In the Philippines, Atticus did not speak much Tagalog as he was raised speaking English at home. He was a bit of a mimic when it came to watching TV; especially American TV programming, which made his Filipino accent virtually disappear. This got Atticus teased a lot in elementary school for finding it difficult to pronounce basic Tagalog words. When his family moved to the U.S., Atticus pleaded with his mother to constantly speak to him in Tagalog, so wouldn't forget his native tongue. Atticus speaks Tagalog much more in adulthood, living in the U.S., than he did in his childhood, while in the Philippines.
