Yale offers Filipino language courses for first time
Photo from visitorcenter.yale.edu
Tagalog has officially found a place in the classrooms of Yale University.
This fall, the Ivy League school rolled out its first-ever Filipino language courses, marking a historic step in the university’s efforts to expand linguistic and cultural representation on campus.
The move comes nearly a year after Yale announced plans to add Tagalog to its curriculum. The announcement was celebrated by the Yale student organization, Kasama, which spearheaded the campaign through its initiative called “Tagalog @ Yale.”
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Kasama
For members of Kasama, the success of this project reflects not only their commitment to their heritage but also the growing recognition of Tagalog, the fourth most spoken language in the United States.
“Filipino courses have begun! We are excited and honored to have a new language as part of the CLS family,” Yale’s Center for Language Studies declared as it welcomed Tagalog into its program lineup.
Students now have the opportunity to enroll in Elementary Filipino I and Intermediate Filipino I, both of which officially began this semester.
Photo from yale/Instagram
Student advocacy
The road to making this a reality was paved by strong student advocacy. According to the Yale News, the campaign included a petition that gathered more than 380 signatures, an open letter of support co-signed by the Yale College Council Senate and a series of consultations with both the Center for Language Studies and the Council on Southeast Asia Studies.
Before this milestone, those interested in learning Tagalog had only one path: the Directed Independent Language Study (DILS) program. Unlike formal courses, DILS paired learners with language partners but offered no professor-led instruction or course credits.
By moving beyond DILS and institutionalizing Tagalog as part of Yale’s academic offerings, students now gain access to structured classes with credit recognition.
With the launch of Tagalog courses, Yale joins a growing number of universities in the US recognizing the importance of the Filipino language and its community of speakers.
