Language-Instruction, Code-Switching, and Code-Mixing in Digital Learning at The Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the choice of medium of instruction, code-switching, code-mixing, level of formality, and language appropriateness relative to learners’ proficiency levels in online Indonesian Language for Foreign Speakers (ILFS) classes at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C. The study employs a descriptive qualitative approach, with data sources including two Zoom recordings of beginner-level classes, the speech of two instructors, learner responses, observation results, online interviews, and documentation. Data were collected through note-taking, observation, and interviews, then analyzed using the interactive model by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana, which encompasses data collection, condensation, presentation, and verification. The results indicate that instructors in the teenage class predominantly used English as the medium of instruction in an informal register, whereas instructors in the adult class predominantly used Indonesian in a formal register. These differences are related to the learners’ age, communicative needs, and level of linguistic readiness. Code-switching and code-mixing emerged as communicative strategies to provide clarification, translate language elements that were not yet understood, reinforce meaning, maintain the continuity of interaction, and reduce ambiguity. The use of repetition, clear intonation, gestures, and the insertion of English language elements also support comprehension of speech. The findings also show that listening and speaking skills develop more prominently than reading and writing. Linguistically, these findings confirm that code-switching and code-mixing are not deviations but rather mechanisms for negotiating meaning that reflect the relationship between language choice, context, and learners’ communicative competence. Thus, code selection in online ILFS learning is contextual, adaptive, and influenced by speaker characteristics, communicative goals, and the interaction situation.