Chapter 5 Language Issues in ESP (Hedging and Move) 應外系副教授 / 外語中心主任 蘇綉惠 (Patricia Su) 蘇綉惠 (Patricia Su)

Hedging/ vague language A feature of academic writing is the need to be cautious in one ’ s claims or statements. Hedging represents the use of linguistic devices to show hesitation or uncertainty, display politeness and indirectness, and defer to the reader ’ s point of view (Hinkel, 1996, 1997).

Hedging/ vague language George Lakoff termed ‘ hedging ’ in 1972,197 that “ words whose job it is to make things fuzzier or less fuzzy. ” Selinker (1979) “ an important and necessary feature of ESP/EAP writing.. the well-known practice of hedging in scientific writing

Three ways to comment on a prediction By hedging By attribution By specifying conditions modal verbs (may, might, etc.) Adverbs (possibly, perhaps, etc.) Adjectives (likely, probably, etc.) Impersonal verbs (suggest, seem, etc.) X expects y … According to X, the y X will happen if Makaya and Bloor (1987) examined in economics reports.

Salager-Meyer (1994) found in the discussion and comments sections of medical journal articles: Shield, e.g. all modal verbs expressing possibility; semi-auxiliaries: to appear, to seem; probability adverbs: probably, likely. Approximators, e.g. of quantity, degree, frequency and time viz. approximately, roughly, often

Salager-Meyer (1994) found in the discussion and comments sections of medical journal articles : Expression such as ‘ I believe ’, ‘ to our knowledge ’, etc. which express the author ’ s personal doubt and direct involvement; Emotionally-charged intensifiers, such as: extremely interesting, particularly encouraging, unexpectedly;

Salager-Meyer (1994) found in the discussion and comments sections of medical journal articles: Compound hedges, i.e. the juxtaposition of several hedges, e.g. It may suggest that …, it seems reasonable to assume …, etc.

Skelton(1988) It is by means of the hedging system of a language that a user distinguishes between what he says and what he thinks about what he says. Without hedging, the world is purely propositional. With a hedging system, language is rendered more flexible and the world more subtle.

Skelton(1988) ‘ Hedging ‘ is a pejorative term and for it substitutes the word ’ comment. ’ Students should be taught the relationship between proposition and comment. Comments are much more common feature of academic writing.. most verb tenses. Advantage of teaching ‘ commentative system ’ to students is to enable them to ‘ achieve greater delicacy of meaning. ‘

Modal Expression Modal verbs (e.g. would, could, may) Lexical verbs (e.g. seem, appear, suggest) Modal adverbs (e.g. probably, possibly, apparently) Modal adjectives (e.g. certain, probable, undoubted) Modal nouns (e.g. assumption, possibility, estimate)

Channell (1994) Expression being vague if: It can be contrasted with a precise way of rendering the same proposition; It is ‘ purposely and unabashedly vague. Its meaning arises from ‘ intrinsic uncertainty (caused by the speaker ’ s habits of language being indeterminate).

Vague Language Numbers and approximators: about, around, approximately Round numbers: ninety-nine per cent, a couple of Non-numerical vague quantifiers: lots of, a bit of, several

EXAMPLE 1, 2: Compare the following: It may be said that the commitment to some of the social and economic concepts was less strong than it is now. (The commitment to some of the social and economic concepts was less strong than it is now.) The lives they chose may seem overly ascetic and self-denying to most women today. (The lives they chose seem overly ascetic and self-denying to most women today.)

EXAMPLE 3, 4: Compare the following: Weismann suggested that animals become old because, if they did not, there could be no successive replacement of individuals and hence no evolution. (Weismann proved that animals become old because, if they did not, there could be no successive replacement of individuals and hence no evolution.) Yet often it cannot have been the case that a recalcitrant trustee remained in possession of the property entrusted to him. (Yet a recalcitrant trustee did not remain in possession of the property entrusted to him.)

EXAMPLE 5, 6: Compare the following: Recent work on the religious demography of Northern Ireland indicates a separating out of protestant and catholic, with the catholic population drifting westwards and vice versa. (Recent work on the religious demography of Northern Ireland shows a separating out of protestant and catholic, with the catholic population drifting westwards and vice versa.) By analogy, it may be possible to walk from one point in hilly country to another by a path which is always level or uphill, and yet a straight line between the points would cross a valley. (By analogy, one can walk from one point in hilly country to another by a path which is always level or uphill, and yet a straight line between the points would cross a valley. )

EXAMPLE 7, 8: Compare the following: There are certainly cases where this would seem to have been the only possible method of transmission. (There are cases where this would have been the only possible method of transmission.) Nowadays the urinary symptoms seem to be of a lesser order. (Nowadays the urinary symptoms are of a lesser order. )

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Job Application Letters

References Jordan, R. R. (1997). English for Academic Purpose: A guide and resource book for teachers. New York: Cambridge University Press. Swales, J.M. & Feak, C,B, (2007). Academic Writing for Graduate Students. Taipei: Crane Publishing.