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Closing the literacy gap in geography: writing strategies for multi-lingual learners

Closing the literacy gap in geography: writing strategies for multi-lingual learners

20 April 2026

Read time: 10mins

‘Developing confident geographical writers in multilingual classrooms requires more than simply simplifying tasks or reducing expectations. As geographers, we ask students to analyse processes, interpret evidence, and construct reasoned arguments using precise academic language.’

Fiona Sheriff and Maria Pitt

In our last blog post, we explored how we can use adaptive teaching strategies to help our multi-lingual students access texts in geography. In this blog post we will explore how we can help our multi-lingual students with their writing.

We know, as geography teachers, that we often ask students to complete quite complex writing tasks where they will need to write balanced arguments and use technical geographical vocabulary to describe and explain processes. This is often not an easy task for students who have English as their first language, let alone their second, third or fourth language.

Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WritingSystemsoftheWorld.png

Let’s start with a map, as geographers we love maps. This map shows the world writing system distribution. Whilst many of the countries on this map are coloured in mint green and have the Latin alphabet (the alphabet we use every day), we can see that there is also a plethora of countries which use a different writing system.

In our school context we have students who write using a range of writing systems including those that start from the right-hand side of the page. Using a completely new and differing writing system is challenging, for example a student that grew up, and went to school in Pakistan before moving to the UK may speak and write in Urdu. When learning English, our Urdu students will have to transition from using a right-to-left system to a left-to-right system with a completely different writing system and the sentence structures differ – in English we use subject-verb-object, for example:

Whereas in Urdu, subject-object-verb is used instead. This is a lot to contend with; a new language, a new writing system, a new sentence structure and technical vocabulary all in one space where very few people speak the same language as you. So, how can we help our multi-lingual geography students to access our subject and feel successful while doing so? If we return to our student’s level of acquisition and competence:

Developing competence (90–99) students can follow the main ideas in a geographical text but may struggle with inference and academic vocabulary such as interdependence, sustainable, or longshore drift.
Early acquisition (80–89) learners understand simple English and everyday instructions but need significant scaffolding to access geographical academic language.
New to English (below 80) students typically rely on visuals and gestures, recognising single words or short phrases, but struggle to access extended geographical text.

To effectively support multilingual students in geography – particularly those assessed as New to English or Early Acquisition with proficiency metrics below 80 or between 80–89 – targeted literacy intervention is essential. Students within these bands often face significant barriers in accessing the mainstream curriculum, which can negatively impact academic attainment. This challenge is particularly acute for in-year admissions, where students enter the UK education system at later stages such as year 10 or year 11, with limited exposure to academic English.

Research suggests that developing proficiency in academic English can take between five and seven years(1), placing increased pressure on schools to close literacy and vocabulary gaps – especially in subjects like geography that rely heavily on technical terminology, extended writing, and analytical reasoning.

Geographical learning requires students to construct balanced arguments, interpret data, and apply subject-specific language such as erosion, urbanisation, development indicators, and sustainability. As a result, sustained and targeted support is required throughout students’ learning journeys to meet their individual needs.

Where do we start?

The initial focus should centre on three core areas:

Tier 2 and geographical vocabulary
Key vocabulary should be explicitly taught, with translations provided where appropriate to secure understanding. Encouraging students to maintain a geography-specific vocabulary book for each topic promotes independence and reinforces retention. This approach supports students in confidently integrating subject terminology into written responses.
Grammar in geographical context
Grammar instruction should be embedded within geographical examples. Students must understand the correct use of proper nouns and capitalisation, such as Mount Everest, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Definite and indefinite articles should be modelled clearly:

the – the River Nile
a/an – a mountain, an ocean, a lake

Students should also distinguish between common and proper geographical nouns:

the river vs the River Thames

Teachers should consistently model punctuation – full stops, commas, and sentence structure – within geography writing to reinforce clarity and academic style.

Structured geographical writing
Providing scaffolded writing frames, sentence starters, and gap-fill exercises allows students to practise applying vocabulary in context. Sentence frames such as

‘One cause of urbanisation is…’
‘This leads to environmental impacts such as…’

help students build logical explanations while developing confidence. Over time, structured support can be gradually removed as students progress toward formal, analytical paragraph writing commonly required in geography assessments.

What strategies can we use to help students strengthen their geographical writing?

With all of these strategies, it is important to note that many of these could be used as adaptive teaching techniques which could help all students to access geography.

Vocabulary acquisition strategies

Use illustrated word mats to introduce and reinforce key geographical vocabulary alongside supportive images. Clear definitions can be provided, or students can be encouraged to create their own meanings first in their home language before translating into English as their confidence develops. This approach promotes understanding, retention, and independent learning.

This example was given to year 8 students studying the unit ‘Life in the Arctic Circle’. Alongside this they have a translated glossary which we have developed in a range of languages.

Multilingual glossaries: Encourage the use of dictionaries, create glossaries that allow students to add definitions in their home language (examples of this can be seen in our previous blog posts).

Word walls and flashcards: Use word walls and flashcards to reinforce vocabulary. Students can also create their own flashcards in their home language with translations.

Writing scaffolding strategies: Sentence and paragraph frames can be used to help students to structure their work. These can be in the form of prompts on the whiteboard, structure strips to stick into margins or a list of sentence starters. You can also provide lists of vocabulary that you would like students to try and use.

This structure strip was used with year 7 students after a biodiversity fieldwork investigation. We modelled paragraphs together using the ‘I do, we do, you do’ strategy and then tasked students with writing about the second piece of evidence that supported their hypothesis.

Mini whiteboards can also be used here to help students to gather their ideas before writing them in full in their exercise books. They could also use the mini whiteboards to write their ideas in their home language before writing in English. Teachers can also use the mini whiteboards to translate any vocabulary that the students wish to use, but are unsure of the word in English.

The second example here is of sentence starters when we were discussing the reasons for differences in development data. This was firstly modelled with different countries before asking students to compare the UK and Malawi.

Substitution tables

Used to provide sentence structures that allow students to substitute key vocabulary words into pre-built sentences. Organisations such as the Bell Foundation have some great examples of substitution tables and how they can be used in geography lessons.

With year 7 we have used them to help students to describe features in grid squares to help students to structure their sentences. For example, using this map extract we asked students to find different features to test their ability to use grid references and identify OS map symbols.

Here is an example of a substitution grid used to help students to write sentences about the map.

This strategy enables a teacher to break down the sentences into manageable chunks to structure them correctly. Students pick options from each column to create a range of sentences. Image source: Ordnance Survey Another example we have used is when looking at trade in year 11 and considering why we need to trade with other countries due to the produce that can be grown in the UK. While this is a very simple way to look at trade, it is a practical way to help students to write about trade in their exams when they are in early stages of language proficiency.

Labelling and annotating diagrams

This is great to show understanding by labelling diagrams before writing full paragraphs. Students can choose key geographical terminology from a word box to add to the diagram. As students become more proficient in English, they can then use the diagram to help them to structure their paragraphs.

Translanguaging

This strategy can be implemented through carefully selected groupings of mixed-ability students. Placing EAL learners alongside confident speakers and positive role models can support language development, while pairing students with varying levels of English proficiency allows peer modelling and reinforcement.

In some cases, grouping students who share the same first language can be equally effective, enabling them to collaborate, clarify understanding, and support one another. Peer support can be highly impactful; however, knowing your learners well is essential to ensure these groupings remain purposeful and positive.

Students can also plan in their home language first, organising ideas into paragraph frames or PEEL (point, evidence, explanation, link) paragraphs. Once the planning is complete this can then be translated into English.

It is important that translanguaging is deliberately planned within schemes of work (Habib, 2026)(2), rather than used solely as a reactive strategy. While spontaneous translanguaging remains a valuable feature of a multilingual classroom, intentionally embedding structured opportunities for it is both inclusive and adaptive. Planned translanguaging supports students in securing key geographical vocabulary and, in turn, deepens their understanding of the core systems and processes that underpin geographical study.

Conclusion: supporting multilingual learners to write like geographers

Developing confident geographical writers in multilingual classrooms requires more than simply simplifying tasks or reducing expectations. As geographers, we ask students to analyse processes, interpret evidence, and construct reasoned arguments using precise academic language.

For students learning through an additional language, particularly those who are new to English or in the early acquisition stage, this presents a significant cognitive and linguistic challenge. However, with deliberate, well-structured support, these barriers can be systematically reduced.

Key to this approach is the explicit teaching of geographical vocabulary, the embedding of grammar within meaningful subject contexts, and the careful scaffolding of extended writing. Strategies such as visual word mats, multilingual glossaries, sentence frames, substitution tables, annotated diagrams, and translanguaging enable students to access complex geographical ideas while steadily building academic English. Importantly, many of these techniques are examples of high-quality adaptive teaching that benefit all learners, not just EAL learners.

Writing support should be planned into schemes of work rather than used reactively. When opportunities for vocabulary development, structured writing, and translanguaging are intentionally woven through our curriculums, students are better equipped to understand key systems, processes, and case studies, and to communicate this understanding with increasing confidence and accuracy.

Key takeaways for geography teachers

Teach vocabulary explicitly and visually, encouraging bilingual support where appropriate.
Embed grammar within geographical examples, reinforcing academic writing conventions naturally.
Use structured writing scaffolds to guide students from simple sentences to analytical paragraphs.
Incorporate diagrams and visual planning tools as stepping stones to extended writing.
Plan translanguaging strategically to deepen understanding and reduce cognitive overload.
View these strategies as adaptive teaching for all, not just EAL learners.

By combining high expectations with thoughtful scaffolding, geography teachers can empower multilingual learners to engage fully with the subject – enabling them not only to understand the world around them, but to write about it with clarity, confidence, and academic precision.

References

(1) Habib. B (2026) Using translanguaging in the classroom. Teaching Geography, volume 51, Geographical Association.

(2) Farrell. J (2024) Academic language for English language learners. Leeds City Council website.

This blog is the second in a four part series about how we can support our multilingual students in the geography classroom. Other blogs in this series:

Written by Fiona Sheriff, Head of Geography at Kingsthorpe College, and Vice President of the Geographical Association (left) and Maria Pitt, EAL Co-ordinator at Kingsthorpe College (right).