Understanding Factors Affecting the Use of English Writing Software in Indonesia

Technology has affected crucial changes in language learning. Notably, in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, technology has been regarded as beneficial for the improvement of English writing skills. However, there is not much attention given to the EFL students' needs for writing software to improve their writing. This study investigated the needs of Indonesian EFL tertiary students for writing software. The participants of this study were EFL students in one of the state universities in Malang City, East Java, Indonesia. Data were elicited by using a questionnaire which was adopted and modified from a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). The results showed that most of the participants use Microsoft Word more than other useful writing software. Mostly, they used writing software to check their spelling. There were so many benefits that students can get beside spelling checker feature. Moreover, the students believe that writing software can help them improve their performance in writing. This suggests that writing software designers should improve the software in terms of quality, feature variety, and practicality.