Rocket Spanish Review 

Always dreamed of learning Spanish but aren’t sure where to start? With so many online courses available, it can be pretty overwhelming to find the right one. Fear not, my fellow language enthusiasts — I’m here to help!

As Learnopoly’s resident polyglot I took a deep dive into the world of Rocket Spanish, which promises to strike the perfect balance between casual app-learning and full-on immersion. I explored every nook and cranny. And in this review we’ll uncover its unique features, discuss its teaching methods, and assess its overall effectiveness.

By the time you’ve finished reading this Rocket Spanish review, you’ll know whether you are the type of language learner who will truly benefit from this course.

*NB: Rocket Spanish teaches the Latin American variety of the language. While Spanish speakers mostly understand each other regardless of native country, students who want to learn Spain’s version of Spanish should supplement with additional material.

What is Rocket Spanish?

Author’s own picture in downtown Buenos Aires, seconds after Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Rocket Spanish is a pioneering online course developed by Rocket Languages, a well-known provider of language learning courses. It has played a significant role in establishing Rocket Languages as a leading provider for language learning.

Designed to be user-friendly and convenient, it caters to both beginners and advanced learners. With comprehensive course material, including grammar, vocabulary, culture, and conversation skills, you can expect to gain a well-rounded understanding of the Spanish language.

Rocket Spanish has been successful in helping thousands of students achieve conversational fluency in Spanish via its innovative language learning techniques, state-of-the-art technology, and interactive tools. Many past students report success, which is testament to the platform’s effectiveness and ability to make learning exciting and dynamic.

Students can access the platform via their web browser or the Rocket Languages mobile app, which is available on both iOS and Android devices. The app allows students to access the platform’s resources on the go and syncs progress to make it easy to switch between the app and the browser.

How does Rocket Spanish work?

The two main types of lessons, Interactive Audio Lessons and Language & Culture Lessons

There are several elements that make Rocket Spanish effective, including:  

• Interactive Audio Lessons: That allow you to listen to native Spanish speakers and repeat phrases. Ensuring you develop proper pronunciation and conversational skills.
• Interactive Exercises: To practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Spanish, covering all aspects of language acquisition.
• Language & Culture Lessons: Not only provide valuable insights into Spanish culture, but also teach you about the structure and mechanics of the Spanish language. You’ll gain knowledge about traditions, history, customs, and tourist sites, enriching your understanding of Spanish-speaking countries.
• Survival Kit Phrases: Incorporating these crucial everyday phrases throughout the learning journey enhances your vocabulary and practical language skills.
• Extra Tools: Such as leaderboard rankings, a benchmark test, Rocket CEFR certification, saved notes, saved vocabulary, Rocket Recommends, and a forum for discussion and collaboration.

Rocket Spanish is categorized according to the following proficiency levels:

Level	CEFR Level*	Lessons & Assessments	Length of Content
Level 1	A1 – A2	9 Modules/74 Lesson Blocks	26hrs 2min
Level 2	A2 – B1	8 Modules/66 Lesson Blocks	30hrs 57min
Level 3	B1 – B2	8 Modules/66 Lesson Blocks	25hrs 57min
Spanish Travelogues	N/A	6 Chapters/36 Lessons	7hrs 4min

*Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

Spanish Travelogues are available for an additional cost. They’re essentially 15 minute interactive audio clips where you get to explore different scenarios you might encounter while traveling.

You’ll accompany the hosts as they dive into various exciting locations in Spain while meeting interesting characters and tackling everyday situations. These include ordering food at a café, asking for directions, or even chatting with locals. They’re super helpful in preparing you for your big trip to a Spanish-speaking destination.

What a lesson is like on Rocket Spanish

An Interactive Audio Lesson from the first Module of Level 1

A Rocket Spanish lesson lasts typically for about 25 minutes and includes audio lessons, quizzes, and games. 

You start by listening to a conversation in Spanish, followed by a slower version of the same dialogue. Then, the lesson provides vocabulary words and phrases to memorize. Finally, you get exercises on pronunciation, grammar, and usage. After completing a lesson, you can earn badges and points to track your progress. 

Rocket Spanish offers two main types of lessons: Interactive Audio Lessons and Language & Culture Lessons. Both lessons incorporate various activities, quizzes, practical situations, and feedback to reinforce learning and self-assessment. Each of the three Levels is broken up into seven Modules. Each Module has about four lessons of Interactive Audio Lessons and four lessons of Language & Culture Lessons.

Interactive Audio Lessons: Designed to help students fine-tune their listening skills in the Spanish language with the help of native dialogue and friendly English-language hosts. Focusing on pronunciation, vocabulary, and useful phrases, these audio-focused lessons are perfect for on-the-go learning, allowing for flexibility and convenience.

Language & Culture Lessons: These lessons teach the grammatical and syntax building blocks of the Spanish language. Each lesson ends with a discussion of cultural and social background for vocabulary related to real-life situations, providing a well-rounded learning experience.

Apart from the main lessons, Rocket Spanish also includes themed lists of Survival Kit Phrases for each level. These phrases help students bulk up their vocabulary in specific topics, such as travel, dining, or meeting new people. Students can easily add these new vocabulary words and phrases to their saved vocabulary list.

What is the method behind Rocket Spanish?

Rocket Spanish, developed by Rocket Languages, adopts a practical approach to teaching, focusing on essential vocabulary and grammar. It combines interactive audio lessons with grammar and language exercises, creating a comprehensive learning experience suitable for both beginners and intermediates. This teaching methodology promotes active participation and interactive learning, ideal for those wanting to practice and learn Spanish at home.

Aiming to mimic an immersive learning environment, Rocket Spanish builds up grammar skills to ensure learners use their conversational abilities correctly. The adaptive learning feature helps improve pronunciation by providing feedback and corrections. 

Access to native Spanish speakers and cutting-edge voice recognition software further assists learners in developing an authentic Spanish accent. This friendly, informative, and conversational approach supports and engages learners throughout their language journey.

How I reviewed Rocket Spanish

I’m an advanced Spanish speaker who worked in the language in Colombia and in Argentina. So I was eager to see how this course could help me improve my skills further. I started with the trial version. But after seeing its potential, I sprang for the paid version to test out the full capabilities of the course. I used it intensively for a few days, exploring various aspects of the program.

I began my review with the Benchmark test, which consists of 100 questions that get harder as you progress. After getting three answers wrong, the test stopped and gave me an overall score out of 100. 

Interestingly, the trial version of the Benchmark test is harder than the paid version. In the trial version, they only asked about the most complicated aspects of the language. When I paid for the full version, the test proceeded more naturally, with easier questions that became increasingly difficult.

Screenshot of the difficult Rocket Spanish trial Benchmark test — I only ended up getting through 43 of the 100 questions despite living and working in Spanish for a year!

To get a feel for the content. I went through several lessons at each Level and tried all types of lessons available: Interactive Audio Lessons, Language & Culture Lessons, and Survival Kit Phrases. This allowed me to experience the different teaching approaches used in the course.

I also went through all the study resources attached to each Interactive Audio Lesson. I’ll detail what those looked like below in the “Features” section, if you’re curious.

I tended to listen to the audio lessons with the app during my commute and while doing chores around the house.

Rocket Spanish Pros

What is it about Rocket Spanish that students love so much? Here are some of its most attractive qualities:

Interactive Audio Lessons

One of the key strengths of Rocket Spanish is its interactive audio lessons. While there’s a strong emphasis on developing Spanish listening comprehension, the “interactive” component ensures you stay engaged. The “Play it!” section connected to the audio lesson keeps you actively involved. The audio lessons are perfect for listening via the app while on-the-go, making language learning convenient and flexible.

A key aspect of the audio clips is that you can either slow them down or speed them up.

Best of Both Worlds

Rocket Spanish strikes an excellent balance between audio lessons and Language & Culture Lessons. The audio lessons are informative, engaging, and great for taking on-the-go, while the Language & Culture Lessons ensure you understand the mechanics of the language. This comprehensive approach helps you develop a well-rounded understanding of Spanish, from pronunciation and vocabulary to grammar and cultural aspects.

Rocket Record

Rocket Record, Rocket Language’s voice recognition software developed in partnership with Google Web Speech API, is pretty incredible. It’s especially useful for an online language course, helping you develop your Spanish accent—a notoriously difficult task given those rolled r’s. I tested the language software by saying a completely different Spanish phrase than asked, and it correctly understood me (and thus awarded me a low score), showcasing its accuracy.

My attempt to trick Rocket Record with a sentence about tacos was rewarded with a low 40% accent score for the sentence I was supposed to say

Easy, Medium, or Hard?

A standout feature of Rocket Spanish is the option to rate how easy, medium, or hard each Spanish phrase or word is for you to remember. This personalized approach makes it easy to identify words and phrases you struggle with and those you don’t need to focus on as much, ensuring efficient language learning.

The Community Forum

As Aristotle said, “Man is a social animal.” Learning a language is inherently social, and Rocket Languages ensures you have access to fellow learners by providing a community forum. This platform allows you to ask and answer questions, exchange experiences, and connect with other students, creating a supportive and interactive learning environment.

Mobile App

The well-designed Rocket Languages app syncs your progress across all your devices, allowing for seamless language learning on-the-go. It’s ideal for downloading audio lessons and listening to them while commuting or traveling, although repeating words and phrases in public might be a bit challenging. Nonetheless, the app’s convenience and functionality make it an excellent resource for busy learners.

Screenshot from the mobile app, in the process of downloading Lesson 8.1 to my phone

Rocket Spanish Cons

After spending some time with Rocket Spanish, I must admit it took me a while to think of the downsides of using this language learning software. However, there are a few cons worth mentioning:

Lacks an Engaging Visual Component

One potential drawback of Rocket Spanish is the lack of engaging visuals. The course lessons contain no videos and almost no pictures. If you’re a visual learner who needs images or video content to stay engaged, this may be an obstacle for you. While the audio lessons and written materials are comprehensive, adding more visuals could enhance the overall learning experience.

May Not Be Appropriate for Advanced Learners Beyond CEFR B2

Rocket Spanish aims to bring its students up to a B2 level, meaning that it doesn’t include content at the C1 or C2 level. While this is technically a limitation, it’s important to remember that an online learning course catering to advanced levels might be challenging to create. The technical definition of B2 is communicating easily and spontaneously with a native speaker, which is arguably the primary goal of any Spanish student.

Also, I’d note that I am currently at the C1 level for Spanish and have lived and worked in Latin America for over a year. Yet I was still unable to make it through the entire Benchmark test. After checking out a few Level 3 Language and Culture Lessons, I found that Rocket Spanish could really help me fix some of the bad habits I’ve picked up. (And of course there’s always room for me to work on my use of the subjunctive!)

Benchmark Test Has Room for Growth

While it was nice to have a test to check my level of Spanish, I think there’s room for improvement. Instead of giving you a set of questions taken from each audio lesson’s attached “quiz” and assigning you a score based on how many of the 100 questions you got through, Rocket Languages should consider making it a more comprehensive assessment.

A test that rates you on the CEFR scale based on your knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical structures and tells you which Rocket Spanish level and Module to start at would be really helpful. I imagine that most of you have taken some middle school or high school Spanish and have some foundation of the language already.

Rocket Record

This might be confusing, because Rocket Record is included above as a pro. It’s obviously an incredibly impressive as a piece of software, but it does have limitations. For one, the automatic recording sometimes stops too early if you’re struggling to get the words out during “Know it!” exercises. I found this automatic “shut-off” a bit frustrating — until the automatic tool gets better, I’d prefer a manual off and on toggle. 

Beyond these glitches, it sometimes just takes a few tries to catch your words correctly, even though you say the same exact thing three times. It performs much better with phrases and full sentences, but this is something to be aware of when using Rocket Record. 

Finally, I found that it didn’t work with my Microsoft Edge browser, but I was able to get it to work with Chrome.

Who is Rocket Spanish for?

Rocket Spanish is suitable for a variety of learners, including:

• Beginners: With comprehensive lessons that start from the basics, Rocket Spanish is ideal for those who are new to the language. The course introduces essential vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation exercises to build a strong foundation.
• Tourists: I actually recommended Rocket Spanish to my parents, because they’ve recently retired and are planning a long trip throughout Latin America. This is a great way to quickly learn some survival Spanish (be sure to check out the Survival Phrases section).
• Intermediate Learners: The course offers plenty of advanced content aimed at improving conversational skills and refining grammar knowledge, making it perfect for intermediate learners.
• Self-Learners: Rocket Spanish’s self-paced structure and interactive approach make it an excellent choice for independent learners who prefer studying at their own pace.
• Busy Professionals: The mobile app and audio lessons allow for flexible learning on-the-go, catering to professionals with tight schedules.
• CEFR Accreditation Study: Rocket Spanish is designed to cater to the interests of students looking for CEFR certification. The course uses vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation exercises, and conversational drills to achieve the goals of different levels of the CEFR framework.

How much does Rocket Spanish cost?

Rocket Spanish offers a range of pricing plans to suit different budgets and learning needs. The platform’s pricing plans range from buying a single level to buying all three levels plus Rocket Spanish’s “Travelogues.”

The pricing options are a bit complicated, so I put together this table to give you a better idea of the pricing:

	Lifetime Access	6-Month Payment Plan*
Any Single Level of Rocket Spanish	$99.95	N/A
Rocket Spanish 1 & 2	$249.90	N/A
Rocket Spanish 1, 2 & 3	$259.90	$47 / month
Spanish Travelogues Package	$99.95	N/A

Figures accurate at the time of publishing

When you check the prices for Rocket Spanish, the coupon code “ROCKETDEAL” was automatically added. It gives you anywhere from 17% – 42% off on the various packages — the prices in the chart reflect the deal, because the deal was always offered to me. For that reason, the prices above reflect the effective price of each package with the standard ROCKETDEAL coupon code already included. The actual base price is much higher, but you would have to actively delete any coupon code that will already be in place, which just seems silly.

When you sign up for a trial, they also offer you a code that offers big savings. After a quick web search, though, I found a few other coupon codes that give even bigger savings (60% off the base price for every package, in one case!). 

Is Rocket Spanish free?

Rocket Spanish provides a generous 6-day free trial, allowing you to get a taste of what the course has to offer before committing to a purchase. During this trial period, you’ll have access to a selection of lessons from each level:

• Level 1: You can explore 7 lessons, which include 2 hours and 38 minutes of audio content from both interactive audio lessons and Language & Culture lessons.
• Level 2: The trial offers 2 lessons with 49 minutes of audio content, focusing on interactive audio lessons.
• Level 3: Similar to Level 2, you’ll have access to 2 lessons with 49 minutes of audio content, again centered around interactive audio lessons.

While the free trial gives you a glimpse into the various levels and types of lessons available in Rocket Spanish, there are some limitations. For instance, you won’t have access to Rocket Certification or Rocket Recommends during the trial period. These features are exclusive to the full version of the course, providing additional tools and resources for learners.

Rocket Spanish Refund

If you buy one of the Rocket Spanish lifetime access packages, you are guaranteed a refund within 60 days of purchase — no questions asked!

Just email support@rocketlanguages.com that you want a refund, making sure to include your receipt number. They promise to process your refund within two working days, though it can take up to five days to see the refund on your statement.

If you choose the six-month subscription plan, you will not be able to get a refund. Instead, Rocket Spanish allows you to cancel your next monthly payment in this case.

Features of Rocket Spanish

Rocket Spanish provides combination lessons that target both listening comprehension and the mechanics of Spanish. These ensure you develop as a well-rounded Spanish speaker. 

Survival Kit Phrases help you quickly build your confidence in real-life conversations.

Rocket Spanish also gamifies the learning experience through leaderboard rankings and learning statistics. This encourages healthy competition, motivates you to stay consistent, and helps track your progress.

The Benchmark Test evaluates your current Spanish proficiency. The test consists of 100 questions and helps identify your strengths and weaknesses. 

Rocket Spanish content is aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages. Plus, it has a CEFR study tool that allows you to assess your progress on the CEFR scale and study for a potential future accreditation.

One of my favorite features was the ability to easily save almost any word, phrase, or sentence. This lets you review and reinforce your learning at any time.

Rocket Recommends provides personalized suggestions for additional resources and tools, such as articles, videos, and podcasts, to enhance your learning experience and complement the course content.

The community forum encourages discussion and collaboration among learners, fostering a supportive learning environment.

Rocket Spanish offers various active learning study aids throughout all levels to reinforce your language skills and ensure a well-rounded learning experience:

• Play It: Lets you review the dialogue central to the lesson by taking the place of one or both parts of the conversation, using Rocket Record voice recognition software to practice having a conversation in a pressure-free environment.
• Lesson Vocabulary: Practice key phrases and words from the lesson.
• Expert Tips: Such as accepting corrections from natives and asking for tips to speak better.
• Flashcards: To better review lesson vocabulary.
• Hear it! Say it!: Recognize a Spanish vocab word from the lesson spoken by a native, and repeat it using Rocket Record voice, aiming for a 100% score on your accent.
• Write it!: Similar to “Hear it! Say it!,” but you write what you hear instead.
• Know it!: Given the written Spanish word or phrase, speak it into the mic. Rocket Record will assess whether you have said the correct word(s) with the correct accent.
• Quiz: Multiple choice questions about vocab and/or grammar related to the lesson.

The Play it! feature lets you step into a native conversation and take on the lines from one of the participants

The quiz study resource ensures that you understand the main takeaways from each lesson

The Know it! study aid forces you to translate written English into spoken Spanish — a great drill for developing conversational fluency!

What languages can you learn with Rocket Spanish?

As the name suggests, Spanish is the only language you can learn with Rocket Spanish. But if you like the way Rocket Spanish works and want to learn another language, Rocket Languages offers 11 other foreign languages (not including two English courses).

The pricing is going to vary with the different languages, though, so heads up!

Alternatives to Rocket Spanish

There are a number of online Spanish learning websites available, and it can be difficult to know which one is the best fit for your needs. Here is a comparison of Rocket Spanish to other popular online Spanish learning websites:

Rosetta Stone Spanish vs Rocket Spanish

Rosetta Stone is well-known for its immersive approach to language learning, focusing on context and images to teach vocabulary and grammar. While this method can be engaging, it might not suit learners who prefer explicit explanations and a structured curriculum.

On the other hand, Rocket Spanish offers comprehensive lessons that combine interactive audio lessons with Language & Culture lessons, providing a more structured learning experience. It also includes a range of study aids and community support, which Rosetta Stone lacks.

If you prefer an immersive learning experience without explicit grammar explanations, Rosetta Stone might be a better fit. However, if you’re looking for a more structured and comprehensive approach, Rocket Spanish is an excellent choice.

Duolingo vs Rocket Spanish

Duolingo is a popular and free language learning app that gamifies the learning process, making it fun and engaging. However, Duolingo primarily focuses on vocabulary and basic grammar, which might not be sufficient for learners seeking more in-depth knowledge and conversational practice.

Rocket Spanish, while not free, offers a more comprehensive learning experience. It combines interactive audio lessons, Language & Culture lessons, and practical survival phrases, ensuring a well-rounded learning experience. 

So while Duolingo is great if you’re looking for a free and casual way to learn Spanish, you may not learn Spanish at the quickest rate. For students that are serious about achieving fluency and want a more comprehensive learning experience, Rocket Spanish will almost certainly be worth the investment.

Babbel Spanish vs Rocket Spanish

Babbel is a subscription-based language learning platform that offers a structured approach with lessons focused on real-life situations. While Babbel provides a solid foundation in vocabulary and grammar, its conversational practice opportunities are limited, which might hinder learners from developing strong speaking skills.

Rocket Spanish also offers a structured approach but places a greater emphasis on conversational practice through its interactive audio lessons and “Play it!” feature. Additionally, Rocket Spanish’s voice recognition software, Rocket Record, helps learners fine-tune their pronunciation, an aspect that Babbel doesn’t emphasize as much.

Essentially both Babbel and Rocket Spanish provide structured learning experiences. However, if your primary goal is to develop strong conversational skills and improve your pronunciation, Rocket Spanish has the edge.

By comparing Rocket Spanish with Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, and Babbel, we can see that each platform offers a unique approach to language learning. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your learning preferences, goals, and budget. But Rocket Spanish really stood out to me personally as a student looking to develop in a well-rounded form. 

What others have said

To make this the best Rocket Spanish review possible, I went to Reddit to see how what past students felt Rocket Spanish impacted their learning experience.

“I also use rocket Spanish. Since it is based on clear, structured textbook conversations, it's pretty good for beginners to grasp the basics but it wouldn't get you too far in real-life talks.” - Reddit Rocket Spanish review

I agree. Rocket Spanish is definitely pretty good for beginners. I know there’s criticism against textbook-like structure, but I personally think that understanding the basics of a language is crucial for beginners. And the beauty of Rocket Spanish is that it provides several distinct types of input. 

However, I disagree (as a C1 speaker of Spanish) that it “wouldn’t get you too far in real-like talks.” While Rocket Languages focuses on very structured conversations, they don’t forget to put you in the driver’s seat. 

Rather than focus on having you just listen to audio or just read tedious grammar rules or just repeat words or just write simple translations, Rocket Spanish makes sure you do all four. In doing so, you will start to figure out how words and phrases go together, which will be crucial to navigating real-life Spanish conversations.

“[Rocket Spanish] is a beautifully constructed program. I have the full program (waited for a screaming deal). Will say, I thought the beginner levels were better than the intermediate, but it is a very good course.” -  Reddit Rocket Spanish review

I went back and did some lessons at beginner and intermediate levels to see if I agreed with this. I didn’t find the beginner lessons to be very different from the intermediate lessons. But I have an idea on why the Reddit user thought this.

As you progress in your language learning journey, you need to add creation to your study routine. What do I mean by that?

When you’re learning the basics of a language, you’re taught how to understand the primary tools (grammar, sentence structure, syntax, etc) needed to build sentences. By the time you reach the intermediate level (Level 2, in Rocket Spanish), you will understand the basic mechanics of Spanish. 

Advanced levels of Rocket Spanish will teach you grammatical structures crucial for fluency, but you’ll have to start supplementing with creative output.

Conclusion: Is Rocket Spanish worth it?

So, I’m ready to spill the frijoles on this popular online Spanish course. Is Rocket Spanish worth your precious time and hard-earned cash?

Absolutamente! Por supuesto! Es cierto! Cien x cien! Sin duda!

Or put more plainly: As a veteran language learner, Rocket Spanish has my approval!

Rocket Spanish is like a mouthwatering tapas meal, each plate offering the distinct flavors you need to master the Spanish language. You get a perfect mix of immersive Interactive Audio Lessons and informative Language & Culture Lessons, ensuring you become a grammar aficionado, vocabulary connoisseur, and conversation superstar.

With engaging audio lessons, interactive quizzes, and cultural insights, it truly immerses you in the vibrant world of the Spanish language from the comfort of your own home. Plus, the platform’s accessible design makes navigating your way to fluency a breeze.

But what really sets Rocket Spanish apart from the rest? It’s the perfect blend of structure and flexibility, giving learners the freedom to explore at their own pace while ensuring they don’t miss any crucial building blocks. And let’s not forget those handy study resources and voice recognition features – who knew learning could be so high-tech and fun?

During my time with Rocket Spanish, I stumbled upon some delightful surprises, like the incredibly funny lesson on Spanish idioms. These personal touches and entertaining tidbits make the learning experience enjoyable and relatable.

If you’re seeking a Spanish course that strikes the ideal balance between quality content, effective teaching methods, and an engaging user experience, look no further than Rocket Spanish. 

With a free trial and a 60-day refund period making Rocket Spanish virtually risk-free, there’s no reason to hesitate.

So take the plunge and let Rocket Spanish skyrocket your language skills to new heights. ¡Buena suerte!

Check out Rocket Language’s other language options: Spanish, French, Korean, Italian, Portuguese, German

Rocket Spanish FAQs