Are you an OFW, locked away from the Philippines because of contracts or are rearing their families overseas? Here is a channel that you could access for free Tagalog lessons that are kid-friendly and fun.

It’s almost a year that travel bans and lockdowns are enforced. People don’t travel anymore unless it’s necessary. And a long-term effect of this would be travel, being a great teacher, may not be much of a help, experience-wise, for the time being. This leaves me worried for my kids losing touch of their Filipino side. So, I had to do something to at least keep them abreast of the language. Teach them Tagalog lessons.

Language, as key to effective communication

I have had major transitions and huge shifts, in terms of lifestyle, as I become an educator for kindies. While you may think it should be easy because it’s just little kids you have to deal with and it’s similar to how I have entertained the same crowd for 13 years at the happiest place on earth, it’s quite different when you don’t have the same mother language. As a Native English Teacher (NET), you had to find the simplest way of communicating, in which, one is PLAY. Still a basic thought. But here’s the challenge, you had to teach through online platforms. It was just almost impossible.

I was dealing with two challenges. Language barrier and presence. My students can see me, hear me, but we are not together in the same room in which I believe gives them a sense of security. Separation anxiety is quite common for kids who are starting to go to school. They find it hard to believe, no matter how much you try, that their parents will come back for them after Mommy, Daddy, Auntie, or Grandparents left them in school. So the best approach is to keep everything in schedule, keep learning strategies interesting and fun, and I guess, the hardest for most teachers is to stand as the second parent during those two hours that the ones they call so are not on sight.

Touch. A universal language for nurture and care.

The missing element in every online class is the most assuring for these young balls of energy. As they transition into realizing they are capable of going independent, they act out as a baby when they go anxious, feel hurt, or just simply having a bad day. In managing an online classroom, you cannot rely on anything except language.

As every educator may have their own strategy in enabling their students, I had an opportunity to see how my kids react to my own videos. Time and accessibility to education moved administrators to decide on making teaching resources available online through recorded videos and by filming lessons. And so, everybody had to instantly know how to use a green screen and special effects. I doubt that this is included in the education course, but then again, I may be wrong.

The point is, I saw how effective it was and was slowly seeing the benefits of online lessons being available whenever. And so, I transformed my frustration with travel bans to videos that could teach my kids how to speak in Tagalog. The very language that could serve them good later on being half-Filipinos.

Statistics that will tell you why you need to let your kid to watch these Tagalog lessons.

There are an estimated 2.2 million Overseas Filipino Workers from a period of April to September 2019. According to the 2019 Survey on Overseas Filipinos, 96.8 amongst these number have existing contracts which would mean, an indefinite time for staying away from the Philippines. And while budding families stay where the breadwinner of the family is assigned, these Filipino kids are more likely to adapt to a culture that is not their own.

So, I thought to share this channel of contents where your kids may learn as much Tagalog words in 5 minutes. Included in the videos would be tidbits about culture for sure such as why we use “po” and “opo”, and tips on how to pronounce the words properly so that they won’t be labelled different or ‘slang’ from their cousins.

Enjoy the first episode of the series of Tagalog Lessons.