Get Off Your Butts... Learn Tagalog!!!

[bows00]

As an expat, do you ever come across a situation where your significant other (SO) family and friends gets together -  all is fun... but you can't understand half of what they are saying?  And even worse, you can't communicate your thoughts or point of view?  Time to learn the language right?  But the choice is yours.  But most expats take the lazy route and lean on the fact that most Filipino's speak English and don't bother to learn their language.    

And worst of all... are there times where you feel alienated?  I bet most of you do... 

I made up my mind that I do NOT ever want to be in that predicament.  I have committed to retire in the Philippines in 2018, so part of that commitment includes learning their language - including attending classes if that would help.    

If you can't communicate, your limited to hanging out with other expats, unless your one of the lucky ones that married an adequate English speaking partner... which based on my experience, are pretty rare.  Just my thoughts...

[BrettGC]

I have a smattering of Bisayan and passing understanding of Tagolog and both are improving.  Thankfully there's enough English in both languages that you can get to a context and go from there.  My other half has excellent English but with her family it depends on the age; the younger they are the better it is.  I put this down to the prevalence of Western early childhood TV shows (Bananas in Pajamas, Spongebob, Thomas etc).   As to expats with partners with barely adequate English I've found the opposite to be true;  good to excellent English is the experience amongst my friends, perhaps due to being with an expat? 

[boyee]

I live in the US still and have asking my wife to teach me Tagalog.  But she is from Manila and only speaks Taglish.  So every time I ask how to say this or that she doesn't know.  She says "we just say that word in English".  So maybe a better question is do you learn the Tagalog  Mama and Papa speak or Taglish?

[Jack Peterson]

 Tagalog is good only if you live on Luzon middle to south, it is of little use anywhere else  Trust me

[BrettGC]

16 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Tagalog is good only if you live on Luzon middle to south, it is of little use anywhere else  Trust me

Unless you want to watch the local news.  Everyone speaks Tagalog so if the English is lacking you can still communicate anywhere in PI but for those gatherings etc in the OP learning the local language would be a priority for me.

[Jake]

Admittedly, I can barely speak Tagalog -- only remember the nasty words, especially when my wife directs her anger towards me in those rapid fire "P" words.  One thing I would like to point out is also learning the local body language, which I could safely assume is fairly common throughout the island groups.  For example, puckering of the lips, raising the eyebrows, the slightly open mouth and my favorite is -- the two finger tap to the forearm.

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, bows00 said:

But most expats take the lazy route and lean on the fact that most Filipino's speak English and don't bother to learn their language.    

Not just expats.  Canada is bilingual and I have had girlfriends from Quebec, but in order to communicate with them they had to speak English.  Not everyone is good with 2 languages.  You did know that Philippines is bilingual right?  2 Official languages, English and Tagalog but many of the locals don't speak English worth a damn, just like many Canadians don't speak French.

So call me lazy, Je m'en fous

[Kuya John]

Jake I am familiar with the raised eyebrows, puckering lips, but what's with the slightly open mouth ( no rudeness ) and the two finger tap on the forearm?

( yes I've lead a sheltered life ) I never knew they used sign language as well

Edited November 16, 2017 by Kuya John

[Gary D]

My wifes family are from Letye/Negros and live in Pampanga. They speak Tagalog outside and Visayan inside.

[JDDavao II]

Hmmm...Kare Kare, Bistek, Kaldereta, Longganisa, Afritata, San Miguel. Hey, I'm fluent!