Communication Matters more than Perfection: Grammar Police in Indonesia

Gede Putrawan, Monash University

With the rise of social media, we can now see how people use English in different contexts. Along with this visibility comes a wave of grammarians in Indonesia, giving judgmental critiques on others’ use of English. These grammar police officers seem more focused on shaming and discouraging rather than educating.

Like what I saw today. While I was scrolling through TikTok, I came across these grammar cops stitching together specific moments from other people’s clips.

In one clip, a celebrity said:

“I’m trying…”.

It’s a perfectly normal English phrase! But in the words of a self-proclaimed grammar expert:

“Stop bilang ‘I’m trying!’ Coba pake ini: I’m doing my best, I’m making an effort, and I’m working on it!” (Stop saying ‘I’m trying! Instead, use: I’m doing my best, I’m making an effort, and I’m working on it!).

Since when did “I’m trying” become unacceptable? Instead of educating, this kind of nit-picking is mostly about showing off a so-called superior understanding of English. I saw the same thing in a video from another creator. 

A vlogger visiting Malaysia said:

“When people Indonesia come to Malaysia”.

A grammar expert immediately jumped in and corrected her:

“Bukan begitu, harusnya when Indonesian people come to Malaysia” (That’s wrong! It should be ‘when Indonesian people come to Malaysia’).

The vlogger then continued:

“Makan malam ke Street Alor”.

And the grammar cop responded again:

“Bukan Street Alor, harusnya Alor Street” (Not ‘Street Alor’, but ‘Alor Street’!)

He didn’t stop there:

“Dan satu lagi, bukan ‘do you speak Bahasa?’, tapi ‘do you speak Indonesian?" (One more thing, it’s not ‘do you speak Bahasa?’ but ‘do you speak Indonesian?’)

He concluded with:

“Udah jangan ngeyel, pakai aja!” (Don’t be stubborn, just use it!).

While some TikTok users agree with these critiques, others disagree, as reflected in the comments on their content videos. I came across another creator that rejected this type of grammar policing. In his video, he read aloud a phrase on the back of a truck: 

“Get out my face”.

He then said:

“Harusnya get out of my face kan? Huweek” (Shouldn’t it be ‘get out of my face’? Urghhh)

And added:

“I love broken English, I love Jakartan English, I love Javanese English.”

I enjoyed his initial sarcasm, his “huweek”. I am aware that this way of mocking doesn’t contribute to meaningful dialogue. But it’s important to take issue with too much grammar policing.

As another creator emphasized: 

“Orang yang kalo ngomong bahasa Inggris terlalu banyak mikir grammar, jadinya ngga jadi ngomong” (Those who overthink grammar when using English end up not speaking at all)

This statement highlights the tension between perfection and communication. He puts emphasis that obsessing over grammar can lead to hesitation or silence. This message is a reminder that overthinking grammar can hinder communication. Meaning should take priority over perfection. 

Let’s be real!

Learning is a journey. Pointing out every tiny “error” in a toxic way is discouraging. Grammar-shaming only adds stress to learners (viewers), and can make them hesitate to speak.

Interestingly, some other creators have embraced this trend of grammar policing as a fun opportunity, intentionally using English mistakes in a playful way or creatively mixing Bahasa and English. For example, I saw one scene where a man was attempting to rob a couple:

Robber: You're money or you're life! 

Couple: What?

Robber: I said, you are money or you are life! 

Couple: It's supposed to be ‘your money or your life’, not ‘you're’ sir. 

Robber: I'm sorry, I still learning.

This playful approach can be extended to the classroom context, where teachers can encourage students to turn mistakes into fun activities. This eventually promotes language awareness (both within one language and across languages) in a fun way, where making mistakes is seen as valuable part of the learning process.

In the end, language is about connecting, not just correcting! Our goal is communication, not perfection.