Need Tips for Learning A New Language!
Hey yall!
So long story short, I really want to start learning Tagalog as I am half Filipino. However, I am having a lot of struggle sticking with the learning part (haha) as I usually forget to do it that day, I'm unmotivated etc. Also Tagalog isn't available to learn on Duolingo which is weird so I can't have an annoying bird nag me to do it.
I was wondering if anyone had any advice for learning a new language or could even recommend some resources? I also wanna hear what language other people are learning/know just for pure interest hehe
Comments
How exciting! Learning a new language is always such a rewarding experience. I definitely resonate with you wanting to learn Tagalog because of your background. I am also half Filipino and was never taught the language growing up 😅 I might get to studying Tagalog one day too! I’ve also been in the situation where you’re super motivated to start learning in the first few days but the motivation goes away after a while. I studied Japanese throughout High School and University, and experienced burning out in my later years of studying 😭 It sounds like you have a clear motivation for learning Tagalog which is already a huge step in the right direction!
Something I would recommend is to find ways you can make learning Tagalog enjoyable! For me, the reason I was more motivated to study in High School was because I truly enjoyed it. Start by learning the basics, but also learn fun parts of the language like slang words and casual sayings that you can impress your Tagalog-speaking family with! If you have any friends or relatives who might want to join you in learning it (even if it’s for the first few days/weeks to help get you started), that could also help to make it fun.
I also think implementing little moments throughout your day to study (E.g. revising what you learnt the day before instead of learning new vocabulary) would also help, especially on those days where you don’t feel motivated at all. Maintaining the momentum of studying the language each day can feel quite frustrating at times, especially if you’re busy, but sticking to the habit of doing it each day even just for a few minutes can help in the long run.
Another tip is to maybe get your Filipino family/relatives involved and ask them to start using Tagalog when speaking with you! Obviously in the earlier stages of learning the language, you might not be able to respond back in Tagalog or even understand the majority of what they’re saying, but being involved in conversations where Tagalog is used might help your listening skills, pronunciation, and confidence!
Intentionally adding Tagalog to what you hear each day might also help (E.g. TV shows, movies, music – ‘BINI’ has really catchy songs!). I sometimes watch Filipino comedy shows whenever my family puts it on the TV and most of them are actually pretty funny!
Good luck with studying Tagalog 🤗 and be sure to keep us all updated on your journey!!!
Hello @snazzy_pigeon
Damn that sounds rough and same as you I sometime also have a tough time with sticking to a language plan.
However, for me I would typically approach it in a number of ways depending on how busy or motivated I get for certain times of the week or month.
When I’m relatively motivated and free, I would typically learn new vocabulary or review some old ones, do some textbook lessons and listen and watch some content that is in my target language language
But when time is not handy, I typically choose one of these above to do ( I would typically either review some words or passively listen to the target language)
But what I’m trying to get at would be I would personally make sure at least something is done for the language for that day, as I feel like this builds up a good habit as well as garner up motivation.
When I get a conversational basic, I would talk to some people that can converse well in my target language and have a bit to a practice ( this is typically through Discord, I would recommend this discord server if you would like to find some people to talk & chat to.
And I am learning Scottish Gaelic at the moment ( previously I tackled Tok Pisin), and it’s been proving to be quite fun and a bit of a challenge 😅
It’s very beginner so it’s definitely a bit of a slow start for now.
In any case, I wish you well in your journey and would be great to hear how you are progressing in it as well 🤩.
Bonus: I know @Matcha_Toad has already packed in a bunch of resources but here is some more for good measure, all the resources being listed in the this link Tagalog Resources
Hi @snazzy_pigeon 👋
That's so cool that you want to learn Tagalog!
I don't speak another language other than English. I've tried learning languages (Italian, Japanese, Korean) in the past, but have lacked the motivation to follow through. I have, however, found some tips in these ventures.
The phrases that I do remember from these studies have been the ones that I've related to my own life or to a memory. For example, I remember "Itadakimasu" in Japanese is a phrase used before eating meals and therefore I used to say it before eating meals to solidify it in my head. I suppose this also submerged me in a bit of culture too.
Another great thing that really helps is watching TV shows or movies in that language (which is kind of similar to relating things to memories). Picking up on repetitive phrases and matching them up with the subtitles (being wary that the subtitles are correct/mostly accurate and not too westernised), or googling the translations of phrases that characters on screen often use is a great way to get down some basic phrases. (Idk if youre a fan of k-pop or BTS but RM of BTS watched Friends with subtitles, then without, to learn English and that's where my inspiration came from).
Hope these made sense 😛
@Green_Ghost Totally second this!!! I picked up some Korean and Japanese from watching k dramas and anime lol
Hello @snazzy_pigeon
As someone who have the experience of teaching people my first language, I noticed that having a real person to speak with can be really helpful. It also makes the whole process interactive and fun, you can ask very specific questions as well (ie language structure, slangs...). I would recommend finding someone to converse with you to practice, perhaps relatives?
Good luck on your journey!
Learning a new language is really exciting but also very challenging!
I'm currently learning Japanese, and there are many resources available online. I have found some for Tagalog below too. I think it's wonderful that you do want to learn Tagalog!
Staying motivated can be hard too, but for me, it helps to use my free time, even just 15 minutes a day, working through a Japanese workbook that I got from Dymocks (have a look at bookstores and see if they sell workbooks and dictionaries etc). I also sometimes watch YouTube videos to practice. At the beginning of this year, I did enrol in a single Japanese subject through Open Universities Australia, which really helped me in my progression of learning Japanese so maybe you could do a single subject for Tagalog.
I have found some resources that could help you with learning Tagalog:
- https://www.lingohut.com/en/l62/learn-tagalog
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.languagedrops.drops.learn.learning.speak.language.tagalog.filipino.words&hl=en
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simyasolutions.ling.fil&hl=en
- https://ai.glossika.com/blog/learning-how-to-speak-filipino-tagalog-for-beginners
I hope this helps you!
- Matcha_Toad 🐸🍵💚
Hey @Matcha_Toad !
Props to you for doing Japanese! Cause while that language is beautiful it looks incredibly difficult so go you!! Also you are an absolute godsend for finding those resources I greatly appreciate it! I'll definitely start looking through them 😆
Thank you once again and good luck with Japanese!!
Thank you so much! I really hope those resources can help you with learning Tagalog 😁Something else I was thinking of doing is buying/making stickers written in Japanese for items around the house that I use daily, I think that'd help me memorise words, and maybe that technique could help you too.
I'd love to hear how you progress with learning Tagalog!
