The Measurement of Bilingualism of Students of English Language Education Study Program in a Public University

Abstract

This research aims to measure the bilingualism of the fourth semester students of English Language Education Study Program of Universitas Negeri Makassar and examine the effect of bilingualism on their academic studies. The research utilized mixed-method approach. questionnaire and interviews were used as the instruments to collect the data from the total of ten respondents. the findings revealed that the students have different language preferences for different context, with Indonesian being the more preferred language for doing activities such as watching TV/videos/DVDs, practicing sports, and religion. meanwhile, English and Indonesian were used equally when reading books. The result of the research also indicated that being bilingual had an advantage in academic studies, including better communication with people from different backgrounds. Being bilingual also helped the respondents in their English Studies, making it easier to understand English, communicate with international friends, and able to access information from various sources. The results of the research suggest that being bilingual is beneficial in both academic and social contexts.