INTRODUCTION
With more than 700 languages spoken across its 17,000 islands, Indonesia can boast its linguistic diversity and be ranked among the most linguistically diverse countries on the face of the earth. In this respect, 88% of Indonesians speak Bahasa Indonesia as the national language but concurrently use regional dialects, with growing interest in learning English for higher education and professional development.
Language is a medium for expression and sharing of ideas, feelings, and knowledge. Interaction among diversities of language within Indonesian higher education has developed a socio-linguistic phenomenon. Therefore, two varieties of language practices have been recorded as follows:
1. Code switching: 'Switching' at sentence boundaries.
2. Code mixing: The mixing of different linguistic varieties within one sentence.
More and more Indonesian higher education uses, besides Bahasa Indonesia, English as an additional language of instruction. Students commonly engage with both linguistic practices too, so the local languages, Bahasa Indonesia and English are put in a complicated position regarding language contact in the educational setting.
Demographically, issues that can have more substantial implications for Indonesian students' language use include:
-geographic location, urban versus rural settings
-socio-economic status
-prior experiences of English education
-family linguistic background
