I’m a native English speaker who speaks 13 foreign languages at an intermediate or better level, 6 of which are Asian. I'm going to start learning Cebuano in about a month, so I prepared the list below. I’m not a linguist, but I’ve done lots of research on language learning and tried many different methods. Those are facts; everything that follows is merely my opinion. If you're in a hurry to start conversing, but you want to do it safely:
Before starting a regular conversation component of a language learning plan, you should learn 30 to 50 key sentences really well.
The sentences for Cebuano, which were translated and pronounced by native speakers (not AI), are below. Before you get to them though, I’d like to suggest how they fit into your learning plan:
1. Learn the writing system along with pronunciation.
2. (after learning the writing system and pronunciation)
Learn 30 to 50 key sentences really well
Start a reading component
Start a listening component
Start a writing component
Start a grammar learning component
Start a vocabulary review component
3. (after learning the sentences really well)
Start a conversation component
Continue the other components
In 2., it’s good to do some writing to reinforce other skills. But you can spend less time at it than you spend doing the other components, or drop it completely by the time you get to 3., depending on how important it is to you. In 3., the next component to be finished will be grammar, and eventually you’ll be able to stop reviewing vocabulary too. That will leave you with conversation, reading and listening, which are the skills most language learners are after. I won’t get into more detail here - this is a very brief description of a language learning plan, presented merely to show you where the sentences fit in.
After learning the sentences, how do you start conversations?
Take a daily conversation class. I recommend using italki. The classes should be 100% Cebuano conversation, with no fixed topics. When the teacher says something you don’t understand, ask them to write it down. When you want to say something but don’t know how, ask the teacher how to say it and write it down.
After the lesson, curate a list of all unknown words and sentences, and put them in an SRS. I recommend Anki. The cards should be both Cebuano-English and English-Cebuano and include audio if possible. The next day, do all your reps before class. When you start your reps, write the Cebuano answers out in a notebook. After writing at least five complete lines, you can put the notebook away and finish the rest of the reps without writing. Doing it this way takes care of your vocabulary and writing components at the same time.
If you do this every day, you should improve very quickly. The first 5 to 10 lessons should only be 30 minutes, because you are going to have a lot of things to write down, and you don’t want to get overwhelmed. When the number of new items becomes easy to handle, start taking 60 min lessons.
How to memorize the sentences:
There are many ways to memorize a list of sentences, but this is the way I’d do it:
a) Listen to the audio of the first sentence and repeat. Do it enough times to feel you are pronouncing it correctly, then move onto the next one. Do the same thing, then move onto the next one, etc.
b) Once you’ve done a group of three or four sentences, stop and hide the Cebuano. To hide items, you can either click them individually, or scroll to the top and use the "hide all" buttons. Glance at the English of the first sentence, and try to produce the Cebuano. Say it out loud with correct pronunciation. Play the audio to check. Do this for each of the sentences in the group. If any are incorrect, do all of them again, until you are able to produce the whole group correctly. Then do the next group of three or four. Do a total of 10 sentences the first day.
c) The next day review sentences 1-10 by hiding the Cebuano, glancing at the English, and making sure you can produce the sentences with the correct pronunciation. Then do steps a) and b) for sentences 11-20.
d) Repeat step c) for the next 10, for three more days or until you have all 44 sentences memorized. Remember to review all previous sentences every day. After that, come back every day and review all 44. The day that you can quickly, easily and correctly produce all sentences is the day that you are ready to start daily conversations.
Kumusta, ako si Leo.
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Hi, I’m Leo.
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Maayong buntag.
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Good morning.
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Maayong hapon.
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Good afternoon.
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Maayong gabii.
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Good evening.
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Unsa imo pangan?
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What’s your name?
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Kumusta ka?
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How are you?
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Okay rako, ikaw?
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I’m fine thanks. And you?
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Pasayloa ko.
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I’m sorry
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Usba daw palihug?
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Excuse me, can you please repeat that?
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Syempre!
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Of course!
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Pwede nimo isuwat palihug?
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Can you write that down please?
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Naa ko’y pangutana ba.
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I have a question.
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Kadyot lang palihug.
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One moment, please.
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Ug uban pa.
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Etc.
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Palihug hinaya og istorya.
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Please speak slower.
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Unsaon pag storya og “dog” sa Cebuano?
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How do I say “dog” in Cebuano?
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Unsa’y pasabot?
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What's it mean?
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Ayaw na lang.
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Never mind.
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Nagtuon ko’g Cebuano.
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I’m learning Cebuano.
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Dili ko kahibaw mo storya og Cebuano.
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I don’t speak Cebuano well.
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Asa ka nagtuon og English?
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Where did you learn English?
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Nagtuon ko’g Cebuano sa online.
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I’m learning Cebuano Online.
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Nagtuon ko’g Cebuano sa Cebu.
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I’m learning Cebuano in Cebu.
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Unsaon pagsulti ana sa Cebuano?
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How does one say that in Cebuano?
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Ganahan ko magtuon og Cebuano.
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I like learning Cebuano.
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Gusto ko makat-on og Cebuano.
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I want to learn Cebuano.
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Taga asa ka?
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Where are you from?
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Taga USA ko.
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I’m from the USA.
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Nakaadto na ba kag USA?
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Have you ever been to the USA?
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Wala pa ko kaadto sa Italy.
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I’ve never been to Italy.
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Ganahan ko mobyahi sa Italy.
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I’d like to travel to Italy.
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Asa ka nagpuyo?
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Where do you live?
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Nagpuyo ko duol sa Seattle.
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I live near Seattle.
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Mag stay ko sa Cebu duha ka bulan.
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I’m staying in Cebu for two months.
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Ganahan ko’g Italian food.
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I like Italian food.
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Ganahan ko mokaon og tinuod nga Italian food.
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I’d like to eat real Italian food.
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Daghan nako’g nakaon nga Filipino food.
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I have eaten a lot of Filipino food.
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Sa sunod nasad!
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Until next time!
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Dako’ag tabang ato oi.
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That was helpful.
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Humana ang klase, no?
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The class is over right?
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Ganahan ko ani.
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I liked it.
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Akong hilig magtuon og language dayon mag travel.
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My hobbies are language learning and travel.
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Katong nagtrabaho pa ko, nagtuon sad ko’g mga lenggwahe.
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When I was working I studied languages too.
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Makasulti ko og trese ka lenggwahe.
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I speak 13 foreign languages.
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