Critical Digital Literacy and the Dynamics of English Language Learning Practices: Saudi Perspectives

Safaa Mahmoud Abdelhalim

Abstract


The concept of literacy has evolved beyond traditional reading and writing skills, encompassing dynamic practices driven by digital sources and distributed cultures. However, empirical research suggests that despite their familiarity with web-based technologies, digital natives often lack the critical digital literacy (CDL) skills necessary for effective digital citizenship and academic contexts. The same concern applies to language learning as well. Therefore, it is crucial for language education to identify and examine the beliefs and practices related to CDL among EFL learners. This large-scale study focuses on CDL with a specific emphasis on the Arabic-speaking context, specifically targeting EFL undergraduates who are actively involved in supporting their language learning through self-study using online sources. The main aim of this study is to explore CDL practices among these students, investigate the impact of engaging in CDL practices on their language learning, and examine the correlation between CDL practices and language learning engagement. Furthermore, the study explores factors that facilitate or hinder CDL practices, considering demographic variables such as gender, academic major, and language proficiency. Using a mixed-methods approach with a descriptive cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 387 first-year EFL undergraduates through structured and open-ended questions. The findings revealed diverse CDL practices among students, with positive perceptions of its impact on language learning. There was a positive correlation between CDL practices and English language learning engagement. Students identified several factors that mediated the development and practice of CDL skills. Significant pedagogical implications and potential directions for future research aimed at enhancing CDL among EFL learners are discussed.

 

Keywords: Critical digital literacy; language learning engagement; language proficiency; gender; EFL students


Full Text:

PDF

References


Abdelhalim, S. (2022). An investigation into English majors’ self-regulated writing strategies in an online learning context. Language Teaching Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688221100296

Abdelhalim, S., & Aldaghri, A. (2024). Creating Culture of Thinking in Language Classrooms: An Interpretive Inquiry into Saudi University EFL Instructors’ Beliefs and Practices. Journal of Language Teaching and Research (JLTR), 15(2). https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1502.08

Aguilera, E., & Pandya, J. (2021). Critical literacies in a digital age: current and future issues, Pedagogies: An International Journal, 16(2), 103-110, DOI: 10.1080/1554480X.2021.1914059

Al-Hoorie, A. H. (2018). The L2 motivational self-system: A meta-analysis. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 8(4), 721–754. https://doi.org/10.14746/ ssllt.2018.8.4.2

Al-Seghayer, K. (2014). The four most common constraints affecting English teaching in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of English Linguistics, 4(5), 17–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v4n5p17

Al Zahrani, B., & Elyas, T. (2017). The Implementation of Critical Thinking in a Saudi EFL Context: Challenges and Opportunities. Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 1 (2), 133-141. https://doi.org/10.21093/ijeltal.v1i2.21

Aubrey, S., King, J., & Almukhaild, H. (2022). Language Learner Engagement During Speaking Tasks: A Longitudinal Study. RELC Journal, 53(3), 519-533. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220945418

Bawden, D. (2008). ‘Origins and concepts of digital literacy’. In Lankshear, C. &. Knobel, M. (eds.). Digital Literacies: Concepts, Policies and Practices. New York, NY: Peter Lang.

Brocca, N., Masia, V., & Garassino, D. (2024). Empowering critical digital literacy in EFL: Teachers’ evaluation of didactic materials involving the recognition of presupposed information. Language Teaching Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688241235019

Buckingham, D. (2007). Media education goes digital: An introduction. Learning, Media and Technology, 32(2), 111–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439880701343006

Caverly, D., Payne, E., Castillo, A., Sarker, A., Threadgill, E., & West, D. (2019). Identifying Digital Literacies to Build Academic Literacies, Journal of College Reading and Learning, 49(3), 170-205, DOI:10.1080/10790195.2019.1638218

Cladis, A. (2020). A shifting paradigm: An evaluation of the pervasive effects of digital technologies on language expression, creativity, critical thinking, E-Learning and Digital Media, 17(5) 341–364. http://dx. doi.org/10.1177/2042753017752583

Dewaele, J. M., & Li, C. (2021). Teacher enthusiasm and students’ social-behavioral learning engagement: The mediating role of student enjoyment and boredom in Chinese EFL classes. Language Teaching Research, 25(6), 922–945. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211014538

Dincer, A., Yeşilyurt, S., Noels, K. A., & Vargas Lascano, D. I. (2019). Self-Determination and Classroom Engagement of EFL Learners: A Mixed-Methods Study of the Self-System Model of Motivational Development. Sage Open, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019853913

Dörnyei, Z. (2019). Towards a better understanding of the L2 Learning Experience, the Cinderella of the L2 motivational self-system. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 9(1), 21e32. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2019.9.1.2.

Eerdemutu, L., Dewaele, J., & Wang, J. (2023). Developing a short language classroom engagement scale (LCES) and linking it with needs satisfaction and achievement. System, 120, 103189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103189

Ertürk, G. (2022). Investigation of Preservice EFL Teacher’s Digital Literacy Levels and Digital Literacy Skills. Educational Research Quarterly, 46(1). 3-32.

Esteve-Mon, F. M., Llopis, M. Ángeles, & Adell-Segura, J. (2020). Digital Competence and Computational Thinking of Student Teachers. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 15(02), 29–41. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i02.11588

Garcia, A., Mirra, N., Morrell, E., Martinez, A., & Scorza, D. (2015). The Council of Youth Research: Critical Literacy and Civic Agency in the Digital Age, Reading & Writing Quarterly, 31(2), 151-167, https://doi.org/10.1080/10573569.2014.962203

Golden, N. A. (2017). “Critical Digital Literacies across Scales and Beneath the Screen.” Educational Media International, 54 (4): 373–387. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2017.1391523.

Gouseti, A., Lakkala, M., Raffaghelli, J., Ranieri, M., Roffi, A., & Ilomäki, L. (2023). Exploring teachers’ perceptions of critical digital literacies and how these are manifested in their teaching practices. Educational Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2022.2159933

Hafner, C. A., Chik, A., & Jones, R. H. (2015). Digital literacies and language learning. Language Learning & Technology, 19, 1–7.

Hamat, A., & Abu Hassan, H. (2019). Use of Social Media for Informal Language Learning by Malaysian University Students. 3L: The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 25(4), 68 – 83. http://doi.org/10.17576/3L-2019-2504-0568

Han, Y., & Reinhardt, J. (2022). Autonomy in the Digital Wilds: Agency, Competence, and Self-Efficacy in the Development of L2 Digital Identities. TESOL Quarterly, 56 (3): 985–1015. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3142.

Hatlevik, O. E. (2017). Examining the relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy, their digital competence, strategies to evaluate information, and use of ICT at school. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 61(5), 555–567. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2016.1172501

Hauck, M. (2019). Virtual exchange for (critical) digital literacy skills development. European Journal of Language Policy, 11(2): 187–210. https://doi.org/10.3828/ejlp.2019.12

Hiver, P., Mercer, S., & Al-Hoorie, A. H. (Eds.). (2020). Student engagement in the language classroom. Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters.

Indah, R. N., Budhiningrum, A. S., & Afifi, N. (2022). The research competence, critical thinking skills and digital literacy of Indonesian EFL students. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 13(2), 315-324.

Jones, R., & Hafner, C. (2021). Understanding Digital Literacies: A Practical Introduction. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003177647

Jones, R. H. (2021). “The Text Is Reading You: Teaching Language in the Age of the Algorithm.” Linguistics and Education, 62:100750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2019.100750.

Juhaňák, L., Zounek, J., Záleská, K., Bárta, O., & Vlčková, K. (2019). The relationship between the age at first computer use and students' perceived competence and autonomy in ICT usage: A mediation analysis. Computers and Education, 141(1),103614.

Kahu, E. (2013). Framing Student Engagement in Higher Education. Studies in Higher Education, 38, 758-773. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2011.598505

Kang, S., & Kim, Y. (2021). Examining the quality of mobile-assisted, video-making task outcomes: The role of proficiency, narrative ability, digital literacy, and motivation. Language Teaching Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211047984

Kang, S., & Kim, Y. (2023). EFL adolescent learners’ perceptions of digital multimodal composing tasks and task outcomes: A longitudinal study. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 33(2). https://doi-org.sdl.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/ijal.12473

Kennedy, G., Krause, K.-L., Judd, T., Churchward, A., & Gray, K. (2008). First-year students' experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives? Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 24(1), 108-122.

Knobel, M., & Lankshear, C. (2018). Researching New Literacies: Design, Theory, and Data in Sociocultural Investigation. New York: Peter Lang Publishing Group. https://doi.org/10.3726/978-1-4539-1649-0

Lambert, C., Philp, J., & Nakamura, S. (2017). Learner-generated content and engagement in second language task performance. Language Teaching Research, 21, 665e680. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168816683559.

Leu, D., Kinzer, C., Coiro, J., Castek, J., & Henry, L. (2017). New literacies: A dual-level theory of the changing nature of literacy, instruction, and assessment. Journal of Education, 197(2), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205741719700202

Liu, G. (2023). Interrogating critical digital literacies in the Chinese context: insights from an ethnographic case study, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2241859

Marsh, J. (2019). Researching the digital literacy and multimodal practices of young children: A European agenda for change. In Erstad, O., Flewitt, R., Kümmerling-Meibauer, B., & Pereira, Í.S. (Eds.). (2019). The Routledge Handbook of Digital Literacies in Early Childhood (1st ed., pp. 17-28). Routledge.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203730638

McDougall, J., Readman, M., & Wilkinson, P. (2018). The uses of (digital) literacy. Learning, Media and Technology, 43(3), 263–279. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2018.1462206

Mercer, S., & Dörnyei, Z. (2020). Engaging students in contemporary classrooms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Mishra, C. (2019). Faculty Perceptions of Digital Information Literacy (DIL) at an Indian University: An Exploratory Study, New Review of Academic Librarianship, 25(1), 76-94, https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2018.1517102

Mulcahy, C. M. (2008). “Chapter 1: The Tangled Web We Weave: Critical Literacy and Critical Thinking.” Counterpoints 326: 15–27.

Murray, L., Giralt, M., & Benini, S. (2020). Extending digital literacies: Proposing an agentive literacy to tackle the problems of distractive technologies in language learning. ReCALL, 32(3): 250–271. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344020000130

Nazanin Dehdary. (2022). On the Path Towards a Critical Literacy-Based Pedagogy in Oman, Changing English, 29(3), 297-309. https://doi.org/10.1080/1358684X.2022.2069546

O’Brien, D., & Scharber, C. (2008). Digital literacies go to school: Potholes and possibilities. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52, 66–68.

Pangrazio, L. (2016). Reconceptualising critical digital literacy. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 37(2), 163–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2014.942836

Papi, M., & Hiver, P. (2020). Language learning motivation as a complex dynamic system: A global perspective of truth, control, and value. The Modern Language Journal, 104(1), 209e232. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12624.

Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2005). “Critical Thinking and the Art of Substantive Writing, Part I.” Journal of Developmental Education 29 (1), 40-41.

Pötzsch, H. (2019). Critical digital literacy: Technology in education beyond issues of user competence and labour-market qualifications. Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society, 17(2), 221–240. https://doi.org/10.31269/triplec.v17i2.1093

Prensky, M. (2001). "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1", On the Horizon, 9 (5), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816

Reeve, J., Jang, H., Carrell, D., Jeon, S., & Barch, J. (2004). Enhancing students’ engagement by increasing teachers’ autonomy support. Motivation and Emotion, 28, 147-169. doi:10.1023/B:MOEM.0000032312.95499.6f

Sauro, S., & Zourou, K. (2019). “What Are the Digital Wilds?” Language Learning & Technology, 23(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10125/44666.

Šorgo, A., Bartol, T., Dolničar, D., & Podgornik, B. B. (2017). Attributes of digital natives as predictors of information literacy in higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 48(3), 749–767. doi:10.1111/bjet.12451

Tour, E., Creely, E., & Waterhouse, P. (2021). “It’s a black hole…”: Exploring teachers’ narratives and practices for digital literacies in the adult EAL context. Adult Education Quarterly 71,. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741713621991516

Watulak, S. (2016). Reflection in action: using inquiry groups to explore critical digital literacy with preservice teachers, Educational Action Research, 24(4), 503-518, https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2015.1106957

Weber, H., Hillmert, S., & Rott, K. (2018). Can digital information literacy among undergraduates be improved? Evidence from an experimental study, Teaching in Higher Education, 23(8), 909-926. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2018.1449740

Zhou, Y., & Wei, M. (2018). Strategies in technology-enhanced language learning, Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 8(2), https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2018.8.2.13




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/3L-2024-3004-21

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


 

 

 

eISSN : 2550-2247

ISSN : 0128-5157