july.lullalove's recent posts

Konti pa lang ang nag aaral ng Tagalog. :) Pero masaya kung marami. 

Back in my elementary years, Peter Piper was the most common tongue twister that my English teacher taught us. She's so eager to get our attention, have fun learning English and help us practice proper pronunciation. 

In our local language, there are some tongue twisters that you can also try. ( If you'd like.)

1. Bumili ako ng bituka ng butiki sa botika. ( I bought a lizard intestine from the pharmacy). Sounds weird, right?

2. Ang relo ni Leroy ay Rolex. ( Leroy's watch is Rolex ) The person is referring to a watch brand.

3. Minekaniko ni Monico ang makina ng manika ni Monica. (Monico fixed the machine in Monica's doll)

One of my professors in college taught us about language deaths. It is sad to know that it does exist. Although the Philippines has lots of local dialects, I know there are some languages dying but I can't name one. 

Tongan. I never thought I would love the language but I did. I think it was because of the people and their songs.

9. Oktubre (October in Filipino)

[/quote]
Do you understand why quotes aren't working for you?
[/quote]

I think it is when I tried to reply to a comment and I just wanted to get a few portions of a text and I deleted some parts.  

Magandang Umaga- Good morning.

Magandang Tanghali - Good noon.

Magandang Hapon - Good afternoon.

Magandang Gabi - Good evening. * We don't have a direct Tagalog translation of Good evening, but ..

"Sana ay mahimbing ang tulog mo" is I wish you'll have a sound sleep.

Kamusta - Asking someone a status

Kamusta KA? - Ka here means YOU. Kamusta ka means HOW ARE YOU as an individual. 

Kamusta KAYO? - KAYO here means YOU with other people. It can be your family, friends, group, etc. How are you with your ____?

Kamusta SILA? - SILA here means THEY. How are they?

Kamusta TAYO? - TAYO means WE. How are we?

**The Philippines has been colonized by Spaniards for years so the Kamusta has been associated with the Spanish greeting " Como Esta?"

Responding to KAMUSTA:

Ayos lang ako. - AYOS means OKAY / WELL / GOOD. 

                                LANG means JUST. 

                                AKO means ME / I. 

                                Ayos lang ako means - I'm (just) okay. 

Hindi masyadong maayos. - Hindi means NO / NOT.

                                                      Masyado means QUITE

                                                      AYOS means OKAY / WELL / GOOD.

                                                      Hindi masyadong maayos means Not quite good. 

leosmith wrote:

It is notoriously difficult - most people find it harder than face-to-face conversation. If you are already good at conversation though, it's just a matter of getting accustomed to phone calls, imo.

Exactly. My broken Spanish is funny over the phone. Face to face would be better since you can do some gestures and point out something you wanted to express. 

leosmith wrote:

Yes, absolutely. I am writing a book on Tagalog grammar now, and it has helped me a lot. To be honest though, I can't say for sure if it works better than spending the same amount of time doing "normal" studies.

That's amazing. I wonder what made you start your Tagalog studies. 

Valeria.Fontes wrote:

On the other hand, it's hard to change things one learned as a child.

I agree!

Luke.Liebenberg wrote:

Does anyone have a similar experience with their target/home language?

I don't remember having experienced that but there's this question in my native language that may sound confusing if foreigners can hear it. The word baba in Tagalog means "down/under/low" in English. If asking a question, our sentences sometimes end with "ba" when asking for confirmation/ approval. 

Ex: " Ibibigay ko na ba?" "Shall I give it to him already? "

If a Filipino would want to enter an elevator, he might ask the person first before entering

 " Bababa ba?" ( Is this (elevator) going down?)

and the second person will confirm by saying "Bababa. " 

So all you can hear are Bababas. lol. 

I prefer picking up vocabulary first. It makes you feel excited to construct sentences and use them. When you focus more on grammar, sometimes the grammar rules make you stagnant in learning. For me, there are rules that are hard to be remembered. 

It went a little rough as I am still a beginner but it is good to keep on trying. 

I agree to this one because language is really part of culture and society. When you explain things, you expand and apply your knowledge and reasoning. So if you do that while learning a language, it gives you an advantage. 

I believe it always better to start young while our brains are absorbing things quicker than adults. 

If you have visited Asia or at familiar with the countries around it, you will surely notice that countries such as Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, or even India have their own writing system.

But did you know that the Philippines has its own ancient writing too? Yes, you have read it right. And we call it - BAYBAYIN. 

For more info, you may visit the link below. 

https://www.bayaniart.com/articles/baybayin/

[/quote]
That's how I feel when I hear "conyo".
[/quote]

I understand it gets awkward big time. lol. 

I hope to hear a story about someone who did try their best to write in their target language and how it went. :) 

I haven't yet but I am planning to that in the future. :) 

Hoy por ti, mañana por mí. This expression is about reciprocity and the golden rule. “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” might also resemble it in meaning, but “Hoy por ti, mañana por mí” has a bit more of a positive meaning. It’s like paying the bill at the restaurant and saying to your friend, “Let me get this one. You get the next one.”

We were colonized by Spain for 333 years so why not try to learn Spanish. :) 

I was once teaching Tagalog to a Tongan friend ( from Tonga, one of the Polynesian Islands). I have tried to use Tongan words to them but they corrected me and said that I was referring to their genital part. It was awkward. 

I agree with both of you!

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

I haven't quit but I have been less interested in learning French since I went to stay in France last, without offense I found it to be the only place I have ever been and bothered to try to speak the language where the people were not very encouraging of it. I think there are some real sticklers when it comes to pronunciation, I find the pronunciation difficult in French especially when t varies regionally, I tried to perfect different pronunciations but couldn't please anyone and heard a lot of vulgar opinions about English people trying to murder their language and it left me a little disheartened to even try. Of course, this is just generalizing my personal experience and not to tar the French as a whole, I'd love to meet someone friendly and French here to maybe help and get me motivated with it again sometime :)

I agree. Encouragement from native-speakers is really a big factor. 

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

I believe you can go far if you stick at it, my language learning has never been a serious pursuit but I did land a job because eI can speak a little (not mastered) of many languages, it was not high salary but I worked in a hotel in Egypt and I loved it

That's cool!

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

:rolling_on_the_floor_laughing: :rolling_on_the_floor_laughing: :rolling_on_the_floor_laughing:

when I saw this post, I remember Betty en New York.  

I haven't finished college yet but I wanted to earn a degree in teaching English. After graduating from high school, I have tried my best to learn English as much as I can. I have tried summer jobs before working for an after-school tutorial center for kids for a year. 

The salary was not enough as it was just a part-time job. I have tried my luck working in a call center company and I got hired.

I may not have the perfect English yet but I am glad that trying your best to learn a language can really help you earn money decently. 

Oh wow. I think I will follow the advice in this video. lol. English is really chaotic. I know it was just a poem but my tongue seemed twisted while trying to read the poem, Thank you for sharing this one. This is one challenging practice. I'd like to memorize this one!   

Animefangirl wrote:

I was bad at Mandarin Chinese back in college and gave it up, but retrying it after learning Cantonese... Mandarin is soooo easy. You can actually hear what they're saying in distinct words! And they actually say what the text says they say. And there's a ton of learning material to work with.
...I still love Canto more, though. It sounds so good in my ears

I think you were able to learn Mandarin because the transfer of learning Cantonese has helped. It is like being able to learn how to ride a motorcycle easily because you have previous experience riding a bicycle. 

Maybe it is because they are tonal. I learned both of them though, so it is possible ;)

Regarding the OP, I haven't come across a language that I couldn't learn. That being said, I quit both Thai and Japanese at one point, before picking them up again.
[/quote]

Thank you for sharing your experience!

*** Tagalog is the Philippines National Language, it is mostly used in formal settings and documents. Over time, the Tagalog language was influenced by how we insert or add borrowed words and adjust to our daily conversation as it is more convenient for those non-native speakers who speak a different dialect. 

Example: 

Dictionary - English

Talatinigan - Tagalog ( formal)

Diksyunaryo - Filipino ( widely used in daily conversation, less formal, more convenient)

Washroom - English

Palikuran - Tagalog ( formal)

Banyo - ( derived from an Indonesian word, same meaning)

Ballpen or Ballpoint pen - English

Panulat - Tagalog

Bolpen - Filipino

In short, you can think of Filipino language as an upgraded form of the Tagalog language. 

I know. There are languages that sound interesting for us to learn but no matter how hard we try, there is this problem with learning that language. 

I always wanted to learn Chinese and Thai, but I don't know if the problem was my way of hearing how they pronounce words but I really find it hard to grasp learning those languages. 

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 actually think our names are related at the root... my name Xuereb comes from Suarez, which I am almost certain Siarez is relative to as well :) small world
[/quote]

I agree. I have used a genealogical app before and it says that some Juarez, Suarez and Siarez family names are mostly found in Mexico and Argentina. :) 

yes definitely Spanish, they use -ito and -ita or illo illa as a suffix for little and -azo -aza -on -ona -ote-ota for big...
[/quote]

That's a lot to remember! Wow.

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

If you are self-teaching a language how do you ensure you make time for it?
This week I slipped with my Arabic I haven't made any time at all for it... I am feeling guilty about it and worried that I may slip into old habits... What ideas have you to share about holding yourself accountable for your learning and how you manage your time?

When I was still learning a local dialect, I had a language companion who can remind me to become accountable. We would set weekly goals and would give ourselves rewards if we finished learning a lesson or two. We would also write in our journal using the target language. We also try to have that "broken language" conversations as much as we can. That way, we can always remind ourselves to study and not skip a day without learning it. 

My silliest fear is the embarrassment that I might feel if I mispronounced a word or I might end up getting a wrong idea when a native speaker speaks to me in idiomatic expression, worst, I might give an incorrect response.

However, that changed when most of the native speakers I have dealt with told me that my English is good and that I just need to continue working on the challenges I might have while learning.

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

Welcome to the forum, I agree the chat rooms seem very empty most of the time which is a real shame- but I wanted to add that you can message privately, and that way you can chat long distance you just might not get a long chat in real-time. Feel free to message me I am around at weekends but you can message any time :)

Thank you Jade! :) I appreciate seeing your name appear on my notif more often. :) 

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

wow those are some dark fears! I don't really have many real fears but I suffer with anxiety so I can worry a lot over nothing. If somebody knocks my door it can make me panic If I am not expecting anyone.

I totally understand where your feelings are coming from. The world is getting less and less safe. 

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

In my experience, people seem to be overeducated In the UK there are very few jobs for qualified professionals and most often it is low-level jobs that are advertising. Many people apply for the same position as many as 1000 applications were received by me for a job washing dishes in a tiny care home... we only looked at 10 applications selected at random

I see. Maybe this is also one of the factors why some of my professional countrymen went abroad to find better opportunities. But they worked as a waiter or a fast-food crew instead.

[/quote] Yes, it's sad and it doesn't change, despite being illogical. The northeast part of Brazil is not totally rural, they have major capitals, but the folk image of it is linked with underdevelopment and poverty.
[/quote]

That is similar to us here, except that it's the other way around. Sad. 

leosmith wrote:

july.lullalove wrote:

Here in my city, we have the term "Davao Conyo"

I always feel bad using the word conyo because it's a naughty word in Spanish. Isn't it derogatory in Tagalog?

Well, if you haven't shared about how the word conyo means naughty in Spanish, I wouldn't know, But I don't think conyo is derogatory in Tagalog, unless you are making fun of how a person speaks a language in a "broken" way. 

I somehow think a person with a conyo accent is cute and one of the indicators that they are non-native speakers of a language so they should be given consideration. Lastly, most of the conyo speakers are considered rich kids. :P

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/conyo-the-philippine-language-that-defined-a-social-class/

leosmith wrote:

People are often surprised that discussion of money, or how much one makes, is somewhat taboo in the US. And it makes us pretty uncomfortable when we get labeled as "rich" - there is a negative stigmatism associated with that here.

That's understandable. It should be something that is cautiously discussed. But our culture sometimes just find it normal to ask about salaries as normal as asking where you work, maybe just to know how great you were doing in your career and how you can be of inspiration or guidance in the future. Anyways, the less fortunate people in my country would always think foreigners are rich because they can afford to travel and visit our country. For most of us, it means you are living a life much comfortable than us so you are considered rich here. 

So I have often times have to correct that idea when I get the chance. :) Also, social media is full of smart-shaming, body-shaming, and even rich-shaming posts and comments. It's sad to see how the word "gold-digger" is easily used to describe a person nowadays just for the purpose of creating content on social media. hihi.

Valeria.Fontes wrote:

Not exactly any taboo, but I've already felt I should have shut up many times. In Brazil, we tend to be overly outgoing, when compared to other nationalities, so there have been these situations in trips, when I was so excited and happy that I ended up being intrusive and suspicious, at least this is my interpretation of the look in people's eyes!

I can totally feel you! I am an outgoing person too and I'd love to talk about anything under the sun even to a person I have just met. I think I cannot blame this to our culture of trying our best to make sure a new person or a visitor won't feel left behind, trying to be as hospitable as we can. hihi. But yeah, I have some North American friends telling me that they really find it suspicious. :P

Valeria.Fontes wrote:

Portuguese is similar to Spanish, so it's the same -a (feminine) and -o (masculine), which causes a lot of trouble for learners!

We sometimes use the -ita or -ito for some gendered words that are "little or small". This is of Spanish origin too.

Luke.Liebenberg wrote:

In isiZulu there are praise names attached to last names. So basically every amaZulu person has certain praise names that are connected to their ancestry for every surname. If you know an amaZulu person's praise name for their surname they'd be very impressed with you.

That needs a lot of research then. Interesting. I can imagine how challenging it would be for a person to identify those certain praise names for every amaZulu person. 

Jade.Xuereb wrote:

july.lullalove wrote:

Here in the Philippines, we have acquired most of our Last Names from Spanish. Our mother's maiden last name becomes our middle name.

That is interesting with the maiden name becoming the middle name... In the UK we are named pretty freely, but the last name usually comes from your father not your mother (who takes your fathers surname when they marry anyway)
The native names in the UK go back to professions of the family and they borrow from germanic norse and french words
Butcher, Smith/Smyth, Carter, Wainwright...etc
In Spain they get one apellido from each parent the maternal from the mother and the paternal from the father
I learned recently from a Spanish friend that the suffix ez... means son/daughter of... so Martinez would have been son of Martin and Rodriguez... was once from son of Rodrigo etc. In English we also have surnames of this type as well with the suffix son... EG: Davison (son of David) Ericson (son of Eric)

This is awesome. I appreciate my appellido even more - SIAREZ. 

Valeria.Fontes wrote:

Most last names in Brazil are European (even among people who clearly have no european origin), and it depends on the region the prevalence of Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, German, etc. We also have many Japanese last names. Indigenous people use the name of their "nation" as last name, but I believe it to be a new trend. It's always the father's name in the end and the mother's in the middle, but it's not mandatory, I only have my father's family name, for example.

My maternal great-grandfather's family is one of those families who have used the name of the cities where they came from as a last name when they move to another place here in my country. 

I think the most taboo question that a person not native in my country can ask us natives is to ask whether a lady is a virgin or not. 

In my opinion, the words such as tattoo, drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, abortion, rape. and mental illness are considered to convey negative thoughts but now, people are becoming open to discuss these topics openly and awarely. 

In my country, Filipino / Tagalog is a gender-neutral language but gender is usually differentiated in certain Spanish loanwords by way of the suffixes -a (feminine) and -o (masculine). It is more obvious with how we name kids and mention occupations. 

Here in the Philippines, we have acquired most of our Last Names from Spanish. Our mother's maiden last name becomes our middle name. 

I have experienced that myself, switching to English when angry or upset. It is hard to explain things in your native language when you can't find the right words to use. So yeah, I have observed that more of my fellow citizens rant on social media using the English Language. 

From time to time, our English school teachers are asking us to present a report or discussion in front of the class, it is really making me anxious whenever I don't know that topic and if I had only studied it in a short amount of time. 

Hello guys, it has rained heavily earlier this evening. I was awakened by loud thunderings that continued to shock me every few minutes. I have never experienced those kinds of thunder that made me feel like it's going to be the end of the world soon. 

I fear that I might die early without preparation. I am afraid of the silence and the dark. 

I hate to watch suspense movies because I feel that what I can see in the movies can really happen in actual life. 

How about you?  

Try doing the hobbies you have admired in others. By doing that, you can show appreciation for that friends' talent and express your desire to learn their skill by asking them to teach you. :) 

When I read this poem, I am pretty sure all English learners agree to this. This still makes me smile after reading.

Hello everyone! I have been on this website for a while. I am happy to meet new folks here and be able to learn from one another. I have met a few friends internationally thru chatting, however, I have seen lately that only a few people are available to chat with. I strongly agree with the idea that exposure to a target language really helps, so if you are done reading and listening to an audio, feel free to chat! :) 

Nice to meet you! 

Faye.Vitan wrote:

That's interesting. In the Philippines, our official language is Filipino which is based in Tagalog but it is not spoken by the major population.

True. Tagalog is a local dialect of the Filipinos mostly living in the north part of the country and it has been used in official settings and other academic-related activities. In areas like Visayas and Mindanao, people can speak Tagalog but speakers produce a dialectal accent. Here in my city, we have the term " Davao Conyo" when people speak in TagLish ( Tagalog + English) and added with a few Bisaya words. : P

leosmith wrote:

Maryjoy.kuta wrote:

MAAYUNG GABEE
(good evening )

What language?

This is in Bisaya or Cebuano.

Faye.Vitan wrote:

I've been trying to use it, no one has replied to my chat yet. :)

I just think some of them are tired or just shy. hihi

I have foreign friends who have learned my native language thru daily exposure and conversation. They would have someone to turn to when they want a word or a phrase to be translated. Some of them have mini notebooks and pen that fit their pockets and they have them everywhere they go. They would have 30 minutes of learning new words and apply them each day. Some of them would challenge themselves to have NO ENGLISH for thirty minutes or so. 

leosmith wrote:

Occasionally I chat with someone in chat here, but it's pretty rare. I'd like to see more people use chat - it's a great way to get free conversation practice.

I totally agree with that. I hope more people won't be shy to randomly chat with someone here. :) 

Anyone here using the language rooms or have found a friend to chat with using the target language you are learning?

Maryjoy.kuta wrote:

July your correct. My country is looking for high standard . hehehhe.
Thats why now I need to finish my study to get a courses and can find a nice job.

You are not alone. :P

That's cute. What KDrama genre do you prefer to watch? I like fantasy, historical and romcom. Sometimes I get interested in some medical Kdrama- like BRAIN.
But my all-time favorite was Endless Love - Winter Sonata. It was such a hit back then that an Anime Version was created. And I believe that was the first Korean hit drama that captured a lot of Filipino audiences. And more Kdramas followed after that. hihi
[/quote] Right! I remember when it aired in the PH, I was still a child but I watched it anyway and enjoyed it very much.

I am also into Romcom and I have a lot of favorites actually, Fight for my Way is one! Medical dramas are so good too. I recently watched Doctors and Hospital Playlist (and I am very much excited for season 2).
[/quote]

Speaking of medical drama, I have watched some episodes of BRAIN but I haven't finished it yet. Will do that one I'll have more time :) 

leosmith wrote:

I watch K-dramas almost every day, and they are my favorite Asian dramas. That is not the reason I learn Korean though. Do you have any favorites?

That's cute. What KDrama genre do you prefer to watch? I like fantasy, historical and romcom. Sometimes I get interested in some medical Kdrama- like BRAIN.

But my all-time favorite was Endless Love - Winter Sonata. It was such a hit back then that an Anime Version was created. And I believe that was the first Korean hit drama that captured a lot of Filipino audiences. And more Kdramas followed after that. hihi

erickajayne wrote:

Am I the only one who wants to learn Korean because of K-Dramas? I learned a few words and phrases by watching K-Drama. I think I will be learning Korean slangs if I take note of the common expressions.

I agree that exposure to Kdramas is one factor for your desire to learn the language. The same thing for me when I got exposed to Animes. I wanted to learn Nihongo. But when I got too busy to watch the latest anime hits ( or maybe I just outgrew it), my desire to learn Nihongo just went down my priority list.

Maryjoy.kuta wrote:

Here in my country Education level is important. Bachelor degrees are important in our country because it is possible that you can easily get a job. Because you have degrees

I agree. If you don't have a degree, at least be skilled enough. If not, find someone who can back you up during the recruitment process. lol. The sad truth for some applicants. And yeah, even if you have a degree, some companies have their biases depending on which university the applicant has graduated from. 

In my country, education is really important. Like we always believe that education is the most important thing you can pass on to your children. That is why a lot of poor parents are doing their best to send their children to school even if that means having a full-time job during the day and having some side hustles at night. 

In some rural areas, families who have a lot of children are doing their best to make sure that most, if not all, of their kids must graduate AT LEAST from high school. Enrolling in college is quite expensive that some families would want the elder siblings to work so they can help fund the education of the younger siblings. 

So, as long as you have the opportunity to study and that is what you are passionate about, go for it. I always remind myself of a quote that I have read somewhere saying " Every opportunity has a timeline. If you delay, the opportunity is gone forever." 

I can say that without a degree, it will be harder for me to get a better-paying job unless I am skilled enough. Also, I think that in some situations, even if you got the skill but you haven't earned a degree, it will be harder to get a promotion here in my country. 

***btw, I am turning 25 this year and yet I just finished a year in college because I have been working to help my family ( worst, the pandemic came so I stopped studying for now even if online classes are available).

Faye.Vitan wrote:

I'm trying to learn Spanish and I find assigning gender, "la" and "el" to objects and animals. :) Like, who decides what's their gender?

I think La is for feminine words and El is for masculine words. Nah. Just a guess, I was thinking of La Nina and El Nino. hihi. Haven't started learning Spanish right now but I can still remember some Spanish words Dora the Explorer taught me when I was a kid. hihi

leosmith wrote:

july.lullalove wrote:

On the other hand, when foreign nationals try to speak "broken Tagalog", they are considered cute

Just curious - do you think this guy's accent is "cute"?

Well.. for me partly cute, partly funny. :D I got used to it when I served as a volunteer missionary for my church. I helped some Polynesians learned Tagalog, well some North Americans too. And they went home using their hands as a measuring tool when cooking rice. :P

leosmith wrote:

Cool. By the way, to make your attachments show up, edit your post, hit the "inline" button, then update.

Alright. That helps. Thank you.

My country, the Philippines, has a lot of dialects ( given that it consists of 7,107 islands + other small islands unmapped). Our national language is Filipino but we have a lot of words that have a Spanish origin. English is a second language here. 

Some people are making fun of a person who speaks Tagalog but still carries his dialectal accent. When in fact, Tagalog is native only to those who live in Luzon (the Northern part). And those who live in the Middle and Southern part uses Tagalog only in official settings like at work and at school. When a native Tagalog speaker hears a Filipino with a thick "Southern accent" (like Bisaya or Hiligaynon), they would really notice you. 

On the other hand, when foreign nationals try to speak "broken Tagalog", they are considered cute. :P

P.S We have a city in the South named Zamboanga and they speak "broken Spanish".