If you are anything like me, this Rocket Russian review will delight you with practicality and honesty. Or, at least I like to think so.
For A Newbie, Learning Russian Can Seem Near Impossible
Especially if your native language is not Slavic, you will find yourself in a world of completely new sounds, words, and rules.
The good news does not stop there either — Russian has an incredibly complex grammar system.
This language challenges even those who have previous experience with languages of the same family.
All in all, learning Russian is a monumental (and often nearly impossible) endeavor.
A Pep Talk For You (Before the Actual Rocket Russian Review)
Do you have that last paragraph engraved in your memory? Good. Now scratch all of that.
Here is my little pep talk to you.
With time, dedication, and loads (and loads) of practice, anything is doable. Not only is anything doable, but it is also easy. Our brains are hard-wired to seek what brings the most value to our survival. We love sugar, sex, and the Internet because they are exactly what would ensure the survival of our ancestors.
Yes, but the Internet?
I mean sugar gives energy, and sex equals procreation (at least for your brain it does). What value could the Internet bring to a simple caveman? It is not about the tool, it is about what’s behind it. We are actually programmed to love new information. And a lot of stuff on the Internet gives you new knowledge in exchange for very little effort from your part.
A funny story, a cool trick, or your future partner are just a click (or swipe) away.
This makes your brain go ‘Wow!’ and dopamine is released, prompting you to continue that behavior.
Fun fact:
The same mechanism is involved in any addiction — abnormally large amounts of dopamine are released as a result of a certain behavior or of the ingestion of a substance. Over time this trains your brain to continue seeking the experience, as dopamine is your brain’s way of telling you ‘Hey, do that, it is good for your survival’.
Okay, so I nerded out and it seems like I am far, far away from where I should be with this article. You are here to read my Rocket Russian review, aren’t you?
Well, here goes…
Why Is Rocket Russian a Way of Hacking Your Brain?
What I am about to say is true for all Rocket Languages products. In fact, the main advantages of Rocket Russian are exactly the same as the key benefits of the Rocket Language learning program as a whole. Before we dive into what the company thinks is so amazing about the product, here is what I believe is what sets it apart.
It Hacks Your Brain
Yes, this is probably an overstatement. In fact, very few things (most which are illegal or can only be prescribed by a doctor) actually change the way your brain works.
Rocket Languages rather takes advantage of a change that already exists. Our Internet addiction. Another overstatement? Yup, you got me. Clinically speaking, very few people are truly addicted to the Internet. However, most of us have some sort of dependence on the online world.
Bored?
Take out your smartphone and scroll through Instagram. Lonely? Chat with a friend — have a conversation that is ridiculously deprived of humanity. You get the drill. But instead of fighting this newly found obsessive love for the Internet, we can channel it to our benefit.
Motivation For Russian
When learning a new language, especially a challenging one like Russian, you want to be on top of your motivation game.
By using an online course like Rocket Languages, you no longer need to exert the same willpower to get to a class. If we go back to the dopamine system in your brain, this is like having to choose between a candy bar and a kale salad. Your inner caveman would always go for the sugary treat, and by inner caveman, I mean your brain.
It is more value with less effort.
For a traditional class:
- You would first have to find one that is in your area…
- Remember to sign up on time (so as to start from the first class)…
- Make the time in your schedule…
- Drive to and from the class…
- Do homework…
Sounds an awful lot like all the things you hated about high school plus some new, adult complications.
Rocket Languages Requires Less Willpower
Rocket Languages is on your PC and your smartphone.
The learning is literally at your fingertips. On top of that, the abundance of information, and the various ways in which it is presented are the equivalent of sugar for your brain. There is a lot of new information to be obtained without too much willpower.
But none of this would matter if Rocket Russian was not also fun.
The reason why we get easily addicted to social media, YouTube, or Buzzfeed-like websites is because they provide plenty of fun, easy to understand, and relatable content. Let’s take those characteristics one by one and examine whether Rocket Russian has it:
Fun of Rocket Russian
Almost 80% of people in the education system say that they would learn better if their university/college was more game-like.
Extensive research has been conducted on exactly why games do so well for teaching.
Is it that we are simply kids at heart?
Not exactly.
If you examine a successful person in today’s day and age, we will see that it always has to do with constant improvement. Games are a way for us to improve our skills and get constant feedback.
You fail a level. Go again. Fail again. Go again. Until you have it.
For learners, gamifying the process does a lot in terms of motivation. The top things that motivate students in during a game-like learning experience are the different levels that you get to progress to, the scores and points, and the real-time performance feedback.
Well, guess what the next Rocket Russian advantage will be?
It implements all of these and more.
For instance, you constantly see how far you’ve come in the progress bar. You get points. The lessons feature five different gamified testing tools, so you can make sure that you have it all covered and understood before proceeding. Or, so that you can keep testing yourself, for revision purposes.
Rocket Record — My Favorite Feature
Now, for a break from my amateur neuroscience rants, here is another feature that is particularly useful for Russian users.
Rocket Languages is also the tool that best implements this technology — it runs smoothly on both desktop and mobile, and it is well-integrated in the program itself.
I am talking about the Rocket Record feature.
Well, I have praised it time after time and I will continue to do so.
The reason why is that it essentially gives you the next best thing to real-life interaction with natives. Native Russians in the West are not few, but paying for private classes gets expensive ($50+ an hour), and you don’t always click with the people that you do a language exchange with. Although, language exchanges are awesome and I really recommend that you try them.
But I never actually told you what the Rocket Record feature is…
Simply put, it is a recording tool that also gives you feedback and suggestions for improvement. You have to record yourself saying a certain phrase out loud and then you listen to how an actual native would say it. Don’t worry if at first, you sound nothing like a Russian. It is only natural.
The point is, though, that you get so many opportunities to do it that you eventually improve your pronunciation a great deal. Plus, at some point, you will get to boast that you speak Russian without knowing any natives. And then, confident in your skills, go ahead and meet the natives.
It is such a flattering thing to know a foreigner’s language.
Rocket Russian Review: Conclusion: Why Even Learn Russian?
In my experience, there is only one real reason people learn a foreign language. Love. It could be love for the literature, love for somebody who speaks the language, love for exploring a country on a deeper level than most tourists do. Love for money and career improvement. Love. So figure out what exactly you love that makes you want to study Russian.
It will be a tough ride.
Even with an award-winning system like Rocket Russian, your motivation will depend a lot on your end plan.
Do you want to have a pleasant trip?
Marry a Russian?
Live in Russia?
Do business in Russia?
Rocket Russian is an excellent course in that it can give you the resources regardless of what your specific motivation is. So buckle down and get ready for the ride — it’s going to be tough, but the destination makes it worth it.
I hope you enjoyed my Rocket Russian review — if you have any comments or questions, leave them below!
Спасибо (Thank you),
-Sage
PS: If you enjoyed this Rocket Russian review, click here to get instant access.
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