EAL classrooms are spaces to build communicative competence in the English language. That language has a unique role for many people around the world. For those without financial resources who do not live in English dominant countries, the digital sphere is perhaps the only space in which authentic use of the language is likely to take place. For learners situated in inner circle countries, effective use of the language can make the difference between social, economic and political exclusion, or inclusion. This is also true for a lesser extent in outer circle countries. For those in expanding circle countries, English is becoming a language of the global elite in political, economic, and academic life. In all of these circles, it is often used as a lingua franca. Sociocultural theory states that true competence in encoding and decoding language can only exist when there is an understanding of the cultural realities attached to the communication when it is used. Digital media provide the vector of communication for a tremendous number of communicative acts in all of the circles, but communication in the digital medium carries special attributes that are not necessarily obvious or transparent. Therefore, it seems imperative to arm language users with an understanding of communication issues the digital realm as well as an understanding of the implication of communication in this space. Furthermore, there is an ethical responsibility to empower language users from a variety of background with equal agency and therefore equal voice. Doing so requires more than just technical skills, but also skills of critique and critical language awareness, productive ability, and an understanding of agency and rights claims that stretch from the linguistic to the economic and political. By reimagining Critical Language Awareness as a component of a multiliteracy approach that encompasses the full spectrum of analogue to digital communication in English, teachers, students, and policy makers can work toward making language studies as relevant, authentic, and empowering as possible. 

Adapted from: (PDF) English as an Additional Language: Enhancing Critical Digital Literacy (researchgate.net)