Learn to speak Tagalog, also known as Filipino or Philippino language, to expand your business into an economy bursting with new business opportunities. The Philippines' telecom and fiber optic communications industries have increased by more than 700% since 1995, and exports exploded by more than 600%. A number of manufacturers such as Intel, Toshiba and Procter & Gamble have moved production or support operations to the island nation, which has strong US ties.
The availability of Filipino language instruction has grown with the country’s economy. Whether you are a small business looking to add to your customer base or a large business looking to expand operations, Tagalog language training can improve your bottom line.
1. Learn to speak Filipino to improve communication with clients and customers and avoid costly misunderstandings.
2. Learn to speak Tagalog to increase your chances of expanding your business opportunities in a growing economy.
3. Learn Tagalog to conduct after-hours social interactions, which play a key role in Filipino business culture, with clients and prospects.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Use free online Filipino language instruction and software
If you only need to master the basics to speak Tagalog for a business trip or to conduct a simple transaction, you can find basic Tagalog training software kits or online modules. This minimal cost and time investment may teach you to speak Tagalog well enough to close the deal at hand.
I recommend: Northern Illinois University’s Southeast Asian website provides a number of Tagalog language instruction modules to get you up to speed on language basics as well as Philippine business culture.
BYKI language software offers a free Filipino language training package with support for mobile devices. The free software can be upgraded for a nominal cost.
Purchase Tagalog language training courses
If you know you will be looking to develop an ongoing presence in the Philippines, or are looking forward to working with Philippine investors, pre-packaged professional training courses can take you well beyond the basics. Training courses ship with audio CDs and other training materials that you can access and review whenever you need.
I recommend: The
Pimsleur Tagalog course provides 30 audio lessons with support materials to immerse you immediately in Tagalog conversations.
Rosetta Stone offers beginning and intermediate Tagalog lessons along with quarterly online subscriptions to help you learn Tagalog and keep you in practice.
Enroll in Tagalog language classes for more personalized instruction and in-depth training
If you need to conduct business on a long-term or day-to-day basis, packaged language modules won't give you the fluency you need to learn Filipino. You will want to work with language instructors, onsite or online, who can tailor your lessons to meet your business' immediate needs.
I recommend: You may be able to find Tagalog classes in your area, but most likely you will need to contract with individual teachers. Search
Language-School-Teachers.com for Filipino language teachers who can keep in contact with video and chat links.
Berlitz is probably the best known languages school, and their corporate services package includes cultural consulting and onsite training.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Even though Tagalog is the official national language, business is usually conducted in English. You will probably be able to do business without mastering Tagalog if you aren't planning on establishing long-term business connections. Social conversation may be conducted in a mixture of Tagalog, English, Spanish and even various Chinese dialects.
The official source of Tagalog Language Training is
the Tagalog Language Training page at Business.com
Related Resources from Business.com
Comments
Is any content on this page inappropriate? To let us know, please 