Digital literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information using digital technologies. In ELT, it functions as both a pedagogical tool (technology used to teach language) and a learning objective (the digital skills learners need to function in contemporary society). Both teachers and learners require it.
Digital literacy is not a single skill but a cluster of competencies:
| Dimension | Description |
|---|---|
| Information literacy | Finding, evaluating, and managing online information; distinguishing reliable from unreliable sources |
| Communication literacy | Using digital tools for effective communication: email etiquette, forum participation, netiquette |
| Media literacy | Analysing and creating multimodal texts: videos, infographics, podcasts, social media posts |
| Technical literacy | Operating devices, software, and platforms; troubleshooting common problems |
| Critical literacy | Questioning bias, ideology, and power in digital texts; recognising misinformation and manipulation |
| Safety literacy | Managing privacy, passwords, digital footprint, and online identity |
Digital literacy intersects with language teaching at multiple points:
Teachers need their own digital literacy to:
The gap between teachers' and learners' digital competence ("digital immigrant" vs "digital native") has been overstated; Prensky's (2001) binary is largely discredited, but genuine differences in confidence and skill with specific tools do exist and require attention in teacher education.
Digital literacy is one of the "4 Cs" of 21st-century education (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity) that language curricula increasingly incorporate. The integration of digital literacy into ELT reflects the recognition that language competence in the modern world cannot be separated from the ability to operate in digital environments.