Speaking in Tagalog

I would often have a hard time trying to encourage my students to speak in English. When I ask them an analytical question, they shy away and close their leaves like a makahiya plant. At first, I find it difficult to understand why they cannot answer or at least try to answer in English.

It was quite a mystery until I myself experienced it.

We were having a faculty meeting one Friday during the preparations for the Linggo ng Wika. The Filipino teacher had a bright idea of conducting the whole meeting in Tagalog, and everyone agreed. While our Academic Coordinator tried to explain to us the Table of Specification for the exams, I wanted to ask her a question regarding the forumla. As I was just about to raise my hand, I suddenly pulled it back realizing that I cannot translate the question I formulated (naturally) in English into Tagalog!

So that's probably how my students feel when I ask them in English. They probably know how to answer the question in Tagalog, but they simply cannot translate it into English.

The problems of lack of reading in English and in Tagalog.