Tagalog for Beginners: An Introduction to Filipino, the National Language of the Philippines: An Introduction to Filipino, the National Language of the Philippines (Online Audio included)

I bought Tagalog for Beginners as a gift for a friend who wanted to learn the Filipino language, and they absolutely loved it! From the very first chapter, they felt encouraged and excited to dive in. The book is incredibly well-structured, beginner-friendly, and practical — perfect for someone starting from scratch. What really stood out was how it balances grammar, vocabulary, and everyday conversation. The explanations are clear and simple, and the examples feel very natural and authentic. My friend especially appreciated the pronunciation tips and cultural notes that gave more context to the language. Even better, the layout isn’t overwhelming — it’s broken into manageable lessons, so it's easy to pick up and continue learning even with a busy schedule. If you’re looking for a thoughtful and useful gift for someone interested in Filipino language or culture, this book is a fantastic choice. It’s fun, educational, and genuinely helps build confidence in speaking Tagalog. Highly recommend!

This is a magnificent book. I was surprised by how substantial it is. I own it also on Kindle, useful for carrying around, but the hard copy version can be easily navigated, and you can see at a glance any items about grammar you are interested in, and how much there is to learn. So in this case the e-book version is back-up, but the actual book is more than worth having. Who would deny that the tactile virtues of a book cannot be beaten, at least at this stage of technology. The author explains everything about the language very clearly, and makes the grammar very interesting and accessible. It was quite hard to find a suitable work from which to learn this language and thank goodness I found this.

I have travelled to Malaya. Hong Kong. Singapore and the Philippines and this is the first time I have elected to study the language of the Philippines. The book is very good and the DVD is excellent. My biggest problem is the speed of the pronunciation and as an individual student it is difficult to progress without the benefit of other students to interact with. The DVD moves forward very quickly and for a.lone beginner it means lots of repetition. Naturally, the progression is down to the individual but starting from scratch I am finding it quite difficult. Although it is easier to write than speak,there seems to be an anomaly as the vocabulary I have practiced in some cases differs to the local Tagalog in the area I am returning to in the near future. I speak German and some Swahili but the grammar in Tagalog is hard. There are lots of words that literally have no translation. As with German the grammar has to be correct.otherwise meaning is lost or confusing. Naturally there is a Spanish influence and the Philippine history has made the language evolve from various inputs. Only time will tell if this book enables me to grasp the language.

If your looking to learn tagalog I highly recommend you this book. I knew very basic tagalog words when I started and was lacking the basic culture understanding of the filipino culture. This book not only takes you through the language based side of things, it takes you through a cultural understanding and truly allows you to embrace the filipino language and culture. I Cant recommend this book highly enough !

a lot of fun - on a recent cruise some of the staff were phillipino and I could communicate with them in their language - or nearly!

Considering the dearth of quality teaching and learning resources available for the Filipino/Tagalog language, especially those that consider the constant code-switching of native speakers, this is a good book. It encourages users to use their existing knowledge of English to supplement their Filipino/Tagalog in a natural way that one will frequently hear on the streets of Manila, and amongst friends and family. The frequent cultural notes are also fascinating, helping the learner build an understanding and report with the people they wish to communicate with (Filipino people I have discovered by and large all wish to pass on their language and help the learner). It is, however, littered with basic editing errors that should have been caught, without the aid of a native speaker to ask questions to I would have been endlessly confused as on multiple occasions an explanation in English of an important grammar point is followed by an example that espouses the opposite. Thus it is difficult to determine which is correct, the English (that I am a native speaker of) or the Filipino/Tagalog (that I am learning and would appreciate if it was error free). Sometimes though these errors are innocuous such as when the English noun and Filipino noun are inconsistent in a dialogue, however, these should never have been present in a professionally published book. The exercises in each chapter are very useful for cementing the learners knowledge and use of grammar points. I especially liked the various group game and activity suggestions (managing to convince my Filipino friends to play was a harder task!).

I was happy to receive my case after only 2 days after placing the order.. Was really happy with picture it was exactly what i wanted. Would highly recommend

Written very well, easy to follow and learn!

If you take your time and read the instructions that come with this book 📖 you will find it is excellent. The audio portion is perfect for the English speaking learner.

Missing vocabulary introduced in the dialogues and texts. Very confusing explanations. I have to use translators to fully understand most texts at the end of each chapters. The author takes the liberty of changing the world order and sentences structures which is common in Tagalog but without explanation. I don’t recommend this book if you are willing to learn on your own without previous knowledge. I had to seek out some other resources to find a use of this book.

Tagalog for Beginners is an excellent resource for anyone starting their journey in learning Tagalog. The book moves at a comfortable pace, making it easy for beginners to grasp essential vocabulary and grammar without feeling overwhelmed. Explanations are clear and concise, breaking down language concepts in a way that makes them easy to understand and apply. One of its standout features is the included audio files, which are incredibly helpful for pronunciation practice and listening comprehension.

よく感じることですが、洋書は付属CD （DVD）の内容が充実していますね。特に、練習のさせ方。ポーズを置いてきっちりリピートさせたり…本書にもトレーニングがふんだんに盛り込まれています。 →音声収録時間:7時間39分!! また、巻末のabc順索引（単語）がとても重宝しています。 英語学習と一石二鳥。超「推しtextbook 」です(笑)。