Learn Cebuano
I am an English speaking expat currently living in Cebu actively trying to learn the local language. I have created this blog as a means of focusing my own study and to provide others interested in learning the language with a unique perspective of a foreigner slowly coming to terms with complexity of the language.
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Cebuano-Visayan Language

Offering Classroom & One-On-One Personalized Instruction

Learn Cebuano from a Cebuano / Visayan Language Expert
with over 20 years experience in language teaching

If you have tried to learn Cebuano from the available books and native speakers you know how difficult and frustrating it can be. The books can teach you to memorize phrases and enable to build a reasonable vocabulary but DO NOT teach you how to compose sentences.

Cebuano is a spoken language learnt from childhood and not studied in school, therefore, most native speakers will know what sounds correct but lack a grammatical understanding to be able to explain it to a non-Cebuano speaker. Even highly educated Cebuanos including teachers have difficulty teaching their language to a non-Ceubano.

Our Cebuano Language instruction provides the glue to put it all together in a way that is logical and easy to understand.

Sem teaching a class Cebuano
Sem teaching a class of students

We offer the following Learning Options:

Cebuano Online Learning

We are in the process of creating an online course with access to the instructor.

In the mean time we can provide the instruction provided in the 3 day personal instruction below with one weekly online chat (using Yahoo or Skype) to our instructor.

Cebuano Personal Instruction

One-On-One personalized instruction (for Expats or people staying for an extended period)

This is a 3 days a week program for those that want to learn to speak the language fluently.  This is the most popular and effective way of learning.  The material being taught is customized to your needs and learning is at your own pace.   Classes can be at your home or in our classroom.

The following is a guide of how training can be structured but as training is personalized and tailored to your needs the structure is very flexible:

Day 1Instruction & Grammar 1.5 hour

Day 2Drilling & Practice 1.5 hour

Day 3Review & Introduce new concept 1.5 hour

No charge for travel within Metro Cebu / Mactan

Three days a week is recommended but it can be varied on request.

Cost: P6000 Per Month

Cebuano Classroom Instruction

Cebuano for Beginners – For those with little or no understanding of the language

Learn the basics with others at the same level with 2 Sessions of 1.5 hours a week including one monthly field trip where we go out and apply what you have learnt in practical situations.

Cost: P2500 Per Month

(Minimum 5 enrollments for a class)

Cebuano Intensive/Fast Track learning program

for people who need to learn it fast or are only visiting the Philippines with limited time

Personalized teaching at your own pace at your home or in our classroom.

This is a 5 days a week intensive program for those that want to fast track their learning.

Day 1 - Instruction & Grammar 1.5 hour

Day 2Drilling & Practice 1.5 hour

Day 3Instruction & Grammar 1.5 hour

Day 4Drilling & Practice 1.5 hour

Day 5Field Practice 3 hours

No charge for travel within Metro Cebu / Mactan

Cost: P8000 Per Month

Genuine Translator / Tour guide services

Available on hourly or daily charge.

Payment Options

Cash is always best but we can accept all major credit cards (5% surcharge),  Paypal, bank transers, western union etc.

Contact the Cebuano-Visayan Language School

We are located in Cebu City.  We do not have our own building and conduct classes at various locations including function rooms and resturants.  We will be holding regular classes in the El Gecko Resto-bar starting in July 2008.

To contact the Cebuano-Visayan Language School please leave a message using the Leave a Reply facility below.

You can also call Sem directly on  0919-3502457

25 Responses to “Cebuano-Visayan Language”

  • jeff:

    I am interested in advanced Visayan training for Summer-time ‘09 with at least four hours of class per day for four weeks.

    Can I get an estimate of what that would cost (for my planning purposes)?

    I have a background in Visayan, kay nagpuyo ako sa Cebu ug Negros Oriental gikan ‘94 hangtud ‘96 pero dugay na man ana ug daghan na ang akong nalimtan!

    Thanks.

  • Joke:

    Dear,

    I’m a Belgium girl and next year i will go to the philippines. I want to learn Visayan.
    Is that possible with your school and do I have to reserve this in advance?

    Kindly regards
    Joke

  • Shaun Young:

    hi Their I am a Canadian 28 years old I just moved to cebu City may 5th 2008 to be with my wife who is filipino she wants me to learn to speak Visyan and also I want to learn so when I fly to Camigune I will know how to speak to her mom and dad cause when I am drinking with her dad and his friends they talk in cebuano and I feel stupid cause I cant understand them and when my mom flyies here from Canada to visit her family I can translate to her anyways could you contact me thank you

  • Aysid:

    can i request for the teachers no. so that i could call him when i’m going to study in the vacation time thank you

  • Jeffrey C. Dickenson:

    I am interested in the 3-day a week program. Prefer M, W, F at 11am (if timeslot available) at my condo in Cebu City.

    Here is my contact information:

    Jeff Dickenson
    Tancor Condo #4I
    Gen. Kim St., Villa Aurora Village
    Kasambagan, Cebu City 6000

    Located 1 kilometer behind Sarosa Hotel (Corner Pres. Quirino/Gen. Lim St.)

    Cell: 0916-710-7394

    ===================================================

    Cebuano Personal Instruction
    One-On-One personalized instruction (for Expats or people staying for an extended period)

    This is a 3 days a week program for those that want to learn to speak the language fluently. This is the most popular and effective way of learning. The material being taught is customized to your needs and learning is at your own pace. Classes can be at your home or in our classroom.

    The following is a guide of how training can be structured but as training is personalized and tailored to your needs the structure is very flexible:

    Day 1 – Instruction & Grammar 1.5 hour

    Day 2 – Drilling & Practice 1.5 hour

    Day 3 – Review & Introduce new concept 1.5 hour

    No charge for travel within Metro Cebu / Mactan

    Three days a week is recommended but it can be varied on request.

    Cost: P6000 Per Month

  • Celina:

    Dear Sem -

    I’m a Cebuana with an American boyfriend who is great with languages and is interested in learning Cebuano when we come back to Cebu in December. We will be there from about the 23rd Dec-15th Jan. He would like to do the 5-day intensive but because of the holidays, please let me know exactly how many days he could have lessons with you during this time. We will be staying in the center of town on Juana Osmena.

    Salamat, Celina

  • Raul Bertadillo:

    I am staying in Cebu for 5 months so I really need to take advantage and learn the language. I am doing business here so I really want to speak local language. I am interested in having 3 sessions per week. How can we arrange it?

  • james:

    let me know when you have online class available cebuano. Thank you

  • James Bennett:

    I am looking to purchase some tapes or what every to learn cebuana lanugage I speak english and want to learn the launguage of my fiancee,she is from bohol in the phillippines,can you tell me how much they are in USD I don’t completely know all about prsos yet,and thank you ,James Bennett bennejm7@yahoo.com and I would be paying via paypal

  • David:

    I live in Dumaguete and am trying to learn the language. I am interested in the online classes. If the structured online classes are not in place yet, I would like to find out more about spending live-time with an instructor on either Skype or Yahoo. Thanks for this site and for any help you can give me.

  • Jack:

    Wow, I’m “kaayo” excited to “pagsulti” speak Cebuano and glad I found your site. I just returned to the States from Cebu (Dec. 2008) and have been studying every day with my wife. It was amazing to read your comment about the difficulty of a native Cebuano to teach sentence structure, because I could not understand why she was not straight forward with simple placement of “and” “to” “is” etc… This is my first visit to your site and you seem to understand my dilemma. I’ll continue to visit and look forward to your personal e-mails in the future and “mo palit” your books for study on business investing in Cebu.

    “Dili Wala Kwarta!” “Na hurot na kwarta sa inum ug babayes!” Ha Ha, Just kidding! (For those that don’t understand, look it up and remember it when asked to buy something in the Philippines! You will laugh too…)

    Salamat, Jack

  • My comment in this website is very informative to those who wants to learn the native tribes dialect. Indeed so much Philippians or perhaps the new generation children if they need to learn from the native triban dialect is here to find it.

    However, I am in the process in updating the website http://www.phbisayaglobal.com
    and we will open a reasonable and new ways how to advertise reffer to some client
    by using the search engine.

    affordable advertisement is coming soon to all businesses across the globe, profit
    to a non-profit, private sector, etc..

    visit http://www.phbisayaglobal.com

    thanks
    see you soon!
    Rosemarie Reposar

  • Elizabeth:

    Dear Sem,

    I am an American married to a man originally from Cebu, and I’m interested in learning bisaya, especially now that we have a baby and we’d like him to speak bisaya too. Do you have information on when your online course might be available? I have been trying to piece together phrases from various websites and dictionaries, but I’d love to find a structured course. Many thanks for your time!

    Kind Regards,
    Elizabeth

  • Sten:

    Hello :-)

    I’m serious interested to take Cebuano lessons.

    The point is only this, I cant contact anybody because the posted cp number is offline.

    How can I contact with the Cebuano-Visayan Language School?

    Is there anybody who can help me to get in touch with this School?

    Thanks

    Sten

  • Brandon:

    Dear Sem.

    I will be in Manila from 14-26 June 09 from Sydney Australia, and would like to learn cebuano. Do you have any private tutor in Manila?

    Regards,

    Brandon

  • Nat:

    Hello. I was wondering if your online class offering is now available?

    I look forward to your reply.

    Many thanks,

    Nat

  • John:

    Greetings–

    I am a Texas interested in retiring to Cebu in the Philiippines. Thanks for creating this blog. In regards to the Cebuano classroom instruction, I would like more info on the physical location of the classroom and the length of time involved normally. (How many weeks or months on instruction are necessary for each level of Cebuano instruction.)

    Thank you.

    -John

  • Marts:

    Im interested in learning the language, lemme know what the particulars are. My mobile is 0932-2243054

  • ron:

    I live in Dumaguete and would like to learn visayan very well. I have a basic background in the language. Any on line lessons or maybe i could come to Cebu for 2 days a week.

    Thanks,

    Ron

  • Ger:

    is the language class still ongoing ?
    if so,i like to inquire about the schedule in october november 2009

  • George Adams:

    Hello,
    Are you still offering Calsses and in Home Tutoring…
    If you are please email me back.. I am retired and married here in Cebu. I live in Guadalupe..
    I have found it very hard to learn to speak Cebuano.. I know a few words and the people are so happy when I try to speak Cebuano..
    Thank you,
    George Adams

  • I was interested to find your site on Learn Cebuano, but having seen several typing errors as well as Filipino higala ko pointing out some mistakes in what you have written, it has underminded anyconfidence I would need if I use your material.

    Typing errors in English would not present a problem, but when they are Cebuano words, that is going to cause some confusion, which is not what we want when starting to learn a totally new language.

    For example, you say “Kaon is eat”, which I already knew, but when you add the prefix “mo” you typed mokanon, not mokaon…. These were in the first sentence on page 2 and as I do not have access to a Visaya to English Dictionary to check spellings, this could be damaging to my confidence in learning the correct spelling and even the pronounciation of words in Cebuano.

    Can you advise me that such mistakes would be corrected, as I like the idea of how you break down the sentences to aid in understanding the sentence construction in Visaya… Ihope you can help.

    O sige, amping kanunay

    John sa Wales….

  • admin:

    Fair comment and we are endeavouring to fix all typos. The original writer has disappeared on us and so we dropped the ball for a while. Please be patient as we will sort this out as soon as we can. Salamat

  • Nick Santos:

    Hey what’s up. I need to learn Bisaya and was VERY interested in starting lessons with you guys. It seems like you’re taking a different, more intensive approach and I think that is what I will need in order to learn quickly (as I am already living in Cebu). Please contact me, I would love to start ASAP. I am leaving for vacation in the States at the end of Feb. and was thinking about doing (since you split payments by month) one month in the classroom (FEB.) and then 2-3 mos. online (when I’m in the states). Please let me know if this is at all possible. I think your approach to teaching is very unique and exciting, thank you for offering this service. Have a good day.

    Nick Santos

  • Ashley:

    Hi, I am interested in starting Cebuano classes this month, perferably next week if possible. I’m not sure if I would like the 5-day a week or 3-day a week program yet. I am currently staying in Cebu till the end of July.
    Thank you!

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