How One Tagalog Teacher Runs Aralin World: A Solo Teaching Model

I'm designing my life to be peaceful but simple. I'd like to live daily with a greater sense of purpose, and this is about nurturing myself, my family, and my community. This is what Aralin World could look like.

Aralin World is as much about language learning as it is about finding the real me. Even though Aralin World is known for 1:1 Tagalog coaching and bite sized online tutorials, I’d like to see it as a more profound relationship between myself and others, with you hopefully included.

Your Tagalog Teacher Weaves Her Love for the Language Into Her Relationships with Herself, Family, and the Community

Every day, I take a moment to think about what I’m doing and what I’d really like to do. These personal reflections are super important, and they help me successfully connect with family, friends, colleagues, and clients. I’ve come to understand that I can’t really separate teaching from other parts of my life, like family, my husband’s business, and all my other projects.

Today, I’m showing Aralin World as a ‘blank canvass’ full of endless possibilities for storytelling. Take a look at the diagram below to see how this world will shape our journey for the few months.

Aralin World is divided into three wonderful regions: Personal, Family, and Community. Yours truly, is at the heart of all these three regions. The intersection between the two distinct regions all touch on time, tools, and space.

Unlike many people, I'm in a good position to be working for myself. It means I have flexible work hours and I can focus thoughtfully and strategically. But, it can be a bit tricky when something threatening happens in any of the Aralin World regions. Since I’m the only one in my position, it’s easy to put extra time and attention on the menacing areas while putting another part of my world on hold, unfortunately. For example, I’m growing my own home garden because I need the good stuff from ampalaya (bitter gourd) and other fiber-rich veggies to help keep my LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in check. I’d love to have fresh produce right out of our yard, since the store-bought stuff often has all sorts of nasty chemicals, additives, and preservatives. Plus, gardening is a great way to get some exercise, lift things up, or soak up the sun. That’s why I tend to cut back on writing lessons or newsletters a bit when spring rolls around.

Who's the Unsung Hero Keeping Things Running Smoothly at Aralin World?

At Aralin World, there’s Bruce. Even though I’m the main character and the master artist here, I always give Bruce the credit. He’s always there for me and very supportive of what I’m doing. In this world, he’s like a solid rock… a monolith with enough space dedicated for me. That space lets me be myself! That’s where I can declare my wins and losses without worrying about imperfections or trying to be performative. I might have a tendency to come to him to vent about all my worries, but he’s always there to listen. He’s authentic. As a life partner, he's always reassuring, helping me brainstorm ideas and most of all, I learn a lot from him. I’m so grateful to have him in my life.

I'm the public face of Aralin World, but Bruce keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes. He’s got a knack for all sorts of technical stuff. When it comes to computers and the internet, I always turn to him for advice on picking the right hardware, connecting devices, or setting up lights and cameras so everyone can enjoy Aralin World. I also depend on him to install operating systems, especially those from the Linux family.

Aralin World: Teaching Tagalog with a Human Heart ♥️

For average people, they feel like work and life are constantly at odds, and that sets me apart from them. I don’t want to choose life over work, and I shouldn’t have to choose work over life either. I’d much rather enjoy life while working. Aralin World is designed to help me exist successfully with my personal, family, and community relationships.

I’m the heart of Aralin World, and I’m the only Tagalog teacher here. This world is small for now, so I’ll make do with what I have. After some reflection, I’ve mapped out the three building blocks of my world:

1. Lugar na Pangkatauhan (The Personal Region)
2. Lugar na Pampamilya (The Family Region)
3. Lugar na Pampamayanan (The Community Region)

I remain in these three "regions". Each has its own sub-regions which I refer to as "divisions", and I’ll be sharing more about this map in my future messages, using stories fused with Tagalog vocabulary building or quick tutorials. I will try to inspire you as I build Aralin World.

Are you an introspective person like me? Please share me your story, what does your world look like? I'm sending you +20 LPs (language points) if you can write it in Tagalog. 😉

Hanggáng sa mulî,

Albine

PS.

If you’re looking to improve your Tagalog skills, I offer a 1:1 coaching program tailored just for you! We can meet once a week, and I’m here to provide you with personalized feedback. Depending on how quickly you learn, you might reach the intermediate level in about 9 months. It’s a private program, so it comes with a bit of a price tag. But rest assured, there’s no risk because it’s 100% guaranteed. If you’re not satisfied with my service, I’ll refund your money within 90 days. Sign up here: Beginner Essentials Path.