The digital turn in L2 writing: A bibliometric study of digital literacies in language education

Abstrak

The rapid integration of digital technologies in language education has reshaped the nature of L2 writing, shifting it toward multimodal, digitally mediated, and increasingly AI-assisted practices. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on digital literacy in L2 writing from 2019 to 2025. Using a dataset of 499 Scopus-indexed publications, the study maps publication trends, conceptual structures, and thematic clusters through performance analysis and co-occurrence network visualization using VOSviewer. The results show a consistent increase in scholarly output, with the lowest publication activity observed in 2019 and the highest concentration of studies occurring in 2024, alongside a marked surge in research on multimodality, digital writing tools, and AI-enhanced writing. Network and density visualizations reveal three dominant research pillars: L2 writing, multimodal composition, and digital literacy practices, alongside emerging themes related to identity, feedback, and critical digital literacy. Highly cited publications highlight the growing influence of AI in L2 writing pedagogy. The findings suggest the need for theoretical models that integrate multimodal, critical, and AI-based literacies, as well as pedagogical approaches that support learners’ creative, ethical, and autonomous engagement with digital tools. This study offers the first holistic mapping of digital literacy research in L2 writing, providing a basis for future research and instructional innovation.