Analysis on Grammatical Errors and Correctness of Google Translate: Students’ Writing Report Text

Abstract

This research investigates the use of Google Translate in English report writing by vocational students, focusing on its benefits, negative impacts, and the types of grammatical errors it may propagate. The study involved 20 students from classes XI TKR 3 and XI DPIB 1, who were tasked with writing English reports. Content analysis of these reports revealed 438 grammatical errors across six categories, with preposition (18.49%), punctuation (18.07%), spelling (15.98%), and word form errors (15.98%) being the most prevalent. The study employed a qualitative case study approach, involving in-depth interviews and observations of senior high school students who were selected based on consideration of students’ achievement levels and gender. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of students' experiences. The interviews was done using the participants' national language (Bahasa Indonesia) to avoid misunderstandings and to expand the understanding of the phenomena investigated in this study, The data is analyzed using Creswell's (2017) framework, focusing on transcription, and interpretation of interview data. The findings have implications for language pedagogy, suggesting that while Google Translate can be a valuable supplementary tool, it requires judicious use and teacher guidance. This study contributes to the understanding of machine translation in language learning, highlighting both the potential benefits and significant risks of using Google Translate in academic writing. It underscores the need for a balanced, teacher-guided approach to harness the tool's advantages while ensuring genuine progress in English writing skills. This study examines the impact of Google Translate on English report writing by vocational students, revealing a high frequency of grammatical errors. Recommendations include: (1) Students should use Google Translate judiciously as a supportive tool rather than relying on it exclusively; (2) Future researchers should investigate the tool's influence on language acquisition and develop effective integration strategies; (3) Teachers should adopt a balanced approach, incorporating critical analysis of Google Translate outputs and focusing on underlying grammatical rules and contextual usage. Keyword: Grammatical Error, Google Translate, Students, Writing Report Text