|
|
Mary's reflection...
I joined Tagalog with Kirby’s study abroad/immersion trip and left feeling more empowered in my skills and motivated to continue learning and speaking Tagalog. Joanna took the time to get to know my speaking level and customize her teaching, and her approach is very accessible but challenging at the same time. I especially enjoyed the personal instruction and small class size, which made for a more intensive experience. I truly felt the bayanihan spirit during this trip. There were constant opportunities to spend time with Joanna’s family and people in the community, who were patient, nonjudgmental, and also made me laugh a lot as I tried to improve my Tagalog. I grew up listening to my parents speaking the language, and have visited The Philippines growing up, but I have never been very confident in trying to speak it and achieve fluency. Witnessing daily life, from selling pandesal on the street to going shopping at the market and going to a family party and eating all of the amazing food along the way, were all heartening experiences that allowed me the opportunity to build on my speaking skills. The trips to see nearby attractions, like Las Casas, were fun and educational as well, and when we went out together, it felt natural as if we were all part of the same family. And all of this to me is what bayanihan is - feeling like you are part of a helpful community larger than yourself. The Philippines is somewhat of a familiar place for me and feels like another home, but being in an environment outside of my family pushed me out of my comfort zone to speak Tagalog even if I made mistakes. I felt like I was finally able to correct some speaking mistakes I didn’t know I was making and learn more about the rules, conjugation, and sentence structure. Joanna’s advice and encouragement along the way, as well as being surrounded by Tagalog 24/7, pushed me to try harder even if I didn’t know how to fully articulate my sentences in Tagalog. After the program, when I spent time with my family, I felt more comfortable speaking after just a short amount of time and felt our bond growing closer. I firmly believe knowing more of the language makes you more connected to Filipino culture and all of the humor, love, and richness that comes with it and I can’t wait to continue practicing at home and eventually plan a return to the Philippines! |
|
Alyssa's reflection...
My immersion trip to the Philippines marked a significant milestone in my process of learning Tagalog, which began four years ago with Ate Joanna. This trip was an important step in applying and testing the skills I have developed in an environment where my efforts mattered, and experiencing the language in its native context was both affirming and exhilarating. Living in an English-speaking environment means my opportunities to practice Tagalog are limited to the classroom, my family, and occasional interactions. Using Tagalog with your family and classmates versus acquaintances in the wild while abroad is a different ballgame. Each interaction, where people responded in Tagalog instead of English, revitalized my confidence and allowed me to reinforce some less practiced grammatical concepts and improve my existing skills. All my conversations with locals, whether brief or lengthy, was a testament to my work and provided tangible evidence of my progress. I was able to prove to myself that I achieved something. It really validated the time I've invested in the language. Of course, the trip was well outside my comfort zone. It was my first visit to the Philippines without the usual family-centered focus and in a region I hadn't spent time in. This meant that everything was a new experience. Naturally, this brought a degree of anxiety. However, the support and patience from Ate Joanna's family helped ease my apprehensions. They helped me overcome initial nervousness and reminded me of my purpose: to deepen my cultural connection to the Filipino people through language and not depend on being accommodated with English. I often reoriented myself towards this purpose and repeatedly reminded myself that making mistakes was necessary. I would ask myself, ultimately, do I want to grow or stagnate? If I want to grow, I have to accept the risk of messing up to then learn. I'm ok with mistakes because it means I'm doing something, which is leagues better than absolutely nothing. On top of that, do I want to look back and see myself as a coward? Truly, no. Thankfully, people didn't seem to care much that I made mistakes; they cared more that I was intentionally trying to communicate. There were multiple times where various people expressed appreciation for my effort and encouraged my practice. That feedback, and any correction of my mistakes to develop new habits, was invaluable. Overall, the experience reinforced my commitment to learning Tagalog and highlighted the importance of persistence to achieve greater fluency. |
|
