EFL Students’ Perspectives on ChatGPT in Translation: Exploring AI Assistance, Motivation, and Learning Outcomes

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) offer promising opportunities to improve language education, particularly in translation, by providing tools that can enhance both learning processes and outcomes. Yet, how these AI tools are perceived and integrated, especially in areas that demand cultural sensitivity and a nuanced understanding, has not been fully explored, notably from the perspective of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. This study set out to examine how English major students view the use of ChatGPT, a text-based generative AI tool, within translation classes, using the Expectation-Value Theory as a framework. The study involved 62 junior English majors from a university in Vietnam and employed a mixed-methods approach, including pre- and post-course surveys, reflective journals, focus group interviews, and analysis of course grades. Results showed that students generally regarded ChatGPT as a helpful tool for improving translation accuracy, efficiency, and vocabulary skills. They valued its capacity to simplify complex translation challenges, improve sentence flow, and offer a variety of lexical choices, which in turn boosted their motivation and confidence. Students also mentioned that using ChatGPT helped promote collaborative learning by sparking more group discussions, which improved their translation skills. At the same time, they pointed out some limitations, especially how ChatGPT struggled with cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions. Because of this, students had to carefully review and adjust the AI’s suggestions themselves. The study points out that it’s really important to strike a balance between relying on AI tools and sticking with traditional, hands-on translation methods. Tools like ChatGPT can definitely support translation learning, but they can’t take the place of human judgment and effort. When looking at why students were motivated to use ChatGPT, the research found that it mostly came down to how helpful they believed the tool was, how much they valued using it, and how confident they felt about succeeding with it. These factors played a key role in their overall learning results. The study provides useful insights into how AI tools can support online learning by making it more efficient and engaging. However, it also reminds us that human judgment remains crucial, especially in translation tasks that involve cultural understanding. More research is needed to understand the long-term effects of AI in translation education and how well these tools work across different cultural settings.