I Want to Learn Tagalog!

Gusto kong matutong magsalita ng Tagalog.
I want to learn to speak Tagalog.
I’d like to learn to speak Tagalog.

matuto
to learn

mag-Tagalog
‘do’ Tagalog

matutong mag-Tagalog
learn to use/speak Tagalog

Gusto kong matutong magsalita ng Tagalog.
I want to learn to speak Tagalog.
I’d like to learn to speak Tagalog.

Pimsleur has an audio-only program that focuses on listening comprehension and speaking without any drills or books.

Rosetta Stone Filipino is a popular program for learning Tagalog. It consists of CD-ROM software for Windows or Mac, a user’s guide and a free headset microphone. There are different bundles, and buying the comprehensive set (Levels 1, 2 & 3) can save you up to a hundred dollars.

There are more affordable, arguably better options than Rosetta Stone for learning Tagalog, depending on which style of learning is effective for you.

A highly rated course is the Living Language Complete Tagalog Course for Beginners  — it’s a handy book with six audio CDs.

For a more academic approach, especially for a high-school or college classroom setting, Elementary Tagalog is becoming the most widely used textbook with CD; it also has a workbook that is sold separately.

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And the newest on the market, having just came out in late 2015…

Designed for individual learners, Easy Tagalog has 20 short lessons. The book focuses on basic vocabulary, practical situations, and grammar needs, in an easy-to-follow way: it forms a step-by-step guide towards building sentences and dialogues.

The focus is conversational. There are 2 or 3 dialogues per lesson, and all dialogues are short so that they can easily be remembered as you build your skills.

The sidebar Info boxes throughout the book offer two kinds of tips: grammar tips and culture tips. At the end of each lesson, you’ll find a place to pause, and to “sum up” what you’ve covered, usually by creating a few sentences.

That’s Easy Tagalog!