Exploring Supports and Technology Available for Indonesian Urban Students in Learning English

Statistics report that English is the most widely used language around the globe, with more than 1.5 billion speakers. In the Indonesian context, English is primarily used by populations of Indonesian major cities. Compared to the rural areas, urban areas in Indonesia are generally populated by middle-class families that receive more exposure to English and technology and have better infrastructures. Middle-class Indonesians have the option to go to international schools that offer EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) and CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning). For these students, fluency in English is almost like an automation. This paper aims to discover the support Jakarta residents have in learning English with the consideration of technology as a tool to support learning and translingualism perspectives. The method used to gather the data for this paper was qualitative through Google Forms and interviews with nine respondents. The findings showed that being in an international school and regularly using technologies like online games, YouTube, and films have immensely supported their English proficiency. Aside from that, the use of translingualism and students’ motivations and aspirations for language acquisition affected their language proficiency. By exploring the supports and technology tools used by the students in urban areas, it is expected that this study will be useful for decision-makers in meeting the educational needs of students in rural areas, particularly those facing technology and infrastructure limitations. The outcomes are expected to serve as a valuable resource for enhancing educational opportunities and equitable access in underserved regions.