learning style. Amd that’s so true! Everyone learns and process information different from one another. Thank you again for all of your helpful information
Thanks for this video! I purchased rocket languages based on your recommendation but always looking to see comparisons on other programs/apps. I’m currently studying Italian to pass the language test. After Italian, French is on my list! Appreciate all your helpful videos!
That's great! Glad we could help! How do you like Rocket so far?
How are you liking it 9 months in?
these two were my main Spanish learning resources while learning Spanish. I love how Rocket is detailed and covers everything but for me Pimsleur is still the better resource in helping you become conversational, it gets ingrained in your brain….Rocket - I forget what I learned quickly
I wonder which would be stronger when learning a language with a different script since they both seem to be so heavily audio based.
I've been trying to learn Japanese on and off, selftaught, for a few years. I just love the history and culture. And i think the language is elegant.
Totally agree. Good luck!
I had nothing but problems with Pimsleur…and I gave it a good trial, doing all 5 levels of their French course over the span of 9 months or so. Voice recognition barely functioned and was more aggravating to use than helpful. When I tested my ability after the course at Duolingo, (and Babbel and Rosetta Stone, both of which have similar voice recognition bugs to Pimsleur) I barely tested above beginner on their app. Ironically, I gave Rocket Languages a shot 6 years ago briefly and it was pretty primitive then, but after checking out the current iteration, it’s vastly improved. I agree with your review.
I have both and Rocket Languages was frustrating as heck for Chinese. Their audio portion was useless as you need a photographic memory as they say all the vocab up front and then dish in Chinese almost the entire rest of the time. They also introduce things too quick. I feel dumb after Rocket Languages but empowered after Pimsleur. Chinese 101 is pretty good too. Maybe one step below Pimsleur for me.
Hmm, I would imagine the rocket japanese program is similar to the Chinese. If it is, that something to consider because i am looking for a program that encourages me. I don’t want a program that makes me feel dumb. Thanks for your feedback.
Been looking at both of these programs to use for work. Thanks for the review!
No problem! Glad we could help :)
Love this review! I’m leaning towards Rocket since they provide lifetime access and they’re fairly similar to one another 😁
pimsluer also offers lifetime access and i believe it may be roughly the same price if not cheaper. Plus with rocket its like $250 for all 3 levels where as all 5 levels are included in pimsleur for 150 or 20pm
@@riowhan7566 pimsluer lifetime with discount is $475. Rocket Spanish lifetime for all courses is $250.00 or $44 a month for 6 months. Based on those figures, Rocket Spanish is almost half the price.
Rn I using rocket french, and Im really liking, just miss some kind of srs
Great comparison! Super helpful vid 😮
I got Pimsleur from the library, it’s free but it’s audio only. The problem is there are 30 lessons, but I have only 21 days. Next I will try Rocket Languages.
Nice! Good luck :)
Thank you for this excellent comparison.
I’m thinking I will go with Rocket Languages.
I’m half Chilean and have been wanting to learn Spanish my whole life.
So, I’m finally going to do it.
I feel like I have so much to explore with that side of my family.
That's awesome. It's a fun process, very rewarding :)
Did you buy one of them?
My son wants to learn either German or Russian. Going to look into both, though currently prefer Rocket
Cool, good luck!
I am keen to gain French fluency as my work responsibilities cover countries where French or French based language is the main form of communication . Thank you for these insightful videos🎉.
Thanks for watching :)
Thanks for the very helpful review!
Glad it was helpful!
I'm taking face to face French and Spanish lessons at the same time. I'm learning it because I have friends I'd like to chat with in their native language 🙂
Very cool :)
Tough choice between the two, but great video comparison. Appreciate you updating your video with the new content!
Thanks! 👍
Heyo! Battle of the Kings.
So Rocket doesn't look that great compared to Pimsleur and the Rocket Languages App needs a heavy revamp, that being said I absolutely love Rocket and I will continue to choose it above all other language programs.
I love the transcripts they give, seeing the words while hearing them just makes it stick better. After each lesson I can say that I learnt new vocab and understand grammar better. Truly an awesome program with room for improvement(visuals and user experience).
P.S. An update on my Art Program: its going very well, life has gone back to normal so I can focus full time on learning again. Learning a lot and being challenged a lot haha. I'll hopefully be done by the end of this year. Forever grateful and thank you for all the great review 😁🥰
Thanks Mike! Appreciate the input on the two programs :)
Also, very glad to hear the arts course is going well. So glad we could help you out with that 👍🏻 Appreciate the update!
Iiving in CA sort of makes learning Spanish must. That being said I'm also interested in learning Italian, French, and Arabic.
Agreed. In Cali, baseline Spanish is a must
Hi there, thanks for all the app comparison videos you've made -- VERY helpful! One of the other comparison points that I think bears including in the future is the variety of languages available on each. For people who want to learn certain languages (I'm learning Hebrew, for example), Babbel, Rosetta Stone and Rocket aren't even options. Also, options with these apps are usually more limited for people who are don't already speak English. For Duolingo, for example, there are only 4 language
courses for German speakers but English speakers can choose from 39.
Good points. Thanks for watching!
Great comparison. I think I’d go with Rocket.
I'm currently learning Italian because I enjoy the culture, talking to people and getting the sense behind words rather than a translation. Also I really want to understand the songs of the 70s & 80s
Awesome reason. Thanks for watching!
I’m currently learning Spanish because I wish to travel to Latin America in the future
Nice! Thanks for watching!
Currently trying both free trail. I really like the transcript on Rocket. Wish primsleur has that option. Learning Spanish to add another language
Very cool! Thanks for the input
I want to look at and try all the apps before making a decision but I also want to narrow the choices down to just a few to not waste time. What will I settle on I wonder? I hope I make the right choice! Thank you for the input to help me and others.
Love the trial of both of these apps. Couldn't agree more with this video. The rocket speech doesn't always pick up words like zoo, or la, etc. But they're both great. How many languages have you learned with these programs?
three myself, and my team members/friends have used them to learn two others
I think I'm leaning more heavily toward Rocket since I've grown more fatigued with all these subscription services. I always preferred having my own copy of something so I didn't have to rely on an internet connection or that cloud to access what I paid for. Can you take your lessons offline with either of these programs? I still have some CDs from living language that I can take anywhere I want to and would hate that I lose access to an app when I'm on a plane or out in the woods.
I need to learn French! My boyfriend is dual citizenship French/USA.
Nice! Good luck :)
Thank you for such a thorough comparison of these two programs. I had bought Rosetta Stone and I find it so frustrating because the lessons do not explain what they actually want you to do & there is too much guesswork involved: I wish I hadn't bought it so I am looking to buy another program. I already bought Rocket about 10 . years ago to learn Hindi but haven't looked at it for many years as I don't need it at this time, so I may get a disount off 'Spanish' twt. The great thing for me about Rocket, whcih you mentioned, is that you can access it for life.
Exactly! And they do a great job explaining grammar and various concepts. Thanks for watching!
If rocket didn’t hold your attention enough to carry you through hindi that would be a red flag for me. I would look for a program that will hold my attention long enough to get me to some level of fluency.
I think rocket is the one for me. One time subscription sounds pretty good and I think what many language apps lack is dept. When I decide to learn I language, I want to learn it 100%
All in, I like it!
I would prefer Pimsleur as a beginner to build a solid foundation then rocket as to delve deeper into the languages. If there are combination between, it would be awesome.
That's a very good call. Thanks for watching!
I want to learn Spanish and be more confident in listening and understanding with being able to speak at least some times. Which app is best? I want to be able to build a foundation. I have a short attention span but I’m motivated and want to be able to understand the grammar rules and make sure I’m saying things right! Thanks! What do you recommend?
You're on the right video then. Rocket Languages is definitely the best overall course out there at the moment and we recommend it. It would be especially effective if you combined with another app like Babbel or Mondly. Just take it day by day, and do little chunks to stay engaged.
The language I am learning in Mandarin (Cantonese soon) because I have friends from China and soon want to be a teacher there.
That's awesome! Sounds like fun and a good reason to learn. Thanks for watching!
wow this was really helpful. can't believe how similar these programs are.
I am now learning French. Thanks for the info about Rocket Languages!
super helpful! thank you
Glad it was helpful!
I'm learning French because I'm already in Quebec.
Nice!!
I want to learn Spanish so I can communicate with Spanish speakers. There are many where I live. And I love travel.
You can do it! Good luck!
Pimsleur disappointed me because the Japanese speakers talked too fast.
I’m learning Spanish for now. I took Spanish in college but didn’t practice much and haven’t been able to find a good way to effectively learn. When i visit México I want to be prepared 😊.
For sure! Thanks for watching, and have fun in Mexico!
I love this review and love that both apps focus more on listening and speaking. I need to learn Russian to travel Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and have only 6 weeks to learn from beginner level.. Getting taxis buses and trains will be most important to me. Which one would be more suitable for a basic travel section? ... and does the written lay out compare with the Cyrillic alphabet challenge? Any info would be useful. Thanks
For that particular situation, check out Babbel. Sounds like you could use some special attention to written Russian (esp. Cyrillic alphabet)
ok, i have different people in my household that want to learn Chinese, French, German, and Spanish? i cant see the option on Ricket to bundle languages and pumsleur only has monthly subscription for all access. Suggestions?
Correct, I don't think you can bundle on Rocket - they don't have an all languages lifetime deal (I don't think). Pimsleur is cool because you can account split for the family, though it is monthly subscription only
Thank you for the insight!
No problem. Thanks for watching!
I am looking to start learning French. I work for a French company and would be good to know the language and culture.
Very cool reason to learn 👍
Thank you so so much for your videos, comparisons, and advice; you really do know how to get down to what the person needs to know to pick the best app. Based on your videos I think I’ve narrowed down my picks to Rocket Languages and Pimsleur, I just have to decide on which one!
Thank you very much! Great call on those two, can't go wrong!
I am learning French to use it in my job as a translator/interpreter. I'll probably go for Rocket French. Thanks for the video.
That's cool! Good luck
Thanks so much for your time and insight! I really appreciate it. I think I'm going to try Pimsleur...I'll let you know how it goes!
Please do, we always like the feedback. Good luck!
How'd it go ?
I am learning Spanish to better my skills that I began in high school!
Nice :)
Your overview is really helpful! If one has the cash to spare, Rocket is a bit better, of you're on a budget Pimsleur is still great.
Yep! Thanks for watching and sharing!
I really like how you break down the pros and cons of each program, although the decision is still difficult!
Yes, very difficult, especially with these two apps as they're so similar! Good luck :)
Unfortunately there is no level 2 and 3 together.
That's so interesting! I'm more of a hearing person, so both of them are so cool! But I guess if I want to become better at pronunciation, I'll choose Pimsleur I think, also because of the price!
Nice! thanks for watching!
Want to learn Italian for upcoming family vacation this July. It’s between these two platforms with Memrise to reinforce it via your recommendation.
Yes! That's a great combo. Should work really well for you!
Thanks for sharing!
You think you can combine Pimsleur with Babbel to fill the gap with direct Grammar lessons?
I really wanna learn to pronounce right and the tool from Pimsleur looks just better here
That would be my recommendation. If you are interested in grammar instruction, but prefer using Pimsleur for your core lessons, Babbel's intuitive integration of grammar via tips and short, direct lessons could be a great combination if that's what you're after.
Pay as you go is the only way to go
I think it’s better too except I have seen several comments where people had trouble unsubscribing from an app and was continuing to be charged. So in a case like that, a one time fee would turn out to be much cheaper and far less frustrating.
I really appreciate your reviews. It really helps to see inside these programs and evaluate them for our needs. I'm starting German, but am curious as to which languages you speak? With access to all of these programs, do you have a favorite?
I went on a trip and I’m back!! Had to check out the content. And awesome video. Thanks for it :) but really I love the update on the rocket languages program. I have been on the fence about getting it. Keep it up!!
Thank you! Hope you had a good trip and went somewhere fun :)
@@TestPrepInsight thank you I did :) I was visiting a friend in Florida.
Nice!
I'm learning French because I'm going to visit next summer.
Awesome. Good luck and enjoy the trip!
This was really awesome. Thanks for the comparison.
No problem 👍