Abstract
ABSTRACT This experimental study examined the influence of vocabulary and spelling on teachers’ perceptions of English as a second language (ESL) essays. Sixty-nine pre-service teachers from Switzerland and Germany rated four upper-intermediate ESL argumentative essays and provided written comments on strengths and weaknesses of the student compositions. In Study 1 (N = 34), the level of lexical sophistication and diversity of the four texts had been experimentally varied. Results suggest a successful manipulation, since comments responding to texts with a low quality of vocabulary included more negative feedback points regarding vocabulary. Yet, participants also commented more negatively on grammar when responding to texts with a low quality of vocabulary, indicating a halo effect. In Study 2 (N = 35), the quality of spelling was manipulated in the same four student essays. Results indicate that comments responding to texts with a low quality of spelling involved more negative feedback points regarding spelling (manipulation check) on the one hand, and vocabulary, grammar, and others (halo effects) on the other hand. In both studies, teachers’ perception of strengths and weaknesses correlated moderately with their holistic and analytic assessment of the texts. The implications of this study for classroom practice and teacher education are discussed.
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