Addressing Information Overload in Smart Environment: Framework for Critical Media Literacy Integration in EFL Context

As media and technology advance and the environment grows smarter, information can spread more quickly and extensively, with fewer filters. In the face of the abundance of diverse multimodal and interactive digital resources, many EFL teachers still lack confidence in their ability to implement critical media literacy (CML) instructions. Meanwhile, the myriad informational media provides EFL teachers with a unique opportunity to teach CML to their students. Using a descriptive qualitative analysis of group discussions and interview data, this study proposes a practical framework to aid teachers in navigating the intricacies of CML practice in an EFL setting. The framework comprises three critical literacy practice resources: theoretical basis and critical media literacy principles, student characteristics and language level, and material and media selection. The framework also includes some competencies, comprising skills to analyse credible information sources, the ability to analyse and critique text or process information, and the ability to produce and distribute information.