ISSN: 2265-6294

The Efficacy of Using Google Translate in Translating from Arabic into English and Vice Versa: Saudi EFL University Students’ Perspectives

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Dina A. Ali, Wijdan K. Mohammed, Hala Mohamed Osman Salih , Wadah Mohmmed Ibrahim Mohammed, Eman M. Ibrahim Alian, Wijdan Al Khalifah, Hala Mohamed Osman Salih, Wadah Mohmmed Ibrahim Mohammed, Eman Mahmoud Ibrahim Alian

Abstract

Translation according to Newmark (1988:5) as mentioned by Thiar Sitorus in her research,2020. ''It is rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text'', that is to say it is the translation of the meaning of a text into another language in accordance with the intended author. This requires not only translating from one language into another, but understanding the target language and the intended meaning needed to be conveyed by the writer. (Google Translate) GT works as a supportive tool for EFL learners when translating articles from English into Arabic. The question raised by this research study is whether GT enables them to give the appropriate intended meaning or they will need to edit it again to give the most appropriate translation. Many students copy and paste the same translation provided by GT. Working with the help of GT without having the basic skills of translation will affect the learner’s outcome and make them dependent on the GT without thinking to use their own skills to translate. In this research the researchers will investigate the use of GT by EFL learners and to what extent will it develop or impede the learners’ translation outcome. The data was collected through a questionnaire which was distributed to 60 EFL students of the College of Science and Arts of Ahad Rufadia Campus and also by conducting an interview with Ahad Rufadia’s college staff members. The data analyses were done by the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) program. In the findings of the research most students agree that GT helps them in the translation of different text and it also develops their vocabulary acquisition as well as their language skills. GT save time for the students more than manual ones even though its accuracy is not sufficient and it needs more editing.

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