Why not learn Tagalog? If you are a Peace Corps volunteer, a Subic Naval Base ex-soldier, or a surfer from California and in need of a good break, you would surely love the fine sand beaches of the Philippines and the huge waves during stormy season. But most of all you will love the people’s hospitality. These are only a few reasons for you to be in the Philippines and be able to speak a language that is spoken by many people around the country: its native tongue in fact: Tagalog.

Now going back to the ex-soldier and Pace Corps volunteers, these are two of the major reasons for foreign men to come by the Pearl of the Orient as it is fondly called. Of course that comes second to the primary reason why aged men frequent the country if not totally embrace it as their second home: the great domesticated Filipina wives.

The Philippines however is not purely about beaches and women and cheap food and everything, particularly for Americans and Europeans as well. It is a country that has survived the conquest and domination of many strong countries such as Spain for almost 300 years, the Americans, and the Japanese. It’s a reason why at some point in history the country has been touted as a country without a soul.

It wasn’t until the historical period of the 1980’s when political strife ended as democracy was restored through a phenomenon called people power which was never known anywhere else. It happened when close to 1.5 million people marched the streets and stopped what could be a military junta from taking control of the government from the hands of a twenty-year ruling dictator. If there’s anything enigmatic about the Philippines, it is its people. They can thrive anywhere in the world and make it their own by putting a little slice of themselves in everything without really showing a strong opposition or hesitation.

The country is also rich in natural resources and it has become a favorite source of many Asian tiger economies as well as the favorite vacation spot of some well traveled western men. The Philippines may be known for many artists that have come to conquer the world even Hollywood and Broadway and Cannes but the world is yet to discover the profundity and depth of Filipino literary writers.

So there you have all the significant reasons to learn Tagalog, the native tongue of the Philippine Islands. And for those who haven’t heard of this country’s existence, you better get out of your country and discover the world now. As for the serious student of the language, you better get yourself a Pimsleur Tagalog audio language learning program which you can listen on your iPod as you do your daily routine. You can get a copy of it from The Talking Book Store.