The purpose of this study was to examine the use of machine translation by Uzbek-speaking Korean learners, focusing on their usage patterns, attitudes, perceptions, and expectations, as well as identifying the educational implications of using machine translation. An online survey, lasting two weeks, involved 85 Korean language learners from universities in Korea and Uzbekistan. The main findings indicated a high reliance on machine translation for Korean language learning, with the majority of respondents using machine translations to find accurate vocabulary and expressions. Regarding their attitudes towards machine translation, learners mainly utilized it for literal communication, reading, and writing, and were generally satisfied with them, especially as tools for learning spellings and pronunciations. The use of machine translation significantly influenced learners’ confidence, interest in learning, and anxiety reduction. In terms of perception, learners found machine translation effective for learning Korean vocabulary, expressions, and writing, but also perceived machine translators as sources of stress and anxiety. Expectations for using machine translation were high for completing tasks in vocabulary, expression, and writing, but low for improving grammar skills and producing error-free Korean expressions.

In light of the expanding use of technology in education, we attempted to analyze how Korean college students perceived the use of Machine Translation (MT) tools in the classroom. Specifically, this study attempted to explore students’ perceptions of their ability to use MT tools and to measure the reliability of the MT-generated output, along with measuring students’ general sense of confidence in English learning. This research analyzed 183 EFL college students’ responses to an online survey, and a one-way ANOVA was used to test for the differences in the averages of three groups. The results of data analysis revealed that 1) Among beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced learners, those self-identifying as advanced had the highest scores on all the factors measured.; 2) There was a significant mean difference in students’ perceptions of the ability to use MT tools, their beliefs regarding MT’s effectiveness as a learning tool, and affective attitudes towards the use of MT tools between beginner and advanced groups. Based on the findings, pedagogical implications for the effective use of MT tools in the Korean EFL classrooms, and suggestions for future research were presented.