This descriptive qualitative study evaluated Google Translate’s (GT) impact on pre-intermediate EFL learners’ writing proficiency, accuracy, and perceptions. Fifty-nine randomly selected female university students participated—seven in individual interviews and 52 in focus-group discussions—while all provided writing samples. Semi-structured interviews, focus-group data, and written compositions were examined through thematic analysis and content analysis, with inter-rater reliability ensuring consistent interpretation. Overall, 56 % of students (33 participants) used GT chiefly to translate from L1 into English, expand vocabulary, and refine grammar and sentence structure; these users produced longer, more syntactically accurate texts than their non-GT peers.
Students’ views of GT were mixed: a slight majority praised its advantages, whereas 44 % (26 participants) warned of over-reliance, possible grammatical inaccuracies, and diminished authentic language learning. Several emphasized trial-and-error practice as essential to skill development, and the data suggested that heavy dependence on GT may impede autonomous learning and critical thinking, with uncertain long-term effects on language growth. The study recommends that educators incorporate GT with clear pedagogical guidelines and structured training to maximize benefits while curbing dependence, and it calls for further research into learners’ cognitive and emotional responses, ethical considerations, and GT’s sustained influence on language acquisition.