“Gue belum baca full sih, but I get the gist.”
“Iya, kayaknya dia lagi not in the mood aja deh.”

If you’ve spent even a day hanging around a university campus in Indonesia—especially in Jakarta or other major cities—you’ve probably heard these kinds of mixed-language sentences. For many students, speaking like this is second nature. They effortlessly slide between Indonesian and English in the middle of a sentence, sometimes even in a single clause. It’s not a joke. It’s not a mistake. It’s a linguistic habit that has grown into a cultural norm.

What Is Code-Switching?

Code-switching is the practice of shifting between two or more languages or language varieties in a single conversation, sentence, or phrase. It is most commonly observed in bilingual or multilingual communities. It doesn’t just occur at random—it often happens for a reason, whether for clarity, emphasis, social bonding, or simply because a word in one language fits better than the other.

In Indonesia, where English is taught from early education and heavily featured in media and academia, it’s not surprising that many young people grow up being comfortable in both languages. Over time, they don’t just translate—they combine.

A student might say, “Gue belum submit tugasnya ke dosen,” instead of “Saya belum menyerahkan tugas kepada dosen.” The meaning is the same, but the tone and context feel different—more modern, more casual, and more relevant to their academic environment.

Why Do Students Speak This Way?

Academic Exposure to English

Many university programs, especially in science, business, and humanities, rely heavily on English textbooks, journal articles, and online resources. Students read English, write English, and sometimes even attend lectures in English. Naturally, the academic terms they encounter become embedded in their everyday vocabulary.

Influence of Pop Culture and the Internet

Modern students are digital natives. They consume content from Netflix, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram daily—most of which is in English. These words become part of their speaking habits, woven seamlessly into everyday Indonesian.

Efficiency and Expression

Sometimes, English just feels more efficient—or more expressive. Saying ‘relatable’ is shorter and more emotionally precise than its Indonesian equivalents.

Identity and Social Belonging

Students who mix languages may be signaling their identity as part of a certain group: young, educated, urban, global. Speaking a mix of English and Indonesian creates a sense of community.

Is It a Problem?

Some people argue that mixing languages like this weakens one’s command of either language, especially the mother tongue. But this fear might be overstated. In fact, linguistic research shows that code-switching is often a sign of linguistic agility, not deficiency.

What really matters is context. Speaking this way among friends is perfectly fine. But in formal settings—like presentations, academic writing, or job applications—students need to know when to use one language consistently and professionally.

Code-Switching in Other Cultures

Indonesia is not alone. Code-switching is common in many multilingual societies. In Malaysia, people regularly switch between English and Malay. In the Philippines, Taglish is everywhere. In the United States, Spanglish is commonly heard among Latino communities.

These examples show that language adapts to social realities. People don’t speak to follow grammar rules—they speak to connect.

What Can Educators and Institutions Do?

Rather than trying to eliminate code-switching, educators and universities should focus on teaching language awareness. Students should be encouraged to speak naturally in informal settings, but also trained to recognize formal vs informal contexts.

Code-switching should be seen as a resource, not a liability. It shows that students are engaging with language actively, not passively.

Final Reflections: Language is a Mirror of Culture

If language is a mirror of society, then code-switching reflects exactly where we are: a generation raised on the internet, educated in multiple languages, and living in a globalized world. The way students speak tells us not just what they know, but who they are—and who they are becoming.

Mixing English and Indonesian in a sentence is not a mistake. It’s not laziness. It’s a modern form of linguistic identity.

And maybe, instead of asking “Why do students talk like this?”, we should start asking “What does their language say about our world today?”

Editor’s Note:
This article aims to explore the cultural and linguistic implications of code-switching among Indonesian university students. It invites readers to reconsider how language mixing reflects a deeper social and generational shift, rather than viewing it solely as a linguistic problem.

Writer: Fairisya Nur Rahmah