Learning Tagalog/Filipino Journey (Goal: B1 or better by the end of 2 years)

Hello to anyone who may happen to be reading this. I'm Joe, 38, and originally from the USA. I've been living the Philippines for 7+ years now. While I have been picking up Tagalog by osmosis here and there, I recently decided to to put in the effort to truly learn the language of my adopted home. 

My plan is to journal here about my progress, set backs, frustrations, etc. I don't actually expect any one to read this but you are welcome to. This is something I'm doing for myself to help keep me moving forward. I hope that is OK. However I do invite anyone to join in on this thread at any time and would appreciate the feedback. I apologize in advance for any boredom I may cause you when reading this though. 

In my next post I will try to detail where I've been and where I'm at and my plan to move forward. I just wanted to get this log started once and for all. 

Joe

Wow looks cool. Hope to follow your progress. I may start a log too.

Good luck Joe! I took some notes on Pimsleur if you decide to go that route; you are welcome to them.

leosmith wrote:

Good luck Joe! I took some notes on Pimsleur if you decide to go that route; you are welcome to them.

Sure I'd love to have a look at them, I do have the Pimsleur set but didn't write anything down (or finish them for that matter).

Hey it seems you can't edit a post after a set amount of time? I wanted to edit my post to add more detail. 

Here is the latest update and plan:

• Learning Tagalog (www.learningtagalog.com)

○ I got about 15 lessons in before tapping out, really should restart this.

○ Most modern course

• Pimsuler Levels 1-3

○ I got maybe 3 days in, very repetitive and boring

• I'd Like to Speak Filipino Books 1-4

○ Worked through most of book 2 with a tutor 

○ Good books, need to get back to these 

• FilipinoPod101

○ Just started this, looks very nice

• Glosika 1 Year Subscription

○ Working through this

○ Too formal

• Anki 5000+ Tagalog Sentences

○ Working through this

• LingApp

○ Fun but many errors 

○ Too formal

• TLDC: www.TagalogLessons.com

○ Best dictionary for Tagalog

○ Sentences way too formal

Current Plan (Starting Today):

• Learning Tagalog: At least 1 lesson per day

• Filipinopod 101: At least 1 lesson per day

• Anki 5000+: 40 New Sentences per day + review 

• Glosika: Listening mode while working/any time possible 

Current Mood: 

Positive. However, I feel like I'm doing too much prepping and not enough studying. Today I plan to break the habit and at the very least complete my above plan for today. 

Hey.Joe wrote:

Hey it seems you can't edit a post after a set amount of time? I wanted to edit my post to add more detail.

Yes, I think it's one week and we have good reason to do that, but I will write a ticket to lift it for one's personal logs.

leosmith wrote:

Hey.Joe wrote:

Hey it seems you can't edit a post after a set amount of time? I wanted to edit my post to add more detail.

Yes, I think it's one week and we have good reason to do that, but I will write a ticket to lift it for one's personal logs.

That would be great then, but I think it's like 24 hours, my post is not that old :). Actually less than that, I can't even edit my second post, perhaps you can't edit it more than once? If that's the case, can you please change that too, because I tend to need edits to fix typos and thoughts. Edit: yes you can edit more than once. The edit time out window must be pretty short maybe, 12 hours or something. Look forward to getting rid of it for the personal logs. Thanks.

I have failed myself today, I did not get through my plans at all. After spending some time checking things out I will be revising my plan to focus only on the following: 

Filipinopod101 (they need to get a new name): I'm starting from the bottom here and will do every lesson, every tool, and engage with the assigned teacher as directed. It looks pretty promising.

Tagalog 5000+ Anki: 40 new sentence cards a day + review 

When I wake up in 6-8 hours I will knock these out before doing anything else. I procrastinate too long and then get tired eventually. This should avoid that. 

Proud to announce that I reached my goal today with FP101 with 1 full lesson + 100 flash cards (most mastered already). Sad to say though I've identified many little errors in just the first lessons that are disapproving. Someone at my level should not be able to find issues like this. But I do like how FP101 starts early with explaining grammar. I will now to try to get up to date with my Anki set. Onward and upward. 

PS. I learned today from a fellow board member that kotse (car) is not really used by natives and instead use sumakay (to ride), sasakay (will ride).

Hey.Joe wrote:

That would be great then, but I think it's like 24 hours, my post is not that old :). Actually less than that, I can't even edit my second post, perhaps you can't edit it more than once? If that's the case, can you please change that too, because I tend to need edits to fix typos and thoughts. Edit: yes you can edit more than once. The edit time out window must be pretty short maybe, 12 hours or something. Look forward to getting rid of it for the personal logs. Thanks.

Ok, you should be able to edit all your posts within your log forever now. 

leosmith wrote:

Hey.Joe wrote:

That would be great then, but I think it's like 24 hours, my post is not that old :). Actually less than that, I can't even edit my second post, perhaps you can't edit it more than once? If that's the case, can you please change that too, because I tend to need edits to fix typos and thoughts. Edit: yes you can edit more than once. The edit time out window must be pretty short maybe, 12 hours or something. Look forward to getting rid of it for the personal logs. Thanks.

Ok, you should be able to edit all your posts within your log forever now.

Looks good! Thanks.

I'm still here. Still studying everyday, though I never feel like I get enough. Still looking to find a way to study as hard as I want to. 

40 new sentences a day plus review is going strong. FP101 has kinda tapered off as I'm not impressed with the errors I have uncovered and the slow response of the "teachers". I had a breakthrough in understanding with the -an suffix and I've started to review a conjugations kindle book recommended to me on the kindle. The various different prefixes and suffixes and the words they create is mind boggling. I've also started reading a bi lingual book on the kindle that seems promising. I finally put in a few hours of listening practice with Glosika which was nice but also lead to uncovering some errors in the material. I think my low ambiguity tolerance is making language learning a bit more challenging that it otherwise might be however if I stick with it I think it will actually become a positive thing and result in a more true understanding. 

Hey.Joe wrote:

Anki going strong.
Uri as type, only used in written form. Klase instead when speaking.
(Ka)makalawa = day before yesterday, makalawa = day after tomorrow
Feeling: Good, on track, someday I will be proficient in this challenging lenggwahe someday. If that day does not come, this blog will stand as a depressing reminder that I failed. LOL.

I'd like to know any updates on this one. :) 

I have failed myself today, I did not get through my plans at all.  

rockz.(None) wrote:

I have failed myself today, I did not get through my plans at all.