LEARNING TAGALOG WITH KAYLA Film Review — A Humorous Language Lesson

Posted on by Breanna Henry

“Mabuhay,” she greets us. Her name is Kayla, and she says she will be the teacher for this course. She establishes herself as a professor, but there are no books, or desks, or students. Just her and a blank blue wall behind her. We are the students. It’s like an online class, very Zoom-esque, which is no stranger to the ordinary student in 2021. She gives us a rundown on how this class will go; she will teach us lesson one, conversational phrases, and common expressions. We are ready to go, anticipating learning how people speak in the Philippines.

She goes through the expressions smoothly, pausing before she says the next word so it sinks in. She says the word, and the translation pops up at the bottom as captions. She waits for three seconds in awkward silence, staring blankly at us and blinking profusely. She keeps the same pattern, “hello,” “good afternoon.” She then translates “how are you,” and to that answers “Okay lang,” meaning “I’m fine.” Now things get weird. She says it again, but not so convincingly. The music suddenly changes and the class lesson takes a turn as we venture through what’s really on her mind. 

LEARNING TAGALOG WITH KAYLA Shows Comedic Awkwardness

Galang’s funny short turns from a basic teacher translating phrases to releasing her frustrating yet hilarious experiences, like giving up baking, hating exercise, cat trouble, video gaming, and trying to share a bathroom with two other roommates. We get to see the inner-workings of her life all in Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines, so it’s both entertaining and educational.

Learning Tagalog With Kayla is a four-minute short film that does a lot with the time it has. It’s great for people who are curious about a different language but don’t want to learn it through a traditional educational experience. Although this short film is not a substitute for learning a language, It’s an amusing introduction.

 

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CAST:

Kayla Abuda Galang, the teacher
David Oconer, Roommate 1
Will Kurzner, Roommate 2

CREATIVE TEAM:

Writer/Director/Editor: Kayla Abuda Galang
Translator: Leslie Diaz Abuda
Music: Will Kurzner

Find out more about the film on Kayla Galang’s website

Images courtesy of LEARNING TAGALOG WITH KAYLA

 

Breanna Henry

About the Author: Breanna Henry

Almost 10 years ago Breanna sat in her tiny room she shared with her younger sister in Houston, Texas writing songs, stories, and poems on the rough carpet. She mimicked songs she heard on the radio and imitated books she's read from the Scholastic Book Fair. By fifth grade, she knew creative writing would soon be her passion. Now a sophomore at Loyola University New Orleans, she has published works on her university's newspaper, literary journal, and on her own blog. When she's not writing and working towards her Mass Communication and English Writing degree, she's watching Criminal Minds re-runs, doing photoshoots with friends, and dancing wildly in her dorm room while music blasts through her speakers.

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