THE IMPACT OF MACHINE TRANSLATION ON STUDENT TRANSLATORS' LEXICAL ACCURACY AND CRITICAL THINKING

Translation methods have changed dramatically as machine translation (MT) techniques are increasingly used in professional and academic settings, especially in translator education. Although MT technologies are quick and easy, there is still debate about their educational implications. This study investigates how machine translation affects the lexical accuracy and critical thinking abilities of student translators. The study compares student translations created with and without machine translation assistance using a mixed-method research methodology. Lexical error analysis, reflective surveys, and translation activities were used to gather data. The results show that while machine translation improves surface-level lexical correctness, students' critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and autonomous decision-making are adversely affected by an over-reliance on MT. The study highlights how crucial it is for translation training programs to use machine translation in a supervised and critical manner.