Integrating critical media literacy and digital safety in EFL teaching

Abstract

The article examines the integration of critical media literacy and digital safety into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching, especially as digital environments grow and information-related risks rise. The aim of the study is to analyze and systematize existing approaches to combining media literacy, safety, and language learning, as well as to outline generalized principles and practical dimensions of safety-oriented instruction. The study uses a mix of theoretical and empirical methods. The theoretical part focuses on analyzing, comparing, and generalizing recent research on critical media literacy, digital safety, and EFL pedagogy. The empirical component relies on structured pedagogical reflection from the authors’ professional experience with educational initiatives in Jean Monnet projects – EUSELENA and EUSPACE at Sumy National Agrarian University, Ukraine, which involved combining media literacy and safety-related content with EFL teaching and creating related materials and tasks. Results. Based on the analysis, the study outlines a set of generalized principles for media literacy and safety-focused instruction in the EFL classroom, including integration, explicit safety, scaffolded criticality, authenticity, action-oriented learning, and reflection. These principles are further considered through three interrelated practical dimensions: critical media evaluation, digital safety and well-being, and communicative competence with elements of digital citizenship. The article also outlines practical teaching activities, such as working with authentic media materials, analyzing online content, and engaging students in reflective and production-focused tasks. The conclusions highlight that critical media literacy and safety issues can be meaningfully integrated into EFL teaching when seen as interconnected components of the learning process. The study contributes to a more structured understanding of how these elements can be addressed in language education and can inform curriculum development and teaching approaches in modern, digitally mediated settings.