Arab Education Students’ Perceptions at State Islamic University of Madura of Google Translate in the Society 5.0 Era
TL;DR
It is concluded that Google Translate functions as a supportive learning tool rather than a substitute for linguistic competence and its effective use requires critical evaluation, linguistic awareness, and digital literacy to support Arabic writing development in higher education.
Abstract
The integration of digital technology in education in the era of Society 5.0 has influenced language learning practices, including the use of Google Translate in Arabic writing activities. This study aims to examine the perceptions of Arabic Education students at Universitas Islam Negeri Madura regarding the use of Google Translate in improving Arabic writing skills. The research employed a qualitative descriptive approach involving third-semester students as research participants. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation, and analyzed using data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that students use Google Translate mainly as a supporting tool to understand vocabulary, obtain initial sentence structures, and assist in drafting Arabic texts. Students’ perceptions of its usefulness vary, ranging from helpful to less helpful, due to limitations in translation accuracy, grammatical structure, and contextual meaning. Despite these limitations, most students conduct verification and revision of translation results before using them in their writing. The study concludes that Google Translate functions as a supportive learning tool rather than a substitute for linguistic competence. Its effective use requires critical evaluation, linguistic awareness, and digital literacy to support Arabic writing development in higher education.