An official language of the Philippines, Filipino is based on Tagalog, with elements of Spanish, English, and Chinese mixed in. The result is a rich, expressive language spoken in the Philippines and throughout the far-reaching Filipino diaspora.     Filipino Tapestry offers an innovative approach to learning language by emphasizing the critical intersection of language and culture. It provides activities and exercises that immerse beginning and intermediate students of Filipino in a variety of authentic situations to simulate an in-country experience. Starting with chapters on such topics as family, friends, and home, it then expands the student's world in chapters prompting conversation about food, shopping, parties, and pastimes. Its later chapters push learners to discuss city and country life, cultural traditions, religion, history, and politics.     Features include: •    background chapters on phonology, sentence construction, and common expressions •    photos and cultural notes about chapter themes •    grammar, reading, listening, and speaking exercises •    glossaries of words and additional expressions

Rhodalyne Gallo-Crail teaches Tagalog at Northern Illinois University and speaks the language natively. She is the creator and director of the Tagalog website sponsored by NIU's Center for Southeast Asian studies: http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/. Michael Hawkins, who learned Tagalog by immersion in the Philippines, is assistant professor of Asian history at Creighton University.