Tagalog or Visayan?

[Dogwood_Poet]

My wife is from northern Mindanao so all her family speaks Visayan, but when I try and find tools to learn Visayan there doesn't seem to be much out there.

I want to learn either Tagalog or Visayan so I can communicate better with her family when we visit and also when she calls or chats online. Would it be better to learn Tagalog since it is the 'National' language, or just go ahead and try for Visayan?

I don't know how different the two are so I didn't know if I could understand some of what they say if I knew some Tagalog or if it would be of no use when I am in Mindanao?

Also I thought it would be better for traveling as well, though I know most younger people do have some knowledge of English.

[Tito Jorge]

That is a good question ...

And there is no easy answer ...

I can tell you from experience ... my wife is also from Mindanao and speaks Bisaya same as your wife ... I have attempted to learn Tagalog before I met my wife ... and since we have married I have also attempted to learn some Bisaya ...

Let me tell you ... it is far more easy to thread a Camel thru the eye of a needle than to learn both languages at once ... they DO share a few common words ... mostly Spanish words borrowed from 400 years of being a Spanish colony ... but the two languages are not the same and can bewilder and confuse a poor English speaker who is foolish enough to attempt both at the same time ...

There are (as you no doubt have already learned) many more resources for learning Tagalog than there are for learning Bisaya ... so for that reason alone ... it may make more sense to try to learn Tagalog and not worry too much about Bisaya for now ...

But on the other hand ... your wife will be speaking Bisaya (and English) far more than she will ever speak Tagalog ... so that may be some incentive to try to learn Bisaya ...

In the end ... flip a coin ... and good luck ...

-- George

[LornaDoone]

My husband is learning more tagalog just because he watches tfc.


some words that he learned:
(tagalog)

mahalaga ka sa akin--- you are important to me
halik---kiss
dito--here
siya- he/she
ako--me
hindi ko alam--i don't know
aso--dog
pusa-- cat
puso--heart
bakit--why
bituin--star
luha-tears


there are many more tagalog words that he learned, that's only a few example.


he also know a lot of celebrities like:

Anne Curtis
Judy ann Santos
Ruffa Guttierez
Kris Aquino
Maricel Soriano
Cherry Gill
Sarah Geronimo
AEGIS (singers)
Korina Sanchez( news caster)
Sam Milby
Piolo Pascual
Claudine Barretto
Wowowee dancers like Luningning,RR is his favorate dancer.

[DrivingZiggy]

I typed, "Where can I learn Bisaya?" into ask.com and this site came up. Looks like it might help!

But if you're rich, you can get your Rosetta Stone course for Tagalog.

[LornaDoone]

Originally Posted by DrivingZiggy

But if you're rich, you can get your Rosetta Stone course for Tagalog.

Their price is over price, I saw the same thing in barnes & noble book store the price was only $50.

[Dabyano]

Dogwood, George,

Wing is from Butuan City. She wants to know what part of Mindanao the asawas are from.

Daby

[Dogwood_Poet]

Kathlene is from just west of Cagayan de Oro City

[Tito Jorge]

Belinda is from Davao City ...

-- George

[Dabyano]

Cagayan de Oro is almost like home. Wing has spent a lot of time there. I have never been to Davao, but I plan to go during our next visit. Thanks, guys. I feel like we are neighbors now. Mindanao, is a special place. I think there is more variety [culture, food, everything] there than there is anyplace else in the PI.

Daby

[Tito Jorge]

If you do make it to Davao City someday ...

Be sure to visit ...

1. Jack's Ridge
2. Davao Crocodile Park
3. Eden Nature Park

I think you will like Davao City ...

-- George