English-speaking na kids: matututo ba mag tagalog?

[smoothie]

we're all in the same boat mga sis. kaya when my daughter reached grade 1, hirap na hirap kami sa mga tagalog subjects niya. eventually kaka-tutor natuto din pa onti. i also let her watch tagalog shows like eat bulaga. gusto niya kasi yung pinoy henyo. hehe.

pero sa totoo ako rin hirap mag tagalog.

[TysLolakins]

both my kids were born and raised here in the states.  but my daughter, who only speaks english since she's little, understands and CAN SPEAK tagalog fluently.  we didn't know about this until we visited Pinas a few years ago (she was 18 yo at that time).  just out of the blue she was conversing in straight tagalog to her cousins.  so we were as surprised as the folks back home.  they were anticipating 'nosebleed' but the opposite happened, my daughter adjusted to them.  when we came back here, it's english again.

we talk to the kids in english and tagalog, not taglish.  we never had to translate anything for her, she just knows what the tagalogs words are.  i jokingly told her that she was born with a tagalog dictionary embedded in her brain.  i'm saying this because i cannot have possibly told her all the tagalog words i know and yet she just knows.  i never had to explain how conjugation works either, she got the concept down pat.
my son is a different story, barely understands tagalog, only the phrases use commonly in the house and cannot speak a word of it, considering they grew up from the same household.  he's not willing nor interested to learn, that's why.

we never had TFC in the house either so it's not a factor for my daughter knowing how to speak tagalog well.

i guess the point is, every individual has a different way of absorbing/adapting another language in addition to their native language, be it tagalog or english.  i don't think that 'rote' learning will help those not knowing tagalog.  it's the acceptance of and interest in the language, i think that's the key. 

[Amphitrite]

I think you need to assess the learning your child's abilities, like does he learn by hearing the words, writing them or reading them? Then you can start guiding them in learning tagalog / filipino. I suggest you enroll him in tutorial classes for his filipino instructed subjects.

My 7-year-old son speaks english ever since he learned how to speak and he is also having a hard time in his filipino subject. Last year, I asked for his tutor to spend 90% of their time studying filipino. He survived the year with good grades in the subject.  I also bought him a few story books in filipino which also has english translations. We read the books together for practice and I also let him watch a filipino few shows on tv. Now he understands filipino but he chooses to speak english still.

I remembered how I learned how to speak english when I was younger and I simply did the same with him.

=)

[Vera]

I talk to him in Ilonggo, but the yaya talks to him in Tagalog. His first language is English.

[tiggerlily]

my son can understand tagalog but prefers to speak in english. ang tigas ng ulo. when he is asked to speak in tagalog he will say: i don't like talagog...

pero i've been speaking to him in tagalog na lately. pilipit lang talaga ang dila. tinuruan ko sya ng mahal kita, mahal ko kayo, hinlalaki, hintuturo, etc. we're also reading more tagalog books. he seems to enjoy them naman.

[Priceless]

I'm planning to speak to my (future) child in Filipino, my relatives and the nanny will also be told to speak to the kid in filipino. Hopefully yun ang maging first language nya.

Bahala na si Batman kung papano ang English (I'm hoping it will come naturally dahil walang ibang alam na language si Hubby at ang mga relatives niya other than English). I figure matututunan din naman ng bata yung English at wala syang choice kungdi magshift into English dahil wala kami sa Pilipinas at kausap din nya ang tatay nya in English.

What do you think?

[aleng_maganda]

 My son din ganyan, 1 time i told him to talk to me in tagalog. Sabi ko " simula ngayon, tagalog mo ko kauasapin. Ang sagot ba naman " opo, nanay! " (he calls me mommy) natawa ko talaga. And he ask "whats funny? " na concious tuloy mag tagalog, kasi natawa ako sa tagalog nya.

[ysa.belle]

my son's first language is english kase ganun kami when we were kids. i had a hard time speaking & understanding tagalong and in 4th grade lang talaga ako natuto.

my son understands tagalog well but he is not allowed to speak tagalog yet, pag grade 1 nalang since they would have filipino and sibika na by that time but at least he understands tagalog and fluent pa rin sa english.

[MaitaOfMakeupOnDemand]

Don't worry if your kid has English as his first language. He will learn how to speak tagalog because he lives here in the Philippines. Eventually, Tagalog will also be his 1st language. In fact, it is possible to have 2 first languages naman. Many of us can attest to that.

[prettynvain]

my first son's first language is English din. sa international school din kasi siya nag-aaral eh, he can understand  pero hirap siya sumagot in tagalog.

[itcha123]

si bunso ko first languange is English ako na kasi nagpalaki sa kanya, matataas ang mga grades niya sa English, Science & Math, sa MAPEH, Sibika, at Filipino pilipit ang dila niya kaya ang resulta mabababa ang mga grado niya dito.

[Priceless]

What if we don't live in the PH and no plans of living there in the foreseeable future. Gusto ko lang talaga na ang primary language niya si Filipino muna than English kasi mas madali siguro nyang makakalimutan to use it dahil gagamitin lang nya ito to me and my relatives (and the maid). Our kid(s) can talk to their dad naman in English (no choice). So yes, hopefully two first languages at the same time...

Realistic kaya ito?

[Bananapots]

Hi Mommies,

I didn't think that this could be a problem when our kids grow older. I have a 1 1/2 year old child and we decided in the house to talk to him in English. I thought, it would be easier for him to learn the Tagalog later on. But it looks like it doesn't from some of you.

But for me, i'd like my son to speak in english as his primary language. I just hope, we don't encounter so much problem in teaching him tagalog. Though, i have a nephew who grew abroad then studied here in PH, he really had hard time coping in his Filipino subject, but eventually he learned.

[yhenggi]

how about sa school normally preschool wala filipino subject hindi kaya sila mabigla pag nag grade 1 tapos may filipino subject na?

[thehappydreamer]

In my kids preschool, they have Filipino subjects. All my kids(2,3 and 6 yrs old)speak English better than tagalog but I'm not worried cause kids these days learn really fast. Also, they can learn Tagalog everywhere- from the grocery, in church, from cousins and neighbors.

[mommy_me]

hi sis ganyan anak ko dati hindi makaintindi kahit simple word na tagalog at talagang nahirapan siya ng mag grade one.. pero eventually matuto rin siya dahil masasanay.. basahan mo ng tagalog stories like yung nasa book nya..

[superbubly]

hindi ko maintindihan sa maraming mga Pilipino tinatry palagi ang maging English Speaking ang mga anak eh nasa Pinas naman but siyempre I respect naman kung paano nila gusto lumaki yung mga anak nila, nung kid din ako tinuturuan ako mag english coz my mom is English teacher na noon pa pero may nag advise sa mom ko na wag ako palakihin sa ganun paraan unless titira kami ng ng U.S pero hindi naman. Remember nasa Pilipinas tayo wala tayo sa America. from kinder to College we are required to get Filipino I, II, Sibika, Araling Panlipunan, Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo and etc etc. ang hirap hirap ng mga Tagalog diyan malalalim, puwede din naman sa International School na lang pag-aralin si Coño kid. This is just my opinion. . .


sabi nga Practice makes Perfect, kausapin mo ng kausapin in Tagalog kahit paminsan paminsan hanggang magkaroon na siya ng Tagalog words na alam, manoond kayo paminsan minsan ng mga tagalog hanggang sa makuha na niya.

[MaitaOfMakeupOnDemand]

I was raised speaking English but had no problems learning Tagalog. We have an advantageous position here in the Philippines because we have two main languages. In Europe many speak 2 or even 3 and 4 languages fluently.

I think the best way to ensure our children get fluent in both languages is to foster an attitude of respect for each language. Nangyayari kasi dito, we have a negative attitude towards one language depending where we are more fluent. English speakers SOMETIMES think they are superior to those who are not too fluent so they try not to speak Tagalog to maintain their superiority. Or on the other hand naman, Tagalog speakers SOMETIMES think that they are being unpatriotic if they learn English, so they reject English. There are many other reasons of course, sample lang yung binigay ko. Personally, I grew up valuing communication and spoke English and Tagalog and even Taglish depending on what the situation required.

If European kids can speak multiple languages with fluency, our Filipino children can too.

[ri-anne]

my daughter, who's turning 7, speaks english. we talk to her in english eversince we moved here in singapore and that was when she was still 1 1/2 years old. classmates, friends and teachers talk to her in english, a little mandarin... but me and hubby talk to each other in tagalog pa rin naman...

and you know what sis, i just learned recently that my daughter CAN understand tagalog... i can talk to her in tagalog na, but she'll reply in english. and sometimes she'll ask me a question, i'll answer in tagalog, she'll imitate me..nakakatawa lang yung accent...but sometimes she'll try to speak tagalog like "kain na" or "oo" or "hindi" (we correct it to "opo" & "hindi po")..

i think if the child is really interested to learn the language, the answer to your question is YES, it is possible.

[Kady_14]

Yes, my son used to speak fluent English. Nung nag-aral siya can speak tagalog now, pero mali mali minsan. (Magnanakaw is Mangnanakaw, basta minsan wrong stress on words)

Now can speak Tagalog and English. Depende kung panu siya kinausap. He's 8 turning 9. Matututo din lalo if exposed sa mga nagtatagalog like kalaro or maids. He also knows some Visayan/Boholano words too, because i encouraged old yayas to talk to him then.