How to Learn Tagalog

Immersion in Filipino culture will help you learn Tagalog faster.

Tagalog is the first language of about 15 million people in the Philippines. It is spoken in the southern area of the Philippines, mainly in the Luzon area around Manila. It is thought that around 75 percent of the population understands Tagalog, although about 80 other languages are spoken in the Philippines as well (see Reference 1). Learn Tagalog by taking advantage of the many resources available. Language software, on line tutors, immersion programs and Tagalog language videos are just a few of the many ways to begin learning Tagalog.

Instructions

1. Purchase a book, compact disc or digital video disc containing Tagalog language courses. Another option is to check out a course from the library. However, remember that any course checked out from the library must be returned within a certain period of time.

2. Watch Tagalog language-learning videos for free on YouTube. Search for "learn Tagalog" to find a particular video that suits your interests and learning level.

3. Join an on line language exchange, such as My Language Exchange or Italki. Learn Tagalog by communicating via voice or text chat with a Tagalog speaker who wants to learn English. Meet regularly to ensure you retain as much Tagalog as possible from your sessions together. Some language exchange sites ask you to offer lessons in English in order to earn credits to attend other language courses, such as Tagalog.

4. Travel to the Philippines in order to learn Tagalog. Immersion is probably the fastest way to learn the language, as you will practice it on a regular basis and not just in a classroom. Find a list of language schools in the Philippines on line at the Philippine Portal web site (see Resource 4).

5. Chat with other students in a Tagalog-only chat room, such as that from the SEAsite Project at Northern Illinois University. Use only Tagalog in your exchanges with other Tagalog speakers and learners in order to improve your Tagalog more rapidly (see Resource 1).

6. Learn Tagalog on line using free and fee-based language resources. Some free sites to learn Tagalog include Tagalog Lang, Tagalog from the SEAsite Project of Northern Illinois University, Tagalog 1, Mag-Tagalog, and 101 Languages-Tagalog 101. Hire a Tagalog tutor at EduFire, ForteMall or Buddy School. (See Resources).

References

• Flightline: Learn to Speak Tagalog

Resources

• SEAsite Project: Tagalog
• Tagalog Lang
• Tagalog 1
• Philippine Portal: Language Schools in the Philippines
• EduFire: Tagalog Tutors