5 comments about Basic Tagalog for Foreigners And Non-tagalogs (Tuttle Language Library; book and audio CD) (Tuttle Language Library) (Tuttle Language Library).

1. This book is basically in the middle. If your first starting depending on your intelligence level and prior knowledge of the language you may be able to SLOWLY progress through the book. This book is somewhat useful, although it's mostly not because there are no explanations for alot of the exercises and even for some lessons, of course that can change depending on how much Tagalog you already know. I reccommend it for accustomed begginers. For complete begginers and those not able to grasp on quickly pick a more guided-learner book.
   
   In all the books 800 words are useful and the extra grammar knowledge possesed is good, but the lack of explanations, briskness through the lessons, the incomplete glossary, increased grammar terminology, grammatical errors within the book itself, and leaving the reader to rely on himself is what makes this book bot reccommended for a complete begginner. Although, once you understand the basics get this book, definitely. There are too few Tagalog books available and some things in this book like "Verbal Roots" are not even mentionedd in another books I have bought



2. For the low price, this book is worthwhile even for beginners. however, the beginner should use this as a reference and jump into it once some foundations are grasped. And do the written exercises!
   
   The ideal beginning book for me, "Beginning Tagalog; a course for speakers of English", is an audiolingual textbook from 1965 that I just happened to find gathering dust in my university library (no luck finding the original reel-to-reel tapes!). I wish I had Aspillera's book as a reference when I plowed through this textbook, as all the tourist phrasebooks are useless.
   
   Though I had read "Basic Tagalog" cover-to-cover earlier this year, I put it in my backpack this summer, so that I could do some of the written exercises while living in the RP. I strongly recommend doing this, as it helps reinforce grammar. Also, speak out loud to yourself, and your understanding will also grow exponentially.
   
   BTW, I met one westerner in Taiwan who learned Tagalog from the Aspillera book, and raved about it. Since he was quite fluent, I took this as evidence that language learning is what you make of it. Don't blame the books, just be thankful they are out there!
   
   The subtitle of this book is "for Foreigners and Non-Tagalogs"; at the end of the summer my Visayan wife took this book home to Mindanao. She told me that the design of the book really is helpful to Pilipinos whose mothertongue is not Pilipino, despite the language training they get in school.
   
   In sum, this book is very valuable for the serious learner of Tagalog, the basis of the official Pilipino language. Save your money by buying this instead of any of the tourist phrasebooks that might tempt you. Mabuhay!



3. I have just bought the new edition (2007)with audio CD included.
   It's certainly better than the old edition BUT the CD is silent, too bad and unpleasant for the price.



4. The book is OK. I was really disappointed that the CD does not play at all.



5. Highly recommend this book to many who new to the language. The CD is okay, but it does go too fast to follow with. You definitely need to take advantage of the exercises in the book.

5 comments about Tagalog (Pilipino) Made Nice & Easy (REA) (Languages Made Nice & Easy).

1. I thought this book was great for simple phrases, easy to follow, very easy and helpful to use. Great first step in to learning Tagalog basics.



2. This is more like a handbook of useful phrases. For a beginner this is a great start. It by no means will teach you tagalog but you will be able to understand and use common speech. Good entry level book.



3. I have found many mispellings and grammatical errors in both english and tagalog in this book. It is inaccurate and inadequate. I would strongly recommend the hippocrene standard dictionary: tagalog-english over this book. I do not recommend this book to anyone.



4. This is an excellent phrase book to use for travelers and anyone interested in learning this interesting language. It has very good phonetic spellings and easy-to-read layouts of pages.
   
   I highly recommend this book as a must-have companion to additional study materials.



5. I have studied Pilipino before and would saY HONESTLY THATTHIS BOOK IS MARGINAL BECAUSE IT USES SEMANTIC AND GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES THAT DO NOT INCORPORATE THE TRUE ESSENCE OF THE TAGALOG USED IN THE PHILIPPINES AS I LEARNED AND USED WHEN I LIVED IN MANILA. In any case, it is a marginal usage of Tagalog and I would not buy this book if I were serious about learning Tagalog for anything other than getting in and out of manila International Airport....if that...if at all.

2 comments about Pocket Tagalog Dictionary: Tagalog-English English-Tagalog (Periplus Pocket Dictionaries).

1. I bought this dictionary as a gift, choosing this one because of it's "pocket" size feature and being quite cheap.
   
   After receiving it, I was very surprised at how simplistic this book is, and is quite big for being "pocket size". I have a different brand of pocket dictionary of another foreign language that is quite small and use very religiously. This Tagalog one pales in comparison to what I used and what I was expecting.
   
   There are no pronuciation explanations, as I guess they assume you know how to pronounce the words already. But then again, reading Tagalog is pretty straightfoward, as opposed to trying to read, say, Chinese or Russian, where the characters are totally different. But you wouldn't even know where to accent the syllables either...
   
   A total for 88 pages with 44 pages devoted to each Tagalog - English, and English - Tagalog. I guess you get what you pay for. And I'm not paying this much for this book. I'm returning this one!



2. I used this book as a supplement to a Tagalog class. I am a Filipina, born & raised in the US and can understand the language & I needed a refresher course on certain words. It does have the most common words, the book itself is thin, about the size of a paperbook so it's not exactly "pocket-sized." But it can fit into a small purse.

5 comments about My Filipino Word Book.

1. This is a great book for children! It goes through colors, shapes, numbers and animals rather than the norm of boring abc's and 123's. This book also provides great pictures for children to relate to. This book should be very helpful for young children growing up with two languages!



2. My 2 and 3/4 year old son and I love this book. He has learned how to say the animals and numbers in Tagalog which is Phenomenal. My sisters are gonna be so jealous that my son is bilingual, as they never took the time to teach their kids the language :) This book, along with others, has helped me in teaching him age-appropriate Tagalog words.



3. I bought this for my little grandson, who has a "Lola" (his other grandmother) from the Philippines who now lives in America. Both he and my daughter love reading this book! I highly recommend it for any child with any Filipino relatives.



4. I thought this word book would at least have the tagalog words written with the correct pronunciations so that if a person who wasn't Filipino, would be able to read this to their child, but it's nothing like that. A reader would have to assume that the way they pronounce the Tagalog words were correct when they try to sound it out, but more than likely, it will not be understood.



5. THis was an okay book but the words used were more regional--from northern luzon, Ilocos region. If that is your native dialect, it'll work otherwise there are other books out there that are straight Tagalog--Filipino language books.

1 comments about Conversational Tagalog: Learn to Speak and Understand Tagalog with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's Pimsleur Conversational).

1. The half-hour a day is just the right amount of time -- it's not that much of a commitment if you really want to learn the language. At first I thought the repetition would make it boring but the interactive nature of the CD's keep it interesting and keep your brain engaged. Of course, like any other language, you'll learn only if you have the desire to learn it and are willing to put in the time. In this case, it doesn't demand much. Use what you learn with each lesson so you can make the imprints in your brain. Be honest with yourself and do not advance to the next level until you are comfortable with how much you've picked up. If I remember right, this program just asks for 70% retention. As I said, it's a great way to get started!

5 comments about Making Out in Tagalog (Making Out Books).

1. This is a excellent starter book for beginner's in Tagalog. I have another Tagalog book which was rated excellent, but some of the phrases my wife told me were dated. This book uses modern day slang phases which will keep you from sounding like an old fart. It explains some uses of words & structure of Tagalog, but just some basic points. If you can memorize all phrases of this book by heart, I think you will be able to converse in a basic level with Tagalog. It will provide you a good foundation to build on.
   
   They could have left the bad words out though, like F*** Off, and Condom. I let my kids learn from this too but tell them not to go to those specific phrases. They could have said Back Off instead of F*** Off. Just my opinion.



2. I bought this book as a gift for my boyfriend, who is half Filipino. I took one look at the title and figured it was right up his alley. It IS called "MAKING OUT" in Tagalog after all. That, along with the male and female symbols on the cover give you a huge clue as to what to expect inside. Obviously, this book was made for those with a sense of humor. It is not a grammar book, but a phrase book...and the phrases range from practical to funny to downright raunchy. Perfect for anyone who has a slightly warped sense of humor, and those who are not easily offended. If you are looking for useful phrases you can use to get around on your visit to the Philippines, and you don't plan on picking up a one night stand, you need a different book entirely. But if you want to have a laugh, and make your Filipino friends crack up- get this one for sure. The best moment we had with this book was sitting in his Filipino mom's kitchen, reading the raunchy phrases to her, and watching her laugh and say "oh my gosh!" A very fun book!



3. A must for someone dating a Filipino or Filipina. This book is full of phrases that you would actually use (and some you don't ever want to hear!) You will not learn Tagalog using this book, but it is a must for the library of those who are learning Tagalog. The book get's down and dirty and tells you the phrases you really want to know! Enjoy. Trust me this book will make you laugh.



4. I thought the phrases in this book were ones that I would likely use in conversation with my Filipino relatives (nothing in depth, simple pleasantries, etc.). However, the pronunciation is not fully explained (I only knew how the words were supposed to sound from having listened to my parents speak.) Definitely not recommended for a teen or younger audience (a lot of the "conversation" was of a sexual nature in the last chapter or two of the book), but it was really helpful otherwise.



5. I got this book for the more local version of speaking. I am married so I dont need to repeat all of these phrases. Well maybe some of them so I can supprise my wife. It is a very well written and grouped book and I look forward to other languages.

3 comments about Filipino Friends.

1. I ordered this book for my daughter, who was adopted from the Philippines. Bright, colorful pictures, full of fun facts on culture and language, this book is perfect, particularly for adopted children or Filipino children born in the US. This book would a great asset for introducing Filipino language and culture in an elementary school classroom. I will be buying another copy to add to my classroom library.



2. My 2 and 3/4 year old son loves this book and requests for it everyday. He specifically loves for me to sing the song "Bahay Kubo" and point out the vegetables pictures in the book. He is actually learning how to sing "Bahay Kubo" even though he really doesn't know what the words mean. The loves the character Sam, and I love to point out pictures which I say in English and Tagalog.



3. Loved this book. Can't wait to read my daughter this book and let her know a little bit about her heritage. The book also helped me review Tagalog as I'm not the greatest speaker since I am American born and my own parents not passing on the language.

5 comments about My First Book of Tagalog Words: Filipino Rhymes and Verses.

1. I'm disappointed with this book. I was expecting more words in tagalog but there are only 26 words - one for each letter of the alphabet. The last letter of the alphabet Z is for zipper which is the same as English.



2. I bought this book for my two children. My son who is 2 and my daughter who is 7 months. I am half Filipino but can not speak Tagalog fluently. The chosen entries for the book brought back quite a few memories. I hope that with a book like this one and others if I can find them will help the kids become familiar with Tagalog. So far, they seem to enjoy it. My son loves the bright illustrations. I like the simplicity. I just wish I could find another version for American born Tagalog speakers.



3. simple reading book that goes through the alaphabet with tagalog words.
   my husband who is filipino enjoyed the book and looks forward to reading it to our son.



4. Its ok, but not great. My son and I love the graphics and colors, but the text is lacking. The author writes a disclaimer in the beginning that she added non-traditional letters like C, X, and Z etc. (due to the Spanish and American influences on the country), but what disappointed me was that the traditional sound "Ng" from the real Tagalog alphabet was missing. So many Tagalog words start with "Ng", so she shouldnt have left this out. Otherwise, its ok.



5. The book wasn't exactly what I thought it would be but it is a cute book and does have some words in it that are "learnable". I bought it for my grandson. He likes the pictures.

5 comments about Learn Filipino, Book One, with Discs 1 and 2.

1. There is basically no English on the CDs --it's almost exclusively all Tagalag, so there's no way to learn Tagalag from listening to the CDs. I bought this item mostly for the CDs, and I'm very disappointed.



2. When I ordered this, I was super excited to learn Tagalog. But when I got the package I noticed that the Cd's were within the book (paper protected) and the book itself wrapped in ordinary plastic (no box). When I pulled the Cd's out to listen to, both of the Cd's were broken! I was so upset! Plus, I wasn't able to order the Cd's alone without ordering the book again. So now I just have to learn with the book and just hope that I'm saying it right. :( For future reference, whoever sells this book needs to ship the Cd's in a case or something! A paper cover just won't cut it.



3. I bought the book to learn a little Filipino prior to a trip. The CD is good although they don't always give you enough time to respond. It addresses grammar well. So far it seems a little weak in vocabulary I think I will be needing.



4. I have visited the Philippines many times and love it dearly; plan to retire there. Received Learn Filipino book and CDs and, like others, I found the CDs cracked. Received replacement book and good CDs next day (thank you Amazon). This is not Amazon's fault, this is poor packaging by the publisher or distributor.
   I think the book is good but, like others, I am a little disappointed with the CDs. I wish there was much more work on correct pronunciation which is key to communicating effectively. For me, this is the most difficult part of learning Tagalog because the stresses and accents of most of the words are so different from English. Say it wrong and it has a completely different meaning - or none at all. I also think the guitar piece that precedes every single aralin should be limited to once per CD.



5. The book is very good. I am slowly working my way thru it. I also use an excellent dictionary as a supplement to the book. The CD is okay. It is fast, but using it together with the book it is easy to follow along. I am not sure about CD #3 & 4 as they must be downloaded from the web and I've not done that yet. I am a beginner and have tried other books, but this one is clearly the best one. I also use flascards and have a digital voice recorder that I use to help with conversation, words and phrases as well. If you want to understand the language, this workbook is good.

5 comments about Tagalog-English/English-Tagalog Standard Dictionary: Pilipino-Inggles, Inggles-Pilipino Talahuluganang (Hippocrene Standard Dictionaries).

1. I like to carry this dictionary with me while learning and speaking Tagalog. It is comprehensive enough that every word I've searched for has been in it.



2. My fiancee is Filipina and I have been learning Tagalog. She always gets a good laugh whenever I try to formulate a sentence by looking up words (I'll always end up putting something in the wrong order or using some word that isn't exactly appropriate for the context). This dictionary has been very helpful in learning new words. Occasionally, however, there will be a definition that needs a little more than what is given. The best example I can think of is the word "syota". The dictionary defines it as "boyfriend / girlfriend". When I lovingly referred to my fiancee one day as "aking magandang syota" ("my beautiful girlfriend"), she asked me what I meant by the word "syota". When I explained, she told me that "syota" is a colloquial term that derives from the word for "short" and typically means a short-term boyfriend / girlfriend.
   
   Overall, this is a very good dictionary with a lot of great information. It won't teach you everything, but you will typically learn the most of a language by practice and studying. This is a very handy reference supplement.



3. For someone learning Tagalog this is a pretty comprehensive dictionary. It's easy to use and not too bulky. I highly recommend this dictionary.



4. pros:books size, pretty much every word you can think of is in this book
   
   cons:does not have commonly used phrases(what is your name?,how old are you?,etc.),not for people that don't know any tagalog and are using this to learn.



5. This book is excellent. I use it all the time together with flashcards, voice recordings, on-line lessons, and classroom assignments. The first 30 pages is good for grammar and the back of the book, (appendix) has a lot of very useful information.
   I have tried a few other dictionaries, but this one clearly stands ahead of them.