Aligning EFL Education With Digital Skills in Saudi Vision 2030: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1606.29Keywords:
conceptual inconsistencies, curriculum designers, empowering digital skills, systematic review, workforce demandsAbstract
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 aims to diversify the economy by enhancing human capabilities and essential skills, highlighting the importance of EFL education in fostering international collaboration and improving digital competencies for success in the global digital economy. However, existing EFL curricula and teaching methods appear to be misaligned with these digital goals. This systematic review analyzed the integration of digital skills in Saudi EFL contexts by synthesizing empirical research published from 2013 to 2025, employing the PRISMA framework and data from major databases, including IEEE Xplore, Springer, Taylor & Francis, ERIC, ScienceDirect, and Wiley Online Library. The review highlights five main themes: (1) the conceptualization of digital skills in EFL education as per Saudi Vision 2030, (2) integration of these skills into curricula and teaching practices, (3) alignment with workforce demands, (4) distribution across educational levels, and (5) identification of gaps, challenges, and potential future directions. The findings revealed conceptual inconsistencies in the EFL curriculum, highlighting the need for a unified framework. Key issues include insufficient managerial support, unclear policies, and a misalignment between curriculum goals and labor market demands, further exacerbated by the absence of policies to empower learners' digital skills across all educational levels. The study highlights that to achieve the Vision 2030 goals, there must be a shift in language learning, viewing technology not just as a tool but as a core competency, which necessitates agile, digitally integrated EFL frameworks from policymakers and curriculum designers.
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