Impact of using google translate on essay writing among english department’s sophomores university of foreign languages and international studies hue university

HUE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH  TONG THI THUY TRANG IMPACT OF USING GOOGLE TRANSLATE ON ESSAY WRITING AMONG ENGLISH

HUE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF ENGLISH



TONG THI THUY TRANG

IMPACT OF USING GOOGLE TRANSLATE ON ESSAY

WRITING AMONG ENGLISH DEPARTMENT’S

SOPHOMORES, UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, HUE UNIVERSITY

GRADUATION THESIS SUPERVISOR: THAI TON PHUNG DIEM, M A

Hue, Academic year: 2019 – 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ……… Page i ABSTRACT ……… Page ii

Chapter I: Introduction………

I.1 Rationale………

I.2 Scope of the study ………

I.3 Aims of the study………

I.4 Significance of the study………

I.5 Structure of the study………

Page 1 Page 1 Page 4 Page 4 Page 4 Page 5 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW………

II.1 Definition of Google Translate………

II.2 Benefits of using Google Translate ………

II.2.1 Benefits of using Google Translate towards the process of writing essays………

II.2.2 Benefits of using Google Translate towards personal development………

II.3 Drawbacks of using Google Translate………

II.4 Previous studies on impact of using Google Translate on essay writing ………

II.5 Summary………

Page 6 Page 6 Page 8 Page 8 Page 13 Page 14 Page 16 Page 18 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY………

III.1 The subject of the study………

III.2 Data collection………

III.2.1 Data collection tool………

III.2.2 Data procedure………

Page 19 Page 19 Page 20 Page 20 Page 22

III.3 Data analysis……… Page 22

CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION………

IV.1 Reasons why students use Google Translate on essay writing

IV.2 Impacts of using Google Translate on essay writing………

Page 23 Page 23 Page 26

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS ……

V.1 Conclusion………

V.2 Implications………

V.3 Limitations and suggestions for further research………

Page 30 Page 30 Page 32 Page 33

REFERENCES ……… Page 36

LIST OF CHARTS

Chart 1: Frequency of second-year students in choosing Google

Translate in their essay writing……… Page 24 Chart 2: Frequency of gender in using Google Translate in their

Chart 3: The reliability of Google Translate in essay writing……… Page 27 Chart 4: The usefulness of using Google Translate in essay writing Page 27

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This graduation research paper would not have been possible without the guidance and support from several individuals who in one way or another contributed and extended their valuable assistance in the preparation and completion of this research paper

First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to the University of Foreign Languages and International Studies, Hue University for including graduation research paper as a seven-credit course which has offered me an opportunity to gain practical experience in conducting a research

Secondly, I am deeply grateful to Mrs Thai Ton Phung Diem for devoting her time in order to guide me in the process of doing this graduation research paper It was she who is always ready to help me with her warming hearts when I encounter problems

Last but not least, I love to express my most sincere appreciation to

my parents and friends who were a source of energy and motivation for me

to complete this research

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ABSTRACT

Google Translate has a fundamental role in helping learners in their essay writing Google Translate is a widely used tool for translating text from one language to another, making it easier and more accessible for individuals

to communicate with each other regardless of their language background Despite its convenience, using Google Translate in essay writing can result

in inaccurate translations, hindered language learning and writing skills, and

a loss of cultural understanding and appreciation This research paper aims

to find out the impact of using Google Translate on essay writing among second-year students at English Department, University of Foreign Languages and International Studies, Hue University Furthermore, I will figure out some ways to help students use Google Translate in the right way

in order to help them improve their essay writing

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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION I.1 Rationale

The increasing reliance on technology for language translation and communication has brought about the need to understand the impact of such tools, specifically Google Translate, on the process of essay writing Essay writing is a critical aspect of language development and communication, and

it is essential to understand the impact of Google Translate on this process This is the rationale behind the research about the impact of using Google Translate on essay writing

The rationale behind researching the impact of using Google Translate

on essay writing stems from the increasing reliance on technology for language translation and communication With the rise of globalization and the increasing need for individuals to communicate across language barriers, translation tools like Google Translate have become increasingly popular However, as convenient as these tools may be, it is important to understand their impact on language learning, writing skills, and cultural understanding

Essay writing is a critical aspect of language development and communication, and understanding the impact of Google Translate on this process is essential for language educators, professionals and students By examining the benefits and drawbacks of using Google Translate in essay writing, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the impact of technology on language development and communication

In language learning, students seem to use translation tools like Google Translate This translation tool could be used in the process of listening, reading, speaking, and writing, especially in the writing process for meaning reference Writing is a daunting task for students for several

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aspects, so it is not strange for academicians to use Google Translate in their writing performance The reason behind this issue is because writing skill has many components that students need to master in order to have a better writing performance, such as, subject-verb agreement, word order, and diction Moreover, first language transfer (Belkhir & Benyelles, 2017), grammatical weakness (Huwari, I & Al-Khasawneh, 2013), the limited number of vocabulary and idioms as well as less experience with second language (Salem, 2007) are other reasons why students find writing difficult Since writing, especially essay writing has become a problem for EFL learners (Ahmed, 2010), the emergence of Google Translate is a significant breakthrough since it not only assists its users to transfer their ideas from the source language into the target one easily but also plays an essential role to help them in the process of writing essays

In spite of some aforementioned benefits, Google Translate has some drawbacks The noticeable disadvantage is that it cannot provide a perfectly accurate translation This is because Google Translate is just a machine which cannot understand the context of the content and nuances of the words, which results in mistranslation Another drawback from this tool is the incorrect translation for a long and complicated sentence or text (Medvedev, 2016; Santoso, 2010) Medvedev (2016) stated that Google Translate is unable to handle a long sentence If it translates a long sentence, usually this tool gives a literal translation Santoso (2010) even mentioned that this tool cannot handle idiom or figurative language Furthermore, he added that the length of the text determines the quality of the product translated meaning that the shorter the text is, the better the result gets

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What is more, there are a lot of students using Google Translate as a translation tool in their writing process To make it specific, they write their essays in their mother tongue such as Vietnamese and then copy their essays

to paste them in Google Translate to render into English As a result, these essays are usually marked with low grades Or there are some individuals using Google Translate to translate words and phrases or to check grammar and spelling However, Google Translate is not a perfect translation tool but

an automatic machine Therefore, I conduct this research to find out the influence of Google Translate in essay writing on second-year students at English Department, University of Foreign Languages and International Studies, Hue University I hope that after this research, I can figure out some ways to help them use Google Translate in the right way in order to study well

Furthermore, the results of this research can provide valuable insights for educators, students, and professionals on how to effectively use Google Translate in a way that enhances language learning and writing skills, while avoiding potential drawbacks By exploring the impact of using Google Translate on essay writing, researchers can contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of technology in language development and communication, and provide practical recommendations for its use

In conclusion, the rationale behind researching the impact of Google Translate on essay writing is to understand the impact of technology on language learning, writing skills, and cultural understanding The results of this research can provide valuable insights for educators, students, and professionals, and contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of technology in language development and communication

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I.2 Scope of the study

This study concentrates on the impact of using Google Translate on essay writing among English Department’s sophomores, University of Foreign Languages and International Studies, Hue University Second-year students at English Department, University of Foreign Languages and International Studies, Hue University will be taken as the subject of the research

I.3 Aims of the study

The main objective of the study is to find out the impact of using Google Translate on essay writing among second-year students at English Department, University of Foreign Languages and International Studies, Hue University Through the research, I try to answer the following questions:

1 Why do second-year English students at English Department, University of Foreign Languages and International Studies use Google Translate in their essay writing?

2 What impacts does Google Translate have on second-year English students' essay writing?

I.4 Significance of the study

The research provides the impact of using Google Translate on essay writing among second-year students at English Department, University of Foreign Languages and International Studies, Hue University

There are several significance of the study For teachers, they can encourage their students to use Google Translate as a tool to check grammar and spelling For students, they can use it to transfer their ideas into the target

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language Also, they can use it as a pronunciation checker to help them speak correctly and fluently

To sum up, the significance of this research is to understand the impact

of Google Translate on language learning, writing skills, and cultural understanding The results of this research can provide valuable insights for educators, students, and professionals, and contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of technology in language development and communication Moreover, the analysis presented in this study will convey valuable information for future research on the impact of Google Translate

I.5 Structure of the study

This thesis is divided into five chapters as follow:

The first chapter, the Introduction, introduces the rationale, scope, aims as

well as significance of the study

The second chapter of the research, the Literature Review, presents ideas

and opinions collected from different educational sources In this chapter, the theoretical background of the research, including some concepts involving Google Translate and its impacts on learners are summarized and introduced

The third chapter, the Methodology, presents the information related to the

methods used in this research

The fourth chapter, the Findings and Discussion, reports and discusses the

major findings

Last but not least, the fifth chapter, the Conclusion and Implications,

summarizes the research’s finding Additionally, it suggests some implications for teachers It also recommends some unanswered problems for further studies

One of the key definitions of Google Translate is that it is a machine translation (MT) tool Machine translation refers to the automatic translation

of text from one language to another using computer algorithms Google Translate uses artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) technologies to translate text, making it one of the most advanced MT tools available today (Al-Shboul, 2016)

Another definition of Google Translate is that it is a web-based application This means that it is accessible from anywhere with an internet connection, making it incredibly convenient for users It can be used on a desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone, and users can simply type in the text they want to translate or upload a document Google Translate then provides a translated version of the text within seconds, making it a fast and efficient tool for translation (Zarei & Heidari, 2015)

According to Wikipedia, Google Translate is a multilingual neural machine translation service developed by Google to translate texts, documents and websites from one language into another It offers a website interface, a mobile app for Android and iOS, and an API that helps developers build browser extensions and software applications As of

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February 2023, Google Translate supports 133 languages at various levels, and as of April 2016, claimed over 500 million total users, with more than

100 billion words translated daily, after the company stated in May 2013 that

it served over 200 million people daily

Google Translate is a free translation tool which was launched in 2006 (Orch, 2006) Like Orch, Balk EM, Chung M, Hadar N, et al (2012) said that Google Translate is a free Web-based resource for translation According to Seljan, Brkić, and Kučiš (2011), Google Translate is one of the most effective online machine translations to translate language According to Komeili, Hendavalan, and Rahimi (2011), Google Translate became the most popular machine translation because it provides over than two hundred billion words Besides that, Google Translate provides over than one hundred languages from the countries in the world Google Translate uses many languages such as Afrikaans, Albanian, Arabic, Bosnian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Sundanese, and Zulu In writing activity, Google Translate has several utilities for the students Lee (2020) stated that Google Translate helped English students at a university in Korea increase their English writing in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and expressions and positively impacted their writing strategies during revision

Google Translate is also often defined as a language learning tool Many language learners use Google Translate to help with vocabulary and grammar, or to translate text for reading and writing exercises While some language experts warn that relying too heavily on Google Translate can be detrimental to language learning, others argue that it can be a useful tool for building vocabulary and improving grammar (Fauzia & Islam, 2015; Wang

et al., 2018)

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It is important to note that while Google Translate is a useful tool, it is not perfect One of the main criticisms of Google Translate is that its translations are not always accurate, particularly when translating idioms and culturally-specific expressions (Navarro-Guerrero et al., 2017) It is also not suitable for professional translation tasks, such as translating legal or technical documents, as the translations are not guaranteed to be of a high standard (Ismail & Al-Ani, 2019)

In conclusion, Google Translate is a powerful tool that has revolutionized the way people communicate and access information in different languages It is a machine translation tool, a web-based application, and a language learning tool, and it has the potential to greatly benefit both individuals and businesses However, it is important to be aware of its limitations and to use it as a tool rather than a replacement for human translators or language learning

II.2 Benefits of using Google Translate

II.2.1 Benefits of using Google Translate towards the process of writing essays

Google Translate is a free online translation service provided by Google that has revolutionized the way people communicate and access information in different languages The tool has numerous benefits that make the process of writing essays easier and more accessible to a wider audience

In this section, I will examine some of the key benefits of Google Translate and how they have a positive impact on the process of writing essays

One of the main benefits of Google Translate is that it helps break down language barriers By providing instant translations between languages,

it enables people to communicate and exchange ideas across linguistic and

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cultural boundaries This is especially important for students and researchers who need to access information and communicate with others in different languages With Google Translate, they are able to translate research papers, articles, and other sources of information in their own language, making it easier to understand and integrate into their writing (Al-Shboul, 2016)

Google Translate is also a valuable tool for language learners By providing instant translations, it can help students build vocabulary, improve grammar, and gain exposure to different writing styles This can be especially beneficial for students who are learning a new language, as it provides them with instant feedback and helps them to understand and use the language more effectively (Fauzia & Islam, 2015)

Another benefit of Google Translate is that it can save time and effort

in the writing process Instead of having to manually translate text or look

up words in a dictionary, students can simply input their text into Google Translate and receive an instant translation This not only saves time, but also reduces the risk of error, as Google Translate is designed to provide accurate and reliable translations (Ismail & Al-Ani, 2019)

In addition to these benefits, Google Translate can also help to improve writing skills By providing instant translations, it allows students

to see how words and phrases are used in different languages, helping them

to develop a more nuanced understanding of language and improve their writing skills (Wang et al., 2018) Furthermore, by exposing students to different writing styles, it can help to broaden their writing horizons and develop their writing skills in new and innovative ways (Navarro-Guerrero

et al., 2017)

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Writing could be defined as a mechanism that should be undertaken through various phases, including the writing phase, the editing phase, the preparation phase, and the final draft (Harmer, 2007) Similarly, Damiani, Alves, Frison, and Machado (2011) regarded the writing ability as the tool that calls for preparation, contemplation and organizing ideas In addition, writing also became the requisite effort and attention that EFL students are invited to appreciate Bell and Burnaby (1997), as cited in Belkhir and Benyelles (2017), considered the ability to write as a cognitive ability that writers are expected to master about the structure of the sentence, good choice of vocabulary elements, careful attention to spelling, and punctuation They argued that learners have to master linguistic knowledge and also have the ability to coherently and cohesively incorporate information into written language In these cases, students had to find a tool that could help them in their writing process By using machine translation like Google Translate, students could re-check their writing product to get the best result (Clifford, Merschel, & Munné, 2013)

In language learning, students crave to use translation tools such as Google Translate This translation tool could be used in the process of listening, reading, speaking, and writing, especially in the writing process for meaning reference Writing is a daunting task for EFL learners for several aspects, so it is not strange for academicians to use Google Translate in their writing performance The reason behind this issue is because writing skill has many components that students need to master in order to have a better writing performance, for example, subject-verb agreement, word order, and diction Moreover, first language transfer (Belkhir & Benyelles, 2017), grammatical weakness (Huwari, I & Al-Khasawneh, 2013), the limited

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number of vocabulary and idioms as well as less experience with second language (Salem, 2007) are other reasons why students find writing difficult Since writing, especially essay writing has become a problem for EFL learners (Ahmed, 2010), the emergence of Google Translate is a significant breakthrough since it not only assists its users to transfer their ideas from the source language into the target one easily but also play an essential role to help them when writing essays One of the first studies to examine the impact

of Google Translate on essay writing was conducted by Perez-Serrano (2010), who found that Google Translate had a positive impact on the quality

of students’ essays The study participants, who were Spanish-speaking English language learners, reported that using Google Translate allowed them to improve their writing by increasing their vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills The results of the study showed that students who used Google Translate had higher writing scores compared to students who did not use the tool In another study, Fauzia and Islam (2015) examined the impact of Google Translate on the writing skills of undergraduate students in Bangladesh The study found that students who used Google Translate had better writing skills than those who did not use it The results showed that using Google Translate helped students improve their writing fluency, grammar, vocabulary, and writing style Furthermore, the study found that using Google Translate also helped students improve their writing speed, making the writing process more efficient and less time-consuming Another study by Navarro-Guerrero et al (2017) showed that students who used Google Translate showed improved writing skills, such as increased vocabulary and grammar usage, compared to those who did not use the tool

A study by Wang et al (2018) found that Chinese students who used Google Translate showed improved writing skills in English, including increased

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vocabulary and grammar usage, compared to those who did not use the tool

In a similar vein, a study by Ismail and Al-Ani (2019) found that speaking students who used Google Translate showed improved writing skills in English, including increased vocabulary and grammar usage Valijärvi and Tarsoly (2012) stated that Google Translate is effective because it could help the students finding information about the target language in their writing process Using Google Translate, students increase their new knowledge of the studied language (Khatimah, Rahmawati, Rachman, and Puspita, 2019) Google Translate is effective to use because its features help students in their writing activities As O'Neill (2012) stated, Online Translation is good to help students because it could check spelling and reduce spelling errors Gianetti (2016) states that Google Translate minimizes errors in syntax and semantics in student writing Meanwhile, according to Garcia & Pena (2011), Google Translate helps students with low proficiency levels to be able to make longer texts Similarly, Kazemzadeh & Fard Kashani (2013) also stated that Google Translate affects students with low proficiency levels to create text using more complex words Meanwhile, according to Fredholm (2019), the use of Google Translate could make students find more varied words to use in their writing Therefore, Google Translate could be said as an effective system to

Arabic-be used in language learning

It is important to note that while Google Translate is a useful tool, it is not perfect and should not be used as a replacement for human translators or language learning Its translations are not always accurate, particularly when translating idioms and culturally-specific expressions, and it is not suitable

it has the potential to greatly benefit students, researchers, and language learners However, it is important to be aware of its limitations and to use it

as a tool rather than a replacement for human translators or language learning

II.2.2 Benefits of using Google Translate towards personal development

Google Translate has become a widely used tool that helps individuals communicate and access information in different languages The tool has a range of benefits that extend beyond language translation and can contribute

to personal development

One of the main benefits of Google Translate is that it makes learning

a new language much easier For individuals who are interested in learning

a new language but do not have the time or resources to take classes, Google Translate provides a quick and easy way to translate words and phrases, helping them to expand their vocabulary and become more familiar with the structure and grammar of the language they are learning Additionally, by providing instant access to translation, Google Translate can help increase motivation and confidence, making it more likely that individuals will continue their language studies

Google Translate can also be a valuable tool for personal growth and self-expression By providing instant access to translation, individuals are able to read and write in languages they may not have otherwise been able

to, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of different cultures and

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perspectives Additionally, by improving their language skills, individuals can express themselves more effectively, leading to greater personal growth and self-confidence

In conclusion, Google Translate is a powerful tool that can have a significant impact on personal development Whether it is for learning a new language, overcoming language barriers, or improving communication skills, Google Translate provides a quick and easy way for individuals to expand their knowledge and skills, leading to greater opportunities and personal growth By using Google Translate judiciously, learners can take full advantage of its benefits and continue to grow and develop their language skills over time

II.3 Drawbacks of using Google Translate

Google Translate has become a widely used tool for translating text from one language to another, and it has certainly made the process of language translation much easier and more accessible However, as useful

as Google Translate may be, there are also several drawbacks to its use, particularly in the context of essay writing

One of the main drawbacks of Google Translate is that its translations are often inaccurate While Google Translate has made significant improvements in recent years, it is still far from perfect and its translations are often plagued by grammatical errors, incorrect word choice, and other inaccuracies This can be especially problematic in the context of essay writing, where a single error can significantly impact the quality of the work and the reader's understanding of the author's intended message (Fauzia & Islam, 2015)

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Another drawback of Google Translate is that it can hinder language learning and writing skills By relying on Google Translate to translate text, individuals may not be motivated to learn the language on their own and may miss opportunities to develop their writing skills Furthermore, by using Google Translate to translate written work, individuals may not be able to fully understand the nuances of the language, such as idiomatic expressions and cultural references, which can impact the quality of their writing (Al-Shboul, 2016) In the study by Al-Shboul (2016), the researcher found that the use of Google Translate led to a decrease in the quality of students’ essays The study participants, who were Arabic-speaking English language learners, reported that using Google Translate led to a loss of originality, creativity, and writing fluency in their essays The results showed that students who used Google Translate had lower writing scores compared to students who did not use the tool

Next, the incorrect translation for a longer sentence or text (Medvedev, 2016), (Santoso, 2010) may happen when using Google Translate Medvedev (2016) stated that Google Translate is unable to handle a longer sentence If it translates a longer sentence, usually this tool gives a literal translation Santoso (2010) even mentioned that this tool cannot handle idiom or figurative language Furthermore, he added that the length of the text determines the quality of the product translated meaning that the shorter the text is, the better the result gets

Additionally, using Google Translate can also result in a loss of creativity and originality in writing By relying on Google Translate, individuals may not be fully engaged in the writing process, and their writing

In conclusion, while Google Translate has certainly made the process

of language translation easier and more accessible, there are also several drawbacks to its use, particularly in the context of essay writing By relying

on Google Translate, individuals may miss opportunities to develop their writing skills and language learning, and may also risk producing written work that is plagued by inaccuracies and lacks originality Therefore, it is important to be aware of these drawbacks and to use Google Translate as a tool rather than a replacement for human translators or language learning

II.4 Previous studies on impact of using Google Translate on essay writing

Google Translate has been widely used as a tool for language translation since its introduction in 2006 Its popularity and ease of access have made it an indispensable tool for people all over the world who need to translate text or speech from one language to another With the increasing use of Google Translate in the field of education, it has become important to understand the impact it has had on essay writing

On the other hand, some studies have found that Google Translate can have a positive impact on writing skills by helping students overcome language barriers and increasing their confidence in writing By providing a quick and easy way to translate words and phrases, Google Translate can help students write better essays and improve their language proficiency It can also serve as a useful tool for students who are learning a new language, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the language and its structure

Another issue with the use of Google Translate in essay writing is the impact it has on language acquisition Some experts argue that relying on Google Translate can lead to a lack of motivation to learn the language properly and may impede language acquisition When students use Google Translate to translate their essays, they are not forced to think about the language and are not exposed to its natural usage, leading to a lack of language development

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However, others argue that the use of Google Translate can be beneficial for language acquisition By providing a quick and easy way to translate text, Google Translate can help students learn new words and phrases, and expand their vocabulary Additionally, it can help students become more familiar with the structure and grammar of the language they are learning, leading to improved language proficiency

II.5 Summary

In conclusion, the impact of Google Translate on essay writing is a complex issue that has been the subject of much debate While it can be a useful tool for overcoming language barriers and improving language proficiency, it can also have negative effects on writing skills and language acquisition It is important for students to use Google Translate judiciously and in conjunction with other language-learning tools to ensure that they are developing the necessary language skills needed to express their thoughts and ideas effectively After analyzing previous studies, I found out that while there has been much research on effects of Google Translate, few researchers have taken the impact of Google Translate in essay writing on sophomores into consideration That’s why I conduct this research in order to find out the impact of using Google Translate on essay writing among second-year students to help them use Google Translate in the right way that can improve their essay writing