A Comparison of Lexical Feedback on Writing Received from Peers and a Teacher
Rachael Ruegg
Akita International University
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7820/vli.v02.1.ruegg
Download this article (pdf)

Abstract
While a vast number of studies have compared feedback from different
sources, few studies if any have compared feedback on lexis from different
sources. It is therefore unclear whether the amount or type of feedback
given by peers is comparable to that given by a teacher. This study
considers feedback on lexical errors in writing as a method of incidental
vocabulary instruction and compares lexical feedback given by peers and
a teacher over a period of one academic year. While it was found that the
teacher gave significantly more feedback on word choice than the peers
did, there was no significant difference between the amount of feedback
on word use, or the total amount of lexical feedback given by peers and
the teacher. It was also found that both peers and the teacher gave a
considerable amount of feedback on word use and much less on word
choice. If written feedback on writing is to be effective as a form of
incidental vocabulary instruction, it is suggested that both teachers and
peers should focus more on word choice when giving feedback on writing.

Citation
Ruegg, R. (2013). A comparison of lexical feedback on writing received from peers and a teacher. Vocabulary Learning and Instruction, 2 (1), 25-31. doi: 10.7820/vli.v02.1.ruegg