Any Tagalog language-learning tips???

@WannabePolyglot
Where are you at right now, what have you been able to complete so far in your studies? Filipino is tough, so be patient with yourself!

The reading, and music videos really made it easier for me to hear it.
Also doing flash cards for top 500 roots, has helped.

The reading, and music videos really made it easier for me to hear it.
Also doing flash cards for top 500 roots, has helped.

I use music as well, particularly helpful when I have the English translation for the song. This site has helpful learning tools and I am taking the course by the folks that wrote the Essential Tagalog Grammar reference book. I’ve taken other courses and this is one of the best. learningtagalog.com/ course/index.html

One thing I've learned though is if you can pick activities that you want to do, it's so much easier. The learning process then gets more enjoyable, this will allow you to learn more, you'll be more motivated to learn Tagalog and it's this great positive feedback cycle. I mention this specifically because I've seen too many people become demotivated in learning a language because they choose a method of learning that don't enjoy. When in reality, there are like 198,230,491,820,134 ways to learn a language and many are pretty effective (okay maybe not that many, but you get my point). Whether you choose a "speak from day one" method, "mass immersion via listening and reading" approach, jamming through grammar exercises, or something completely different, if you enjoy it and you're learning new stuff, it's probably not "wrong" to continue with what you're doing.

You won't really progress in Tagalog if you don't try to learn the grammar.To test, do you know the difference between "Kumain ako ng isda" and "Kinain ko ang isda"?

@Bituingmaykinang i ate fish vs i ate the fish ? both are very similar?

Are you familiar with the concept of verb focus? That's the core of the Tagalog grammar.There is a difference (in Tagalog) between Kumain ako and Kinain ko that don't exist in English.What did I do for lunch? Kumain ako.What did I do with the fish? Kinain ko.

*Native Tagalog speakers, please correct me if this is not always the case or if there is an error. (- _ -)The verbal affixes that indicate that the actor, doer, or the originator of the action is in focus are -um-, mag-, mang-, and ma-.*Use ang family pronouns with actor focus verbs: Ako, Siya, Sila, Tayo, Kami, Kayo, Ka / Ikaw, Ito, Yan, Yon, Si, SinoExamples:
(UM) verb
Inom (drink) = Root word
(UM)inom na ako ng gamot.
I already drank my medicine.Kain (eat) = Root word
K(UM)ain ako ng tinapay.
I ate bread. Apply same rule to basic/infinitive form.
P(UM)unta ka diyan (doon? roon?)!
You go there!Verbal affixes that indicate that the subject of the sentence is the object or goal of the action include the suffixes -in and -an and the prefix i-.*Use Ng Family pronous with object focus verbs: Ko, Nya, Nila, Natin, Namin, Mo, Nyo, Nito, Niyan, Niyon, Ni, NinaExamples:
(IN) verb
K(IN)ain ko ang tinapay.
I ate the bread.(IN)inom ni John ang tubig sa ref.
John drank the water in the refrigerator.