I've decided attempting a Thai language ban on my students while they are in my classroom. Objections have been duly noted, but I am convinced that it is the proper way to go. A large part of the Thai I have learned so far comes from them repeating the phrases, "I don't know" and "What the hell is he trying to say to me" (loose translation), so I've taught them the difference in "I don't know" and "I don't understand". It is a starting point for science and a positive step in making me understand what is getting through to them.

My other ESL experience was at a private academy in South Korea, where our rules were no Korean once they entered the building. Those kids started out at a more advanced level, but from what I've seen the degree of mixing languages is greater here than it was there. Korean + English = Konglish because of many technological words they used like handupone (meaning hand phone or cell phone) and aerocon (meaning air conditioner, which is present in a few languages I think), but here they do that and then some. I've noticed that if you talk to my kids for any period of time, they start to use Thai, which happens naturally of course, but I think the teaching style here of learning English while using your native language exacerbates that.

It's also quite difficult to teach science because I have very little contact with the Thai science teachers and no access to facilities or materials. The fact that I've been told laboratories are there but I've never been shown them only makes it worse. I did get to jump up on a desk today while teaching about gravity, though.