I'm back for another post, and this one's about something I'm really passionate about--languages.
I'm passionate about a lot of things, actually. When I'm not sick (I've been extremely sick lately), I'm usually reading, working out, training in Muay Thai, doing Jiu-Jitsu, or spending time with my family--all great things. But I'm also passionate about languages.
Thanks to my family, with roots in both Cuba and Spain, I grew up speaking English and Spanish--Cuban Spanish. I always liked speaking more than one language, but it never really occurred to me that I could become a polyglot.
Well, that's what I aspire to now, and living in a Tagalog-speaking region of the Philippines, I'm happy to say that I'm learning Tagalog. It's more properly called "Filipino" (the national language along with English), but around here, we just call it Tagalog.
My beautiful wifey is a big help and so are other people, but I do use a few virtual resources. Here's a list of resources I use for learning Tagalog and other languages that I'm also working on. They're not all free, but they're useful, and I make absolutely no commission from any purchases on your end. I simply find them to be a big help, and I trust that you will too.
Learning Tagalog
http://www.learningtagalog.com
I use the online edition, and I paid $99 for life-time access to it. It's a steep price for some, but it's a good, helpful program--probably my favorite. The way it helps with pronunciation sure gives it a major win over book-learning, and it lays out the structure of the language quite well.
Pimsleur's Tagalog 1 and 2
Both of these programs can be found on Pimsleur's website and on audible.com. If you look hard enough, you could find them for free elsewhere, but I'm not condoning illegal behavior. 😉
The Tagalog in the first 15 lessons or so of Tagalog 1 isn't so natural, but that's fine. Go through all of the lessons. The later lessons are more natural.
Elementary Tagalog
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KO9K5L6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_3AtSzbF8B0P00
You can read the reviews for this book on its Amazon listing (above). Not all of them are stellar, but I think it's a helpful book. I have the Kindle edition.
Intermediate Tagalog
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00WRITRSO/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Just as with the previous book, I've found this book to be a great help. Again, I have an advantage, because whenever I don't understand something, my wife is here to help me out.
Learn Indonesian
http://learnindonesian.org
I have to tell you...I've tried Pimsleur's Indonesian course, but it doesn't teach natural, every-day Indonesian the way people in Jakarta speak it amongst eachother. This program does, and it takes all the stress out of learning the language. I give this program a big thumbs up! I'm loving every bit of it. It's also available at http://www.bintangbahasa.com.
I could mention Pimsleur's Thai (I guess I just did), and it seems okay, but I haven't used it much. I've only listened to the first few lessons.
A program that I'm happy with, however, is...
Learn Thai Podcast
https://learn-thai-podcast.com
A decent portion of this program is available for free, but if you want full access, you have to dish out a hefty $200. It's worth it, though. If you're serious about learning Thai, it's better than wasting the money out in a bar somewhere...right? Grab yourself a cheap six-pack and cough up the dough.
Anything from Stu Jay Raj
http://stujay.com
Seriously. The guy is a language guru and he speaks Thai better than a native. Well, that's a slight exaggeration, but I think there's something to it.
His Cracking Thai Fundamentals is a must have, and his website offers a web course by the same name. Check out his free videos on YouTube and I'm sure you'll see why you should definitely learn from this guy.
I'm only going to mention one resource for Korean, and I think it's the only one you'll need for quite some time. And the best part is...it's free!
Talk to Me in Korean
http://talktomeinkorean.com
Now, when I say it's free, please know that not everything on the website is free. But all you really need are the free lessons. And if you like listening to podcasts, great! Listen to every Talk to Me in Korean podcast episode, starting with the first one.
It's a lot to listen to, but the episodes build upon eachother and they're easy to digest. You can work your way up from Level 1 to Level 9, and each level is about 25-30 lessons (give or take). You can also watch or listen to other lessons that aren't included in those levels.
I hope this list of resources that I personally rely on for my language learning is helpful to you.
And to all other aspiring polyglots out there, keep practicing...keep learning. Remember that learning a foreign language takes work. It doesn't have to be dreary, but it does take work.
When something "clicks" and, with practice, becomes a part of your linguistic operating system, the feeling of satisfaction that ensues serves as a great and motivating reward.
