Academic language in geography education has attracted attention due to the increasing linguistic heterogeneity in most classrooms. Considering that subject-specific language differs from the language students use in their everyday lives, language-aware geography education contributes to addressing subject-specific language demands. However, there seems to be little empirical research and no systematic overview available concerning this topic. Thus, the aim of this study is to systematically review publications that empirically researched language in geography education to provide a synthesized state of knowledge for future research in this field. In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, a final selection of 38 studies from three literature databases–Web of Science, ProQuest, and Scopus–were analyzed in this study. The empirical studies were categorized with reference to their subject-specific themes, concepts of space, and working methods, as well as the examined language. The main findings showed that the studies primarily examined language at the text/discourse level and in the written language mode. Particularly, the studies predominately investigated reading skills. Furthermore, physical geographical themes were at the center of the set of publications. This systematic review has both theoretical and practical implications for future research on the role of language in geography education research.Neli Heidari, Markus Sebastian Feser, Nina Scholten, Knut Schwippert & Sandra Sprenger
We identified 38 peer-reviewed publications that empirically investigated the above outcomes. Following the examination of the systematic review, three key findings were identified in the present research. First, the reported publications predominantly examined language at the text/discourse level (33 studies) rather than the word (10 studies) and sentence levels (4 studies). Second, it became evident that written language (33 studies) was at the center of the publications compared to spoken language (14 studies). Notably, ten of the selected studies researched both language modes. Third, the geographical content of the publications primarily referred to physical-geographical themes (22 studies), as opposed to human geographical themes (3 studies).
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Our first and second findings highlight that examined language at the text/ discourse level appears in connection with both continuous and discontinuous texts in geography education research, which is in accordance with our theoretical framework (Berendes et al., 2018; Snow & Uccelli, 2009). Additionally, the main language skill researched in the selected set of studies was reading a text, with Alford and Windeyer (2014), Chang et al. (2021), Lee (2010) and Ward-Washington (2001) being exemplary publications. In this regard, it is interesting to note that the language-aware teaching of reading as a key language skill was at the center INTeRNATIoNAl ReSeARCH IN GeoGRAPHICAl ANd eNvIR oNMeNTAl eduCATIoN
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For instance, Alford and Windeyer (2014) explored reading skills of EAL students based on a language-driven content and language integration model where content is used as a vehicle to learn the target language (Banegas, 2012; Met, 1999) (p. 79). An interesting finding of this particular study is that language-aware geography education can be enhanced by utilizing the expertise of language teachers, who can investigate the language demands of geography () to identify the literacy practices within geography that create opportunities for learning (p. 91). This idea is further supported by the research findings of Ward-Washington (2001), which states that, It is recommended that high school content area teachers are trained in the most current reading research practices especially strategic reading instruction (p. 67). One interpretation of these findings is that language and content are closely intertwined, thus highlighting that the proficiency in reading skills prov
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It is a well-known fact that reading skills are key to educational achievements (Gallagher & Leahy, 2019; OECD, 2019; Seah & Chan, 2021). Considering this, it is interesting to note that the study by Chang et al. (2021) also supports the notion that there is a positive correlation between students reading skills and subject-specific achievements. This is further supported by the results of Lee (2010), which state that the explicit teaching of subject-specific language enhances the meaning construction from geographical information (p. 84). This contributes to a more profound understanding of the complexity, interconnectedness and multi-layered notion of geography (Alexandre, 2009; Puttick & Cullinane, 2022).
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