Integrating Digital Literacy-Based Instruction in English Language Teaching: Emperical Evidence of Students’ Language Competence and Cognitive Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36312/kmveb993Keywords:
Digital literacy-based instruction, English language teaching, Language competence, Cognitive development, Digital multimodal composingAbstract
Digital transformation has created new opportunities for English language teaching by enabling learners to engage with authentic, multimodal, and interactive learning environments. This study aims to investigate how digital literacy-based instruction influences junior high school students’ English language competence and cognitive development. A qualitative research design with an interpretive approach was employed involving 33 EFL learners from Indonesia, Nepal, and Zimbabwe. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations, and analyzed using the interactive model of data condensation, data display, and conclusion verification. The findings revealed that digital literacy-based instruction enhanced students’ listening, speaking, reading, and writing competence by providing greater exposure to authentic English resources and opportunities for meaningful communication. Furthermore, digital learning activities contributed to students’ cognitive development by promoting critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, and metacognitive engagement. Students became more capable of evaluating information, generating ideas, collaborating with peers, and reflecting on their learning processes. The study concludes that digital literacy-based instruction functions not only as a technological intervention but also as a comprehensive pedagogical framework that integrates language learning and higher-order thinking development. The findings highlight the importance of designing digitally supported English instruction aligned with pedagogical objectives and learners’ contextual needs.
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