THE ROLE OF MACHINE TRANSLATION IN ENHANCING ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION PROGRAM STUDENTS’ TRANSLATION PERFORMANCE AT UNIVERSITAS LANCANG KUNING

Abstract

The introduction of Machine Translation (MT) tools like Google Translate and DeepL has been a major impact on translation methods in language instruction due to the rapid advancement of digital technology. The goal of this research is to look at how Machine Translation can enhance the translation abilities of students in the English Language Education Program at Universitas Lancang Kuning. The study used a qualitative descriptive methodology. Students who had finished courses in IT-Based Translation and Translation were interviewed in a systematic manner to gather data. Using Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña's qualitative analysis approach, which comprises data condensation, data presentation, and conclusion formulation and validation, the data were examined. The results show that machine translation is essential in a number of ways to aid students' translation skills. By helping pupils improve their translation accuracy, develop their editing and critical awareness, boost their efficiency and productivity in completing translation assignments, make complex texts easier to understand, and increase their confidence in translation tasks, MT helps students succeed in their translation studies. Since students are still conducting post-editing and critical analysis of the machine's output, they said that MT is used more as a supplementary aid than as the finished product of translation. When utilized thoughtfully and reflectively in translation instruction, these results suggest that Machine Translation can serve as a valuable cognitive and instructional support tool. As a result, MT integrated as an additional learning tool into university translation classes.