How Do You Talk To Your Girl When She Has Limited English ?

[OldUgly&Cranky]

what do you do to get your girl to talk more when her english is limited ? i really care about my girl but sometimes i get bored when were talking coz its short messages ok hon or things like that !! i try to be as understanding as i can but it can get a little fustrating , it seems i always have to bring up a subject or topic for us to try and talk about ! it can be a bit challenging at times , my girl is shy about her english skills but i always reasure her that shes good at it and im proud of her !! have any of you had this same issue and if so how did you manage to overcome it , i know learning the launguage will help but since im not there i find it hard to do that we talked about me learning some when im there , but for the meantime we have to make due , any ideas you have would be great thanks all

 

O-U-C :thumbsup:

[intrepid]

Keep an English/Tagalog dictionary handy.  My wife is pretty good but some times there are words you just need that are not used very often.

[Thomas]

my girl is shy about her english

Many Filipinos can speak/write much more understandable English than they believe themselves... 

And I believe of it is a fear of "lose face".

Often it's a question of self asteem. most Filipinos are GOOD enough in English.

 

When I have got stucked in conversation with some Filipino, when they say they can't tell it in English, then I have said they can tell it in Tagalog/Cebuano. Then I try to figuere out what they mean with my very limited knowledge in these languages assisted by a bad translator, so it become more as solving ciphers  :)   After that I write back asking if they ment what I thought.

[bows00]

It takes two to communicate. And since I am the one moving to the Philippines, it would be up to me learn their language, otherwise I will be left out on the interesting conversations that takes place with my significant other and I will be living a life on the outside of her circle of friends and family.

Whew, it's going to take a lot of work and perseverance.

[Gratefuled]

Most Filipinos are not fluent in English. Even the educated ones resort back to what they call Taglish. You see it on television, you even read it in newspapers. 

While watching the Corona Trial I was amused at how some senators would switch from English to Tagalog during their speech.

My wife is educated but what I find difficult to understand is her accent. She is Visayan and I have to ask her to repeat herself. At first, she thought I was hard of hearing until I confessed, it was her accent. I didn't want to tell her before for fear of hurting her feelings.

We have seperate television sets. She watches her programs and the news in Tagalog. I only watch English channels. 

[Dave Hounddriver]

I cannot really relate to the comments here as every long term girl friend I have had has been fluent in English. It would be a deal breaker for me if she could not understand English as the reason I chose Philippines to retire is: 

The present constitution, ratified in 1987, designates Filipino and English as joint official languages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_the_Philippines

[chris49]

what do you do to get your girl to talk more when her english is limited ? i really care about my girl but sometimes i get bored when were talking coz its short messages ok hon or things like that !! i try to be as understanding as i can but it can get a little fustrating , it seems i always have to bring up a subject or topic for us to try and talk about ! it can be a bit challenging at times , my girl is shy about her english skills but i always reasure her that shes good at it and im proud of her !! have any of you had this same issue and if so how did you manage to overcome it , i know learning the launguage will help but since im not there i find it hard to do that we talked about me learning some when im there , but for the meantime we have to make due , any ideas you have would be great thanks all

 

O-U-C :thumbsup:

 

When you are here, when you and her start spending 24 hours together, she will pick up very quickly. And you will pick up some Tagalog, but her progress will be quicker.

 

My wife is a typical Filipino HS grad., she had some good comprehension, but her speaking skills were lacking. Naturally she spoke her preferred Ilocano, Tagalog and English as her 3rd language. After 4 years together her English has picked up, but definitely I will still correct her now and then and she will adapt to the correction quickly. And vice versa I speak some Tagalog and a few limited words of Ilocano.

 

Mate, don't be too hard on the girl here, she will pick up. On the other hand if you get a college grad., pretty, fluent English, she might not be into online relationships, consider that also.

[Methersgate]

My ex wife of 17 years achieved a level at which she could make herself understood, and never really bothered much beyond that.

We were living outside the Philippines for most of that time.

[Jack Peterson]

 Can't see it should bother you much, When  you marry or live together, They always seem to revert back to their own language anyway,  it is like  English sometimes is the bait. :rolleyes:  and you the catch  :dance:

 

JP :tiphat:

[scott h]

They always seem to revert back to their own language anyway

 

Your not Joking Jack. My wife is a Philippine University graduate, worked for the Department of tourism here before we married 22 years ago, moved to the states 20 years ago, worked at the Base Exchange, then was a United States Federal employee with TSA for 12 years so you think she would be fluent and she WAS.

 

Well retire and move here 2 plus years ago and sometimes its like she never learned it :hystery: . Fumbles around, slaps here leg trying to remember words. Its not fair I tells you :1 (103): . :th_unfair: