Hello everyone. For the past few months, I've been studying "Tagalog" which is the language of the Philippines in case you didn't know. I recently picked up "Pimsleur's Tagalog" and I'm progressing along fine. I didn't want this to be my ONLY method for learning, so I looked up some other methods.

I've read everywhere (including here on Yahoo! Answers) that conversing with your family/friends in Tagalog will help you pick up the language fast. Now, I find this hard because I don't even know what to say! My vocabulary isn't that broad and whenever they speak, I can only pick out key words and sometimes I can't even pick up any words.

Any suggestions? Should I finish my studies and get proficient before I start practicing? This is my first time actually committing to learning a language so any tips would help.

Are you concerned about locals talking "over your head" "around you" and "underneath you" without knowing the topic of discussion?

Do you observe body language,facial gestures and small key words as indicators to aid your understanding of what is going on around you?

Would you learn the native language and speak it fluently but keep it secret for protection?or would you love to display your ability to speak the native language openly and proudly?

What do you think?