In this study 244 student teachers had to assess an essay, in which number of spelling mistakes was varied. Class information was also manipulated. Both the presence of many spelling mistakes and the information that the student was of a lower social class evoked lower judgments. The results indicate that lower class children experience a double disadvantage when their essays are being assessed: the fact that they are less familiar with the standard language (spelling) as well as their social background subject them to lower judgments.
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