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Praise Proficiency: Unraveling Student Perceptions of Praise Types in an ESL Classroom.

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Title: Praise Proficiency: Unraveling Student Perceptions of Praise Types in an ESL Classroom.
Authors: Matthews, Kate1 (AUTHOR), Eckstein, Grant1 (AUTHOR), Baker, Wendy1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Writing & Pedagogy. Dec2025, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p188-220. 33p.
Subject Terms: *English as a foreign language, *Educational evaluation, *Communicative competence, *Psychology of students, Praise, Social background
Abstract: Providing effective written feedback to ESL students poses a challenging yet crucial task for language teachers. While numerous studies have delved into critical feedback, few have explored students' perceptions of praise in written feedback. To gauge students' view of praise, we analyzed responses to two types: person praise (e.g., "You are a good writer") and performance praise (e.g., "You used the past tense correctly"). Language proficiency levels (high and low) and cultural backgrounds (Asian and Romance) were also considered. ESL students (n = 100) were given feedback on an essay they wrote and surveyed about praise comments. In addition, three focus groups were conducted. Quantitative data indicated a preference for both praise types, while focus groups revealed a preference for performance over person praise. Lower proficiency students valued and considered praise to be more change-invoking than high-proficiency peers. Additionally, students from Romance cultures favored praise more than Asian cultures. Interaction effects highlighted nuances, such as high-proficiency Asian students perceiving praise as less kind, valuable, positive, and clear than their Romance counterparts. These findings offer insights for teachers and administrators to develop an informed praise philosophy and recognize which praise type best meets their students' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Writing & Pedagogy is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Writing+%26+Pedagogy%22">Writing & Pedagogy</searchLink>. Dec2025, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p188-220. 33p.
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  Data: Providing effective written feedback to ESL students poses a challenging yet crucial task for language teachers. While numerous studies have delved into critical feedback, few have explored students' perceptions of praise in written feedback. To gauge students' view of praise, we analyzed responses to two types: person praise (e.g., "You are a good writer") and performance praise (e.g., "You used the past tense correctly"). Language proficiency levels (high and low) and cultural backgrounds (Asian and Romance) were also considered. ESL students (n = 100) were given feedback on an essay they wrote and surveyed about praise comments. In addition, three focus groups were conducted. Quantitative data indicated a preference for both praise types, while focus groups revealed a preference for performance over person praise. Lower proficiency students valued and considered praise to be more change-invoking than high-proficiency peers. Additionally, students from Romance cultures favored praise more than Asian cultures. Interaction effects highlighted nuances, such as high-proficiency Asian students perceiving praise as less kind, valuable, positive, and clear than their Romance counterparts. These findings offer insights for teachers and administrators to develop an informed praise philosophy and recognize which praise type best meets their students' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Writing & Pedagogy is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.3138/wap-2024-0009
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 33
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational evaluation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Communicative competence
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      – SubjectFull: Psychology of students
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      – SubjectFull: Praise
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      – SubjectFull: Social background
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      – TitleFull: Praise Proficiency: Unraveling Student Perceptions of Praise Types in an ESL Classroom.
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            – D: 01
              M: 12
              Text: Dec2025
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              Y: 2025
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