Conversational Tagalog class for adults

The Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (Fahsi) offers anew its 12-week course in New York on Conversational Tagalog Level II: Kaibigan, Mag-Usap Uli Tayo ng Tagalog, (Friend, Let’s Converse Once More in Tagalog). Starting January 24 until April 18, the classes will meet every Wednesday night, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is an intermediate-level conversation course that will provide college students, recent graduates and professionals lessons on every day vocabulary. A pre-requisite of this course is a basic level of reading and speaking Tagalog. This course will continue to stress situation-oriented, practical approaches, while at the same time further acquainting the student with the contemporary Philippine scene, whether in the arts or politics. There will be screening of videotapes of Tagalog films and/or documentaries, as well as listening to some audiotapes (songs, etc.). This course has been brought back after many requests since its last cycle that ran from September to December of 2005. Former student, Lara Manjares, says that the class was an “enriching" experience. “I still use what I have learned from that class today. We learned a lot about the Filipino language, culture and each other’s experiences as a Filipino American", she says. The course will be conducted by Luis H. Francia, author of the semi-autobiographical Eye of the Fish: A Personal Archipelago (Kaya Press, 2001), and co-editor of Vestiges of War: The Philippine-American War and the Aftermath of an Imperial Dream 1899-1999 (New York University Press, 2002). His latest poetry collection Museum of Absences was Published in 2004. He teaches Pilipino Language and Culture at New York University’s Asian Pacific American Studies Program.