Known as the Pearl of the Orient Seas, the Philippines is a multilingual and multicultural archipelago nestled within Island Southeast Asia. Home to over 180 languages and diverse Indigenous and local communities, the Philippines is celebrated for its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Filipino and English are the country’s official languages, reflecting centuries of cultural exchanges and extensive regional and global networks.
At Yale, students can explore these linguistic and cultural connections through Filipino language courses, offered at Elementary (FLPN 1100/1200), Intermediate (FLPN 1300/1400) and Advanced levels (FLPN 1500). Undergraduate students from any field of study are welcome to enroll. Graduate students should consult their home departments to confirm eligibility for course credit.
Yale has played a significant role in advancing Philippine Studies, particularly in the areas of Austronesian Linguistics and Cultural Anthropology. Founding scholars of Southeast Asia Studies at Yale, such as Isidore Dyen and Harold Conklin, helped establish the university’s longstanding strength in this field.
Isidore Dyen (1914–2008), a renowned historical and comparative linguist, played a pivotal role in the classification and reconstruction of Austronesian languages, including those spoken in the Philippines.
Harold Conklin (1926–2016), a distinguished anthropologist, is renowned for his ethnographic research with Indigenous Cultural Communities, notably the Mangyans of Mindoro and the Ifugao of Northern Luzon.
For anyone interested in learning more about the Philippines or the broader Southeast Asian region, the Council on Southeast Asia Studies (CSEAS) at Yale offers a range of events, resources, and a welcoming community of students, faculty, and partners. We warmly encourage you to connect with the Council to explore opportunities for study, research, and collaboration.
Dr. Louward Allen Zubiri has been appointed as Lector in Filipino (Tagalog) with the Southeast Asia Studies Council and MacMillan Center. Dr. Zubiri earned his Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He has a rich background in teaching and research, with experience at institutions in the Philippines and North America, including the University of Hawaii and the University of Victoria in BC, Canada. Dr. Zubiri is recognized for his commitment to student-centered and community-based research, as well as his expertise in heritage language acquisition and multilingual multicultural education aimed at achieving meaningful learning outcomes. He will be leading the creation of Yale’s new program in Filipino/Tagalog language and Philippine Studies.