Five Ways You Can Help Your Kids Learn And Love The Filipino Language

If you are like most dads in the Philippines whose kids are exposed to English at home, in school, and with the media they consume online, chances are, English has become their first language and you are having a hard time helping them learn Filipino. And most likely, you are also anxious about how they will do in their Filipino subjects in school. Don’t fret though, because there are things you can do to help them gain an appreciation of the Filipino language that can encourage them to learn and use it.

1. Speak Filipino at home

What our kids see and hear from us, they copy. This means that the best way for them to learn Filipino is when they hear it from us at home. As much as you can, speak in Filipino at home, translate the English words they know to Filipino, and practice using the words with them. In addition to this, you may also have to ask Yaya and other members of the family at home to start speaking in Filipino to your child. Giving words of encouragement and praising them for trying can also go a long way in making them want to learn Filipino. By setting an example for them to follow and “rewarding” them for speaking in Filipino, it will make it easier for them to learn and be encouraged to speak Filipino at home. 

2. Expose them to Filipino books and other reading materials

If your children love to read books, you can also start giving them books written in Filipino. At the start, you may have to translate all the words and the sentences in the book but soon enough when they get used to it, you will be translating fewer and fewer words for every book and eventually, they will be able to read Filipino books on their own. If they also enjoy being read bedtime stories, you can start reading them Filipino books. Fortunately, there is a wealth of Filipino storybooks you can use that you can get from local bookstores. And once they are able to read books in Filipino, it would also be a good idea for you to ask them to be the ones to read for you for a change. 

3. Make them watch videos, performances, and shows in Filipino 

In this age of online videos and social media, one of the best ways to teach our children a new skill is to expose them to videos that can help them learn it. To help them with their Filipino, you can start by exposing them to online videos that use the language and to help them understand what is going on. You can also bring them to the theater to watch plays and performances in Filipino so they will see the language used in real-time. You can also expose them to songs and poetry spoken and written in Filipino so they can also see how beautiful the language is by hearing them used in different art forms. After they listen to a song, poem, or performance, you can also talk to them about how they felt about it and discuss with them how they too can use Filipino to express their feelings and opinions. 

4. Expose them to other kids who speak Filipino

Apart from their parents, children also mimic what they see from other kids. By exposing them to kids who speak Filipino through playdates or during family occasions, your children will be encouraged to also learn Filipino because there is an incentive for them to understand what their playmates are saying. In addition to this, they can also build their confidence in speaking in Filipino with their peers without the pressure they may feel with adults. As a parent, your role is to encourage them not to give up when they get frustrated when they do not understand what they are hearing and to keep them motivated to keep trying. 

5. Get a tutor if needed

Seeking help from a professional can also be of great help in encouraging your kids to learn Filipino. A tutor who is an expert in teaching the language can teach your children both the theories and discipline in learning the language and he or she can guide your kids throughout their language journey. You may also want to reach out to your children’s teachers so they can give the appropriate attention your kids will need to help them understand and speak in Filipino. By having a tutor and their teachers as partners, it becomes a collective effort that will increase the chances of your kids having an appreciation of the Filipino language. 

Helping our children have an appreciation of the Filipino language should not start and stop during Buwan ng Wika. Filipino is such a beautiful language and there is much our kids can gain from learning and using it in their daily lives. Fortunately, there are things we can do as parents to help them appreciate Filipino. If we put in the work and partner with our children’s educators to help our kids navigate and learn Filipino, we are not only empowering and helping them to be better communicators but we are also teaching them to have an appreciation of their Filipino heritage and culture.

JR Santiago is the founder of DADVOCACY COMMUNITY, an advocacy on Facebook and Instagram that encourages and inspires Dads to be more involved parents. The community features Dads and give advice about the joys of involved parenting. In DADVOCACY COMMUNITY, they believe that Involved Fathers = Happier Children. He is also a co-founder of an online FB Group for dads by dads called DAD TRIBE PH, a safe and no-judgement zone where dads can talk about the joys and challenges of fatherhood. 

JR believes that dads don’t babysit. They parent.