DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACY AND 21ST CENTURY SKILLS:

Abstract

Digital media literacy remains a persistent challenge in Algerian EFL classrooms, particularly when it comes to navigating artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithm awareness. Despite high exposure to technology, many learners find it difficult to evaluate automated content critically and responsibly. This study aims to examine the cognitive and ethical barriers that affect students' academic research performance in English, with a particular focus on AI literacy and the development of twenty first-century skills (the 4Cs: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity). To achieve this, a mixed-methods approach was employed, combining student questionnaires and classroom observation checklists. The data were collected from forty-two students (N=42) in the English Department at Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University in Mostaganem. The analysis reveals patterns of uncritical reliance on generative outputs, algorithmic dependency, and gaps in digital ethics awareness, as well as observed improvements in structured collaborative tasks. Rather than providing a single, universal explanation, the study explores the intricacies of critical literacy in real classroom settings and interactive workshops. The results confirm the hypotheses that AI and algorithmic awareness have significant effects on students' critical evaluation skills, which in turn affect their overall learning outcomes. In this research, the importance of explicit and context-specific digital pedagogy is highlighted and the foundation for improved instructional and curriculum design in Algerian settings of English language teaching is laid.