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    Programme 2020-2023
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    Digital citizenship through language education
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    Digital citizenship

Digital citizenship

What is digital citizenship? This is a key question if you want to contribute to the training of citizens who use both languages and digital technology. Knowing what constitutes digital citizenship means knowing what you might focus on in the training.

Defining digital citizenship

The following definition of digital citizenship is based on a meta-analysis of 96 texts published between 2016 and 2020. The texts, which were published by specialists and national and international organisations, including the Council of Europe, were selected because they define digital citizenship or refer to its various components. The result is a ‘portrait’ of citizens who are users both of languages and of digital technology.


What characterises people who use languages and digital technology?

They are social actors with plural identities who (inter)act online and offline in various communities. Their actions are largely determined by the rights and responsibilities that derive from their own values and those of their communities.

RECEPTION

of information, content, etc.

MEDIATION

by relaying and commenting on information, for example

PRODUCTION AND INTERACTION

concerning  content, professional practice, tools, ways of interacting, etc.

TRANSFORMATION

of society, communities, professional practice, etc. and therefore of rights, responsibilities and values

A portrait of language and digital technology users

The ‘portrait’ is not intended as a model, nor is it a goal to be achieved. It is the result of a structured compilation of elements that the team found in the publications they studied. It should enable language education professionals to identify the aspects they can work on with participants who wish to contribute to digital citizenship education.

To find out more about the concept of citizens as users of languages and digital technology, read the portrait drawn up by the project team. You can also consult:

  • the list of publications analysed, which is available in pdf format or as an online shared Zotero library;
  • instructions for using the Zotero library;
  • a (more detailed) article published in a scientific journal written by four members of the team: [1]

Links with language teaching

Education for digital citizenship and language teaching are similar in that they aim to train members of society. Both assume that these members of society act within plural communities ranging from the speech community (community formed by people directly involved in an act of communication) to global social groups. In a socio-interactional approach to language education (cf. Ollivier & projet e-lang, 2018; Caws, Hamel, Janneau & Ollivier, 2021), as in education for digital citizenship, these communities play an essential role. It is believed that people's actions are largely determined by their interaction with and within these communities.

Civic action

The citizen, who is a user of languages and digital technology is a person (a subject) considered here as a... 

  • a member of society with a plural identity who is involved in various communities;
  • whose actions are largely determined by rights and responsibilities linked to certain values;
  • who (inter)acts using digital technology
    • in specific areas and
    • in specific ways,
    • based on his or her personal attributes and
    • depending on the given context / infrastructure.
The actions of citizens should be consistant and regular, competent and effective, well-informed, safe, coherent, ethical, responsible and critical.

As regards languages and digital technology, to be a citizen and a user of languages and digital technology who is able to participate in sociaty requires:
  • knowledge;
  • skills (particularly cognitive and socio-emotional skills) and know-how (particularly technical know-how);
  • awareness (of the different dimensions that make up digital citizenship: for example, awareness of what constitutes safe (or unsafe) or ethical (or unethical) behaviour;
  • a (critical) understanding of information, uses, digital technology, etc;
  • Attitudes or interpersonal skills, including the ability to make a commitment.
For example, to act ethically and responsibly, you need to be aware of what ethical and responsible action is and have knowledge and critical understanding of your rights and responsibilities. You also need to have the necessary know-how (technological, for example) and skills to exercise your rights and responsibilities, and to be prepared to make a personal commitment.