Learn the top five tools for learning Filipino
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Betsey: Mabuhay! Hi everyone! Welcome back to FilipinoPod101.com. I’m Betsey. |
| Becky: And I’m Becky. This is All-About, Lesson 11 - Top 5 Most Useful Tools for Learning Filipino. |
Lesson focus |
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| Betsey: In this lesson, we have a great list of tools to help your Filipino studies. |
| Becky: Yes! It’s definitely helpful to get a textbook and read and write and learn, but who really learns another language by just doing that? |
| Betsey: That's a good point Becky. So, in this episode we’ll give you different sources that will help you learn Filipino, not only practically but also effectively. |
| Becky: Now, let’s get into it! So, the most obvious source would be Entertainment! |
| Betsey: Yes! What could be better than watching TV, being entertained, and learning a language all at the same time? |
| Becky: So, with the Internet now, you can watch almost anything in any language. |
| Betsey: The most obvious places would be on websites like YouTube, but there are also websites where you can access radio shows broadcast in the Philippines, or for Filipino listeners. And of course, there are also TV programs. |
| Becky: Now, because there are a lot of Filipino emigrants abroad and spread around the world, there are also Filipino channels on cable TV, where you can watch Filipino shows broadcast locally. |
| Betsey: Yes. TFC and GMA Pinoy TV are two of the cable channels sponsored by local Filipino stations. |
| Becky: And local Filipino entertainers also often hold shows in countries like Japan and America, for the Filipinos abroad to see. |
| Betsey: These events are also very good to go to, as not only do they give you the chance to enjoy live performances, but you can also get involved in Filipino communities. |
| Becky: So now we’d also like to give you the name of a great website so you can make use of the best resource there is - the Internet! |
| Betsey: It can be one of the most convenient and accessible tools out there. |
| Becky: TagalogLang dot com is a website where, of course, you can find basic phrases in Filipino. But it’s also a fun website for learning about the culture! |
| Betsey: It has several pieces of literature, and poems that you can look through and enjoy. It even has quizzes, so you can brush up on all the things you’ve been learning so far. |
| Becky: There are many great websites like this one. So don’t forget to search for yourself. |
| Betsey: Alright, let’s get to our next tool! |
| Becky: It’s…dictionaries. |
| Betsey: This is probably the first thing you buy when you decide to learn a language. |
| Becky: Get a Filipino-English, English-Filipino bilingual dictionary. It will be an invaluable resource. |
| Betsey: You always need a dictionary. Even native speakers use dictionaries! |
| Becky: That’s right. There are a ton of great ones out there. The “Berlitz Filipino Phrasebook and Dictionary” for example is a good one where you can learn Filipino through phrases, but you also have a dictionary in a different section. |
| Betsey: So it’s like a two-in-one dictionary. |
| Becky: There are also those pocket dictionaries that are a more practical size. |
| Betsey: And you can get into the habit of checking them if you find a word you don’t understand. |
| Becky: Dictionaries will definitely help a lot! |
| Betsey: So, let’s talk about some free dictionary websites, or translation websites online. |
| Becky: Ah yes. Those infamous websites. If you’re a language learner, you may know that online translators don’t always give you the most accurate translation. |
| Betsey: You may have stumbled on some crazy translations in the past, and so you will know to take all translations with a grain of salt. |
| Becky: Don’t take this the wrong way - Google Translate and Babylon are my best friends, but I always revise anything I translate on them, just to be extra careful. |
| Betsey: And there are other great websites like these, too. bansa dot org is one of them. This website focuses solely on Filipino, so you get a wider variation of translations. |
| Becky: What’s great about this, is that anyone can add their own definition, and attach their source for each word’s definition. So, you can have a variety of meanings and opinions at your fingertips. |
| Betsey: The website also has other Filipino dialects to English dictionaries, such as Cebuano, Ilocano, and Ilonggo. |
| Betsey: Now, onto the third tool. It is… social networking websites. |
| Becky: Now, that sounds easy! |
| Betsey: It does. I know you’d have a hard time logging onto your Facebook account every 30 minutes Becky. Or every five. |
| Becky: Oh well. I might have a problem. Anyway, enough about me, what can we do with social networking sites? |
| Betsey: Well, it’s another way of making friends - that’s an obvious answer. |
| Becky: It’s maybe a more practical option than going to events. |
| Betsey: Yes. It’s easy, less time-consuming and accessible. |
| Becky: And if you’re like me, you won't really have the problem of putting studying aside, when it’s on one of the most visited websites on your bookmark! |
| Betsey: Yes. You probably already know how to use these sites, go to pages or communities - there are so many ways to make friends. |
| Becky: I’ve also come to learn that Filipinos are patient teachers. |
| Betsey: Of course. When they see you making an effort to learn their language, they’ll make the same effort to teach you. |
| Becky: Plus, it needn't be a one-way thing. You can also teach them a little about your culture or language, and then it’ll be a win-win. |
| Betsey: That’s right. The most visited websites in the Philippines are Facebook and Twitter. |
| Becky: So check these websites out, and if you don’t already have an account, make one! You’ve got nothing to lose. |
| Betsey: Yes. And lastly, we’d like to give you another cool website you can use to learn things online. |
| Becky: The website WikiPilipinas is great. It’s the online encyclopedia for anything Filipino. |
| Betsey: This is another bookmark favorite of mine in which I search everything and anything Filipino. |
| Becky: If you’re not familiar with Wikipedia, it’s a website where you can find information from different sources on the Internet, and know about everything and anything. |
| Betsey: But let us remind you that both a pro and con of this is that anyone can edit information on it. So make sure you do additional research when using these sites. |
| Becky: Well, those were our top 5 useful tools. We hope they were helpful for you, and that you find them useful. |
Outro |
| Becky: Thanks for listening, everyone. We’ll see you next time! |
| Betsey: Paalam! |
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