Exploring Students' Perception of Google Translate as a Translation Media on Translation Accuracy: A Case Study of English Department Students at Universitas Sembilanbelas November Kolaka

Abstract

This research aimed to explore students' perceptions of Google Translate as a translation media and to examine how they evaluate the accuracy of its translation results in academic contexts. The study focused on two objectives: identifying students' perception of Google Translate as a translation tool in academic settings, and determining the perceived accuracy of the translation results it produces. A qualitative case study design was employed, involving students from the English Education Study Program at Universitas Sembilanbelas November Kolaka who had experience using Google Translate for academic tasks. Data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that students generally perceive Google Translate as practical, easy to access, and helpful for understanding academic texts more quickly. Students often use it to translate long passages, academic articles, and assignments. However, despite its usefulness, concerns were raised about the accuracy of vocabulary, grammar, and contextual meaning. Many students still feel the need to cross-check the results using dictionaries, other sources, or by asking lecturers. The study concludes that while students view Google Translate as a valuable aid for academic translation, they remain cautious about its limitations and continue to apply critical thinking when using it.