DIGITAL LITERACY, COGNITIVE GROWTH, AND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN PAKISTAN’S MULTILINGUAL CONTEXT

Abstract

In contemporary multilingual societies, digital literacy has emerged as a critical competency shaping language learning and cognitive development. This qualitative study investigates the role of digital literacy in mediating cognitive growth and language acquisition within Pakistan’s multilingual educational context. Drawing on sociocultural theory and multiliteracies perspectives, the study explores how digitally mediated practices influence learners’ linguistic engagement, cognitive processing, and meaning-making across multiple languages. Data were collected from undergraduate students and language instructors in urban and semi-urban institutions through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and reflective narratives. Thematic analysis revealed that digital technologies function as mediational tools that extend language learning beyond formal classrooms by enabling access to authentic input, collaborative interaction, and scaffolded learning. Findings further indicate that multilingual digital practices and translanguaging serve as cognitive resources that enhance comprehension, confidence, and communicative competence. Engagement with multimodal digital texts was found to promote deeper cognitive processing, including improved inferencing, memory retention, and analytical thinking. Additionally, digital literacy fostered learner autonomy and metacognitive awareness by supporting self-directed and reflective learning practices. However, the study also identified structural and pedagogical challenges—such as unequal access to technology, limited institutional support, and insufficient teacher training—that constrain the effective integration of digital literacy in language education. Overall, the findings suggest that digital literacy plays a pivotal role in bridging cognitive development and language acquisition in multilingual settings, provided it is embedded within context-sensitive, pedagogically informed, and equitable educational frameworks.