Learning "Tagalog" (Filipino Language)?
Hey Y-A. I'm 16-years old, 100% Filipino, and I've decided I wanted to learn Tagalog. Of course, my parents are both Filipino and they speak it fluently. It just bothers me how I have Filipino parents and yet I cannot speak Tagalog. I know it will be hard, but can you guys give me any tips on how to start?
I pretty much can understand the basic stuff they tell me, such as eat, shower, sleep, vocab, etc. However, when it comes to conversational Tagalog, I can only understand bits and pieces. I want to be able to understand Tagalog and speak it fluently.
What should I do to get started? It's really embarrassing to speak Tagalog with my American accent, because they laugh at me, but I'm willing to do it. How long would it take to become fluent if I were to study and practice it every day with my parents? Would it be recommended if I am learning Spanish in school?
Thanks in advanced.
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Tagged with: american accent • bits and pieces • parents • school thanks • sleep
Filed under: Philippines Tagalog
First of all don’t get discouraged – I know a lot of foreigners (Americans, Koreans, Chinese) who can speak Tagalog like a native speaker. If they can do it, so can you.
The best way to learn a language is to get exposed to it, and you’re doing the right thing by practicing with your parents. If you know the basics like greetings and other simple sentences then you’re off to a great start. The next thing you’d want to do is to know how to make more complicated sentences.
You should ask your parents to speak to you in Tagalog as much as possible, and you should reply to them in Tagalog as much as you can as well. When you don’t understand a word or two during a conversation, there’s no harm in asking what it means.
Watching Tagalog movies / shows with English subtitles is also a good way to learn and become exposed to it, too.
As for your American accent, practice is the key. You may sound rather awkward at first, but eventually you’ll get rid of it. The more you speak with it, the more you polish your accent.
And you’re actually in luck with learning Spanish too – some Tagalog words are actually based off Spanish words, like:
"lamesa" – from the Spanish word "la mesa", meaning table.
"kutsara" – from the Spanish word "chuchara", meaning spoon.
Bottom line: Just expose yourself to the language and you’ll learn it in no time!