Shaping Digital Literacy of IT-Students in the Process of Foreign Language Acquisition for Professional Purpose

Abstract

The article elaborates on the problem of shaping digital literacy skills in students of IT majors in context of modern challenges. Based on the analysis of relevant scientific works, the concept of digital literacy is defined as an integral ability to consciously, critically, and safely apply digital technologies for information retrieval, interaction, content creation, and solving professional tasks. A series of practical tasks adapted for English language classes in IT-groups is proposed. It is aimed
at combining language training with the development of technical skills. These include: analysis of open sources (OSINT), assessment of one’s cyber hygiene, identification of phishing messages, detection of biases in datasets, critical code review with emphasis on common vulnerabilities, analysis of licenses and security of software libraries, as well as work with user agreement terms. The proposed tasks involve the use of authentic materials, development of critical thinking, and the expansion of English-language technical terminology.
Practical orientation of the tasks is embedded in close-to-real-life situations that students encounter during their studies and future professional activities: risk assessment, working with data, understanding security policies, and communication in technical English. The acquired experience contributes to enhancing digital literacy, strengthening cybersecurity skills, and fostering responsible digital citizenship.