Understanding the digital literacies of English major students in tertiary education

Due to the infusion of technology in education, second language acquisition is transforming enormously. While studies on technology-assisted language learning abound, research on the perceptions of digital literacies for those majoring in languages, especially English, remains scarce. This study investigated relationships between self-perceived digital literacies (knowledge, skills, attitudes), English reading comprehension, and demographics (academic years, geographic areas). 227 Chinese-background English major students from two universities completed a digital literacies questionnaire, a digital literacies test, and an English reading test. Results showed moderate-to-high self-perceived digital knowledge and skills, but no correlation was found between self-perceptions and actual digital competency. A positive correlation emerged between actual digital literacies and reading comprehension (r=.219, p<.001). Urban participants demonstrated higher self-perceptions and better scores in some skills. A notable perception-performance gap highlights potential overconfidence arising from daily digital practices versus guided academic application.