Teaching students who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL) is both deeply rewarding and uniquely challenging. EAL students aren’t just learning how to write; they’re learning how to express their thoughts, stories and opinions in a new language.
Without a structured, confidence-building framework, it’s all too easy for students to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of things they need to juggle – grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, structure.
In recent years, many schools have experimented with AI-driven writing instruction tools promising instant feedback on grammar, style, even ‘creativity’. But for EAL learners, those solutions often miss the mark.
Kathleen Killick is CEO of Seven Steps to Writing Success, an award-winning program that provides an explicit, practical framework for teaching students how to become great writers.
Killick says while automated platforms might flag grammar errors, improve sentence structure or word choice, they don’t develop the deeper language skills that underpin genuine fluency and great writing skills.
“As a result, students can become overly reliant on ‘fix-it’ mechanics and struggle to progress beyond this, with some teachers claiming that these automated platforms are ‘killing creativity’ and ‘building poor writing habits’,” Killick told The Educator.
“What’s more, these platforms often bypass the teacher rather than empowering them with hands-on strategies to help students craft a compelling opening, organise ideas into coherent paragraphs or develop a nuanced argument.”
Across Australia, a growing number of educators are turning instead to a proven pedagogical framework – one that balances structure with creativity, prioritises collaboration and encourages risk-taking without fear of immediate correction.
“As an EAL/D teacher, Seven Steps to Writing Success really supports our pedagogy. It understands the importance of quality teaching, explicit modelling and oral interaction!” Renata Ninevski, Jesmond Public School, said.
Below, Killick shares seven key strategies that have been transforming EAL writing instruction – helping learners express themselves with confidence and flair.
1. Break Writing into Bite-Sized Chunks
EAL students often face cognitive overload – trying to juggle grammar, vocabulary, structure and creativity all at once. By breaking writing into small, manageable parts, teachers help students focus on one skill at a time.
A step-by-step approach (such as the Seven Steps to Writing Success) allows students to focus on one technique at a time – whether it’s crafting a memorable ‘Sizzling Start’, developing tension or tightening a conclusion. This approach reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed, builds confidence and makes writing manageable for students of all abilities.
“Using Seven Steps shows students that writing can be quick and fun and doesn’t need to be a long and laborious task. This is especially helpful for students who struggle or have negative associations with writing activities.”
– Rosie Russell, Deputy Principal, Hollywood Primary School
2. Build Confidence Through Purposeful Repetition
Repeating the skills they have learnt through engaging and increasingly challenging tasks, is a powerful confidence-builder. By revisiting the same writing skill in various genres (narrative, persuasive, informative), students develop and consolidate their understanding.
A scaffolded routine – like practicing Sizzling Starts in a narrative before applying similar hooks in persuasive pieces – helps EAL learners transfer skills across contexts. Over time, that repeated practice leads to a deeper understanding and a willingness to experiment.
3. Model What Great Writing Looks Like
EAL learners benefit immensely from seeing and hearing examples of strong writing before attempting it themselves. Together with the class, teachers can co-construct paragraphs, highlight key features on the board, and model their thinking as they revise each sentence.
In a framework like Seven Steps, each Step comes with worked-through examples, so students see not only what a great tension paragraph should look like, but how to get there. This explicit modelling clarifies expectations and ensures students internalise key techniques and structures.
“When we read various texts, my students consistently point out the writing techniques they’ve learnt from the Seven Steps. They showcase their improved understanding of writing and their ability to analyse and appreciate the craft of authors.”
–Daniela Morsella, Year 4 Teacher
4. Use speaking as the starting point for writing
For EAL students, oral rehearsal is often the bridge between thinking in their native language and expressing ideas in English. Group brainstorming sessions, pair discussions of key vocabulary and quick ‘talk‐throughs’ of an outline all give learners low-stakes opportunities to learn from each other and shape their thoughts.
When these speaking strategies align with a writing framework – such as discussing the elements of a persuasive argument before drafting – the transition to pen and paper becomes smoother, and errors feel less intimidating.
“If you can’t say it, you can’t write it, so speaking is very important for our students. The Seven Steps approach helps develop oral language.”
– Mary Semaan, Head of Primary, Al Sadiq College
5. Use Structure to Empower, Not Restrict
EAL students often come to writing tasks unsure where to start or how to shape their ideas. That’s where structure becomes a powerful ally. A clear framework helps students understand how writing works – not just what to say, but how to organise it effectively.
Instead of asking students to write a full text from scratch, teachers can guide them through key building blocks: an engaging opening, logical development of ideas and a strong ending. That scaffolding doesn’t stifle creativity; instead, it gives learners a reliable roadmap they can revisit independently, reducing guesswork and anxiety.
6. Focus on Ideas First, Grammar Second
Many AI writing tools emphasise error-correction – highlighting every misplaced comma or verb agreement issue. For EAL learners, however, this can reinforce a fear of making mistakes.
A more effective approach is to let students concentrate on expressing a clear idea, crafting an engaging narrative, or developing an argument – then address grammar in subsequent editing stages. By separating idea generation and grammar refinement, teachers help students take risks without freezing up, leading to more authentic, creative, meaningful writing.
“They have become more confident as they’re well-prepared and know the techniques to generate great ideas and produce amazing stories. Only the sky is the limit.”
– Nurafidah Binti Mohd Amin, Primary Teacher, Australian Islamic College Forrestdale
7. Make Writing Collaborative and Fun
Writing shouldn’t be a silent, solitary endeavour. Interactive group activities – such as peer review circles, shared story-building games or collaborative writing challenges – help EAL students learn from each other.
When peers offer constructive feedback (“Try adding more descriptive verbs here.”), learners develop their skills and vocabulary more naturally than they would via isolated drills. Plus, the social dimension of writing fosters a supportive environment where mistakes feel like part of the learning journey, not a dead end.
“[My students] are less ‘scared’ of writing, and they are more willing to engage with the collaboration/group work activities (previously more solo work). [I like] the focus on group brainstorms and group writing as my students are low-confidence and do not like writing as they are several years behind academically and find it challenging.”
– Jessica Elliott, 4/5 teacher, Meekatharra District High School
The Results Speak for Themselves
At Al Sadiq College in Sydney, where most students come from EAL backgrounds, writing outcomes have risen well beyond national averages. Their secret? A commitment across their primary school for structured, explicit instruction – where teachers use Seven Steps to Writing Success to build confidence, competence and creativity in every learner.
Their Head of Junior School, Mary Semaan, shared how the Seven Steps program has made such an impact on their students’ writing:
“We’re really passionate about Seven Steps. Before, teaching writing was like: Ugh, we’ve got to teach writing again. Now, it’s like: Wow! This really works!” Semaan said.
“We wanted a writing program that was going to be explicit but at the same time, we wanted something that was going to give every student the opportunity to succeed.”
Semaan said the program fitted in with the school’s pedagogy especially well because it was taught explicitly.
“But we could also go into deep learning because our kids were asking questions and being creative thinkers using Seven Steps, so we actually met both sides,” she noted.
“In every classroom, across the whole school, you’ll see students talking, writing and improving together. Seven Steps is part of our school culture.”