Exploring the Impact of Google Translate on EFL Writers’ Writing Anxiety and Cognitive Dependency

Abstract

This study investigates the psychological paradox of utilizing Google Translate (GT) in second language (L2) writing among EFL learners. Adopting an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, data were collected from 130 undergraduate English majors at a Vietnamese public university via a survey, followed by semi-structured interviews with 12 participants. Quantitative findings revealed a stark dualistic reality: while unconstrained access to GT during untimed tasks successfully reduced cognitive and somatic writing anxiety, it simultaneously accelerated chronic avoidance behaviors. A paired-samples t-test demonstrated a significant surge in psychological distress and structural paralysis when students shifted from technology-assisted environments to unassisted, timed exam conditions. Furthermore, regression analysis indicated that cognitive dependency and reliance on the tool as a psychological safety net significantly predicted the degradation of long-term writing self-efficacy. Qualitative narratives contextualized this regression, revealing that immediate emotional relief directly eroded autonomous linguistic development. Pedagogically, the study advocates for an anxiety-sensitive, scaffolded approach to cultivate genuine independent competence.