| Rocket Spanish is an online Spanish learning | | | | understand speakers of their own native |
| program used by thousands worldwide. To speak | | | | languages. The Spanish program, for example, |
| of it has having a home sounds old-fashioned, | | | | features the voice talents of a native speaker |
| considering that it is downloaded into home | | | | from Chile and a fluent speaker who lived in |
| computers on many continents. But home is New | | | | Ecuador. |
| Zealand, and things are wonderful at home. | | | | New Zealand was originally settled by the Maori, |
| The language learning programs of Rocket | | | | and then eventually colonized by Great Britain. |
| Languages, the parent company of Rocket | | | | The country is still a member of the British |
| Spanish are recorded at the New Zealand facility | | | | Commonwealth, and maintains close and friendly |
| using voice artists fluent in Spanish, French, | | | | relations with the United States. The country has |
| German, Italian, Japanese, and several others. | | | | an increasingly independent trading and foreign |
| Spanish actually was the first language program | | | | policy, which makes doing business there more |
| developed and remains the most popular. A team | | | | welcoming. |
| of talented voice artists, linguists, language | | | | New Zealand has been a nuclear free zone since |
| educators, software developers, web experts, | | | | the 1980's, and its armed forces focus on |
| and support staff facilitates the creation and | | | | peacekeeping in the Pacific region. The country |
| implementation of the language programs. | | | | also focuses on international business, with |
| The voice artists work in recording studios in | | | | business development in its cities high on its list. |
| teams, creating the conversations their students | | | | The country is known as a top vacation |
| will eventually hear as gradual and sequential | | | | destination, and has a strong emphasis on tourism |
| lessons called conversational learning. Highest | | | | and jobs related to the travel sector. It is famous |
| attention is paid to every detail, with a focus on | | | | for its beautiful gardens, eco tourism, and |
| effective standard teaching methodology, | | | | abundant high quality food and restaurants. In |
| substantive learning practices, and forward-looking | | | | fact, Christchurch is known as the Garden City, |
| interactive learning software. | | | | due to its large amount of award winning gardens. |
| The company home in New Zealand makes sense | | | | The country is has an interesting tradition of |
| if you consider that founder Mark Ling is a native | | | | international cultures that dates back to its original |
| New Zealander. He was attending the University | | | | settlers. So, in many ways, founding Rocket |
| of Canterbury, studying Spanish part-time, when | | | | Languages in Christchurch is part of a tradition. |
| he decided to develop online Spanish learning | | | | Certainly the company has benefited from the |
| products to better support his studies. He and | | | | friendly business environment, and the international |
| partner Jason Oxenham eventually created a | | | | mix of people living in Christchurch today. Rocket |
| team of talented people to develop and market | | | | Spanish is one measure of the kind of success |
| the Spanish language-learning program. | | | | that happens when many people brainstorm |
| The team often includes students from University | | | | together to create something new. |
| of Canterbury who are clear and easy to | | | | |