No Tagalog on Duolingo? Try these alternatives

I often think about going to the Philippines on a vacation. And like any other person who loves to travel and learn about new cultures. I also like to know a word or two on the language of the people that are living in the country I am visiting.

I heard that language learning apps can help me with that. So, I did some research and find out that Duolingo is one of the most popular in that field and decided to try it and see for myself is it really good tool the language learning.

I was very disappointed when find out that there is No Tagalog on Duolingo. So I decided to look into this a bit more.

Why There Is No Tagalog on Duolingo?

I think this is a fair question. I mean, there are many people who want to learn the basics of Tagalog before going on a vacation in the Philippines. So why does Duolingo not offer Tagalog as an option to learn for native English speakers?

Maybe they think that the majority of Filipino people speak English at least at a conversational level so you don’t need to learn Tagalog. However, this doesn’t take anything away from the importance of learning Tagalog. For people who didn’t grow up learning English, it’s very possible that you won’t be able to communicate with them in the slightest.

Another thought that crossed my mind was that maybe they think Tagalog is too difficult to learn. When you listen to Tagalog, it probably doesn’t give the impression of being a particularly easy language. Truth is, learning how to speak Tagalog fluently is much, much easier than it sounds, even for complete beginners.

Modern Tagalog is based on the Latin alphabet so that couldn’t be a reason why there is no Tagalog on Duolingo. This means that all you have to do is sound out the words as you read them as you would in English or any Romance languages.

What Are The Alternatives To Duolingo?

I am glad you asked. There is one very obvious recommendation that can be made here, and that is the Ling Tagalog app. Ling uses native Tagalog speakers to help you learn Tagalog, just like it will sound in the country.

Through the gamification of learning, it also makes the whole process much more engaging. You can see yourself progress as you make your way through the different topics and tests that come along with it.

Then there is the chatbot feature that simulates conversations and makes for great practicing your Tagalog language skills. For an introvert like me, it helps to build up my courage to eventually feel confident enough to use it when out and about.

While these mobile apps do share a common goal of making language learning fun and accessible, what sets Ling apart is the focus on practical vocabulary, sentences, and phrases that you will use in everyday speech.

Other Resources

There are quite a few different apps and websites that work great with helping you to learn Tagalog. Each one goes about its own way to replace the hole made by the lack of Tagalog in Duolingo. Ultimately, it is a case of finding which option works best for your case.

Like we said before, it is good to make a language learning plan and mix things up if you are serious about learning Tagalog. If you are just looking for a more casual experience to learn a few phrases before traveling, then apps like Ling Tagalog app might be the best option for you.