Review of "Rocket Arabic", by Amira Zaki

Trying to learn Arabic?  If you don't like the monotony of boring language classes or books, Amira Zaki says she has a better--and more innovative--way to learn Arabic, called Rocket Arabic.  Nicknamed the poor man's Rosetta Stone, Rocket Arabic is a completely self-guided language learning program that helps you learn the basics of Arabic--from counting to 1 to 10 to having a conversation with a native Arabic speaker.  Because you have complete control over how fast or how much you learn, you won't struggle as much to master the language.

Here's what this review will cover:

• What to expect in Rocket Arabic
• The pros and cons of this language program
• How real customers feel about Rocket Arabic

First, let's cover the various features of Rocket Arabic.

What to Expect in Rocket Arabic

Rocket Arabic is a self-guided language learning program created by Amira Zaki, who uses something called "interactive learning" to help people learn Arabic faster--sometimes in even half the time as other traditional learning methods.  Interactive learning essentially means Zaki uses several methods that allow people to interact with the method instead of just simply listening to the lesson.

Here's some of the interactivity you'll see in Rocket Arabic:

• Over 30 audio MP3 lessons that go over Arabic step-by-step.  Instead of rushing through lessons, Zaki uses interactive audio MP3s to allow you to hear how real Arabic is used in real life situations.  This not only teaches you the basics of Arabic but also teaches you how it's used in real life settings.
• Arabic vocabulary games.  To enhance your knowledge of Arabic, Rocket Arabic also comes with two vocabulary games that help you recall words faster by showing you pictures and audio samples.  When you guess them correctly, you score better.
• Rocket Record.  This program is really cool--it teaches you how to say Arabic properly!  The program works by repeating a common Arabic phrase or word, and then showing the sound map of it.  Then, using a microphone, you repeat the phrase or word to try to make your sound map match it.  When it does, you know you're saying it correctly.

As well as learning Arabic through these interactive modules, you'll also get personal access to Zaki 24/7 via email, where she'll answer all of your language questions.  You'll also gain access to a private learners forum, where you can converse with others about the Arabic language.

Issues with Rocket Arabic

Are there issues with Rocket Arabic?  Not so, according to experts and customers--it's a nearly perfectly language learning program.  Some of them have criticized the program for only teaching Egyptian Arabic, however, which is a very common form of Arabic but may not be understood by all Arabic-speaking people.  However, this exists as the program's only complaint.

What the Customers are Saying

As mentioned before, a lot of customers really like this product.  Here's what some of them had to say:

"I really think for the price (especially the "download" price) you get a lot of valuable info for a reasonable cost.  I have tried other courses (such as Pimsleur) which have yielded very limited or discouraging results, but I have found that Rocket Language [Arabic] has a format that is really wonderful and I've made a lot of progress with it and I feel more confident whe I try to speak Arabic with my Arabic friends." - Amazon.com customer

"I was looking for a good beginner's Arabic learning course that would allow me to "listen, read and speak" a bit of Arabic because I wanted to be able to use it if I was away with work, or on holiday.  Rocket Arabic met this requirement, and compared to many other options on the market, its downloadable learning software was one of the best value options on the market." - EzineArticles.com

Conclusion

If you're looking for a good beginner's course on Arabic that is dynamic and interactive, then Rocket Arabic is a good choice--some may argue it's even an excellent choice.  Just keep in mind it won't teach you about all of the dialects in Arabic, however.